Reverend Brian Gibson writes:
"My name is Brian Gibson. I am sixty years old and have been married to Michelle for 32 years. We met on July 4th of 1992 and were married on September 12th of 1992. We have three children Adam, Kevin, and Annalise. We also have four grandchildren Haley, Hagen, Gabby, and Amelia.

My daughter, Annalise, was the catalyst in my wife and I returning to church. She was friends with Drew Edwards, son of Joey Edwards, and asked if we could go to her dad’s church. We attended on that Sunday and our faith journey began.
I began seminary at the age of fifty. My first professor, Steve Parrish walked in with long hair and sandals and a notebook the size of two Bibles. Introduction to the Old Testament was begun.
During my spiritual walk, my wife lost her mother and I lost my brother and mother. I also lost a great deal of my eyesight to a disease known as optic neuritos. Those stumbling blocks led me to almost end my faith walk. If it had not been for Tiffany McClung, Barry Anderson, and Courteney Pace, I would have closed the book on the calling God has told me to take. I am also grateful the strength my family gave me and continues to give me to this very day."

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Reverend Isaac Gray is a lifelong Cumberland Presbyterian born and raised in East Tennessee. He began his ministry journey in 2008 after being ordained at his home church in Afton shortly after graduating seminary. He and his family moved to Smithville in July of 2014 after pastoring the Pineville Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Arkansas for 6 years. Isaac, his wife Susan, and his two children, Caleb and Sarah, are excited to be in Smithville doing the work God has given them.

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Reverend Taylor Young is a 34 years old pastor of St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Madison, Tennessee. He is a first generation Cumberland Presbyterian and graduate of Memphis Theological Seminary. Taylor and his wife are expecting their first child soon and can't wait for that new journey.

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Reverend Rian Puckett serves as the minister of the Faith Hopewell and New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian churches in the Batesville, Arkansas area. Additionally, he is the boys' basketball coach at Salem High School. Rian met his wife, Michelle, while students at Bethel College and they have two children, Colby and Brooklyn. Rian has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Bethel and an Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary.

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Audrey Adams, a 25 year-old life-long Cumberland Presbyterian and recent Memphis Theological Seminary (MTS) graduate, joins us today to talk about her faith journey. Audrey comes to us having graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Communications. While at UTM, Audrey balanced part-time work at a local law practice and participated and served in various organizations, including SGA and the Writing Center, as well as volunteered as the youth leader at Cool Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Trimble, Tennessee, where her mother is the current pastor and where she was able to serve in various leadership roles at Cumberland Presbyterian youth functions. Through the English program, Audrey also had the opportunity to participate in two travel studies abroad during her time at UTM. After feeling called to further her education at Memphis Theological Seminary following her time at UTM, Audrey began studying at MTS in the Fall of 2021, and recently graduated in May of this year with a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (MACM) with a specialization in social justice. Audrey is presently serving as the Store Manager at her family’s new business venture, For The Record, in downtown Union City, Tennessee.

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Reverend Dennis Croslin writes, "I've been married to Melinda for almost 22 years. We have 8 children. I have been the pastor at Union Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church for 11 years and have been ordained since 2017. I'm a PAS graduate and a licensed funeral director and embalmer, which leads to various ministry opportunities. The church that I pastor is the church I grew up in along with my mother, my grandparents, and great-grandparents."

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Reverend Blake Stephens is a life long Cumberland Presbyterian. He was raised in the First Cumberland Presbyterian church in Winchester, Tennessee. It was a long road to ministry for Blake but after many twists and turns he surrendered to the call. He serves the Owens Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian church in Winchester and just celebrated his 10th year there. Blake is a volunteer with his local search and rescue organization and serves as land search captain specializing in tracking and as the group chaplain.

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Larry Blakeburn was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but grew up in a mobile environment as his father prepared for and participated in full-time ministry. He has lived in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee.

He graduated from Greeneville High School, Bethel University, and later earned a Master of Divinity degree at Memphis Theological Seminary. Additionally, he was the first recipient of a Doctor of Ministry degree from MTS. Larry joined the United States Marine Corps in 1968 and served in Vietnam in 1969, where he was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

Larry was ordained on February 18, 1979. He has served five Cumberland Presbyterian churches: Bolivar CP Church, Bolivar, Tennessee, St. Luke CP Church, Ft. Worth, Texas, West Nashville CP Church, Nashville, Tennessee, Dyersburg First CP Church, Dyersburg, Tennessee, and First CP Church of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Dr. Blakeburn was President of Memphis Theological Seminary from 1997-2001.

He has served as commissioner to General Assembly several times. Larry was on the Board of Trustees of Memphis Theological Seminary from 1985-1991. He served nine years on the Board of Trustees of Bethel University. Larry was on the General Assembly Organizational Task Force in 2006 and 2007 to evaluate how our denominational organization and structure work together, and on the General Assembly Evaluation Committee for Memphis Theological Seminary and the Historical Foundation which reported to the 189th meeting of General Assembly. He has been moderator of five different presbyteries and served on the Board of Missions and the Committee on the Ministry in those presbyteries.

His philosophy of ministry revolves around trying to be a pastor for every member of his congregation and not just those who agree with him theologically, politically, and socially. “Every congregation that I have served has been made up of people from a variety of religious traditions and people who are politically and socially diverse. We accept absolutely everybody, but that does not mean that we agree with everybody or that we approve of everything they do. We are all in the process of being saved and we are trying our best to be like Christ.

Adapted from the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine, May 2024.

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