OUR LEADERSHIP
DR. FRED STEELMAN
Interim Senior Pastor | fred@brainerdhills.com
Dr. Steelman has a B.S. from Mississippi State University, a Masters of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Doctorate of Ministry from New Orleans Theological Seminary, and an Honorary Doctorate from Carson Newman University. He has been a pastor from more than 50 years, 33 of which were at Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga.
Dr. Steelman has been active in denominational life serving on major boards of the TBC and the SBC. He serve from 1975-1984 on the TBC Executive Board and was elected President in 1983. As a Trustee at Carson Newman University from 1995-2007, Dr. Steelman was Chairman of the Board from 2003-2004. He is married with three grown children and five grandchildren. Since his retirement in 2006, he has served several lengthy interims and has managed to hunt and fish a significant amount.
OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Get to know our Pastoral Staff and ministry teams who help lead our Church family.
JEFF CLARK
Minister of Music | jeff@brainerdhills.com
Jeff joined the staff of Brainerd Hills in January of 1993 after graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters in Church Music. He originally served as Minister of Music & Youth, but as the church expanded, was moved to music ministry exclusively. His passion is to see the church engaged in heartfelt, biblical worship.
Jeff and his wife, Kris, reside in the East Brainerd community and have three children.
OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Get to know our Pastoral Staff and ministry teams who help lead our Church family.
MIKE LOFTON
Minister of Education | mike@brainerdhills.com
Mike Lofton joined the pastoral staff of Brainerd Hills in 1998 after serving as Associate Pastor and Minister of Education at First Baptist Church of Ridgeland, Mississippi. Mike oversees the educational ministry of the church which encompasses the Sunday School Ministry, Discipleship/Equipping Ministry, and Outreach Ministry.
Mike graduated from Mississippi State University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and resides in Chattanooga with his wife Deborah and his two children, Meagan and Adam.
OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Get to know our Pastoral Staff and ministry teams who help lead our Church family.
ANDREW CRAWFORD
Minister to Students | andrew@brainerdhills.com
Andrew serves as Minister to Students, joining our staff in September of 2013. He is from Ringgold, Georgia and is a product of the student ministry at Brainerd Hills. His desire is for students to fall in love with our Savior, Jesus Christ and follow Him wherever He leads.
He and his wife Jennifer have been married for five years and have two children, Cooper and Lily. They currently reside in Ringgold.
Andrew holds a BA in Business Administration from Maryville College where he played football and wrestled, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree.
OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Get to know our Pastoral Staff and ministry teams who help lead our Church family.
LINDSAY BLACKWELL
Director of Preschool and Nursery | lindsay@brainerdhills.com
Lindsay grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. She has a degree from the University of North Alabama in Social Work. Lindsay has over 10 years experience working in the field of childcare and early childhood education. She has worked with children of all ages. Lindsay has a passion to see children grow in their foundation in Christ starting at birth.
Lindsay and her husband, Richmond, have been married since 2005. They have two daughters and currently live in Ringgold.
OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Get to know our Pastoral Staff and ministry teams who help lead our Church family.
ANITA PARKER
Children's Ministry Director | anita@brainerdhills.com
Anita and her husband Tim are from Rock Spring, GA. Anita has an Early Childhood Education Degree and has worked with children for many years. She has had several roles working with children, including serving as Children and Preschool Director at her former church as well as being a USA Gymnastics Team coach.
Anita's passion is to show the love of Christ to each child and to help build a solid foundation in their relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.
OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Get to know our Pastoral Staff and ministry teams who help lead our Church family.
OUR LEADERSHIP
MISSIONS
BEING THE CHURCH
Making disciples is at the heart of who we are at Brainerd Hills. God has grown in us a deep love for people God treasures in all nations. As a Southern Baptist Church, Brainerd Hills provides direct support for almost 10,000 missionaries in North America and across the globe.
Through Baptist Global Response, Global Hunger Relief, and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Brainerd Hills joins with all Southern Baptists in providing for urgent human needs around the world. We do so with the love of Christ and Gospel-centered compassion.
WOMEN ON MISSION
WOM are an active group of women, whose hearts are focused on helping and reaching out to our community through missions. They meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Each month they sponsor a churchwide missions project for BHBC, which includes working with Choices Pregnancy Center, Welcome Home ( a place for the terminal homeless), Women at the Well (helping women out of incarceration get back on their feet), Baptist’s Children’s Home, feeding a group for the week of World Changers in the summer, working with our Associations’ HACOBA Mission and several more areas of missions. God is using this group of ladies to show His love in tangible efforts.
DISASTER RELIEF
The DR team goes through training each year and earn accreditations from the state, before they can serve. Our men and women roll up their sleeves and sometimes literally dig into damaged homes and property to help victims of disasters occurring in our state of Tennessee and sometimes in other areas as well. They have been involved in painting houses, clearing property damage, hanging sheetrock― whatever is necessary to help others in desperate need. Through their work and prayers many people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are blessed spiritually and physically by seeing the hands and feet of God in action.
