Pastor Emeritus William H. (Bill) Montague served Mt. Tabor Church Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America from the spring of 2002 until the September Presbytery of 2011 where he asked to be relieved of duties because of an on-going illness. He was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1943 and came to Tennessee in 1961 to attend Knoxville College (PCUSA). From birth to 1969 he was a member of Haymount United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, NC. He completed high school at Boggs Academy ...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 174
Reverend Mark Hester is in his 9th year serving as the Pastor of Loudon Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the Presbytery of East Tennessee. He had a long career as a bi-vocational minister serving often as an Interim, Stated Supply and Pulpit Supply. Before his retirement from full-time secular work in 2021, he was a Registered Investment Advisor and Certified as a Financial Planner. In his 43 years in the financial world, he managed wealth for clients in 27 states and specialized in taking care...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 173
Greg Bowen writes, "Hello, I’m Greg Bowen, and I have the incredible privilege of serving as the full-time pastor of Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church in McMinnville, Tennessee. Sharing the gospel and helping others grow in their faith is my passion, and I love seeing lives transformed by God’s truth. I’ve been married to my wonderful wife, Sue, for 38 years, and together we have been blessed with a beautiful family. Our daughter, Keri, and her husband, Ryan, live in Glasgow, Kentucky, and ...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 172
Originally from Cali, Colombia, Juan Manuel Cabezas Torres is a husband and father who loves God and believes that everyone can contribute to God’s kingdom uniquely. He graduated from Colegio Americano, a school founded by the Cumberland Presbyterian Mission in Colombia. Then, he earned his degree as Dentist from University Santiago de Cali. Juan and his wife later made Memphis, Tennessee their home. Juan has been an active member of Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church for years, sharing his mu...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 171
Reverend Jamie Adams is a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, a school teacher, and entrepreneur. To learn more about The Record Shop, click the link below to the December 2024 issue of The Cumberland Presbyterian magazine. https://www.calameo.com/cppubarc/read/007729667ca6ed8a20773?authid=BgFycxxQ1Esp Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blue Comments: http://freemusicarchive.org/ Additio...
Mar 25, 2025•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 170
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 attend...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 169
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. Music is provide...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 168
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. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blue Comments: http://freemusicarchive.org/ Additio...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 167
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. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Sou...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 166
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 ...
Aug 13, 2024•56 min•Ep. 165
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." Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . So...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 164
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 g...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 163
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 Vie...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 162
Nick Chambers was born and raised in Camden, Arkansas. He is the grandson of the late Rev. Leo Smith, who pastored for 50 years in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC). His mother, former Women’s Ministry President, Martha Chambers, father, and father-in-law are ordained elders in the CP Church. His brother and aunt are also CP Ministers. But serving in the church was never the dream for Nick. Nick and Andrea have six children who are all homeschooled. His two oldest kids help lead worship e...
May 14, 2024•3 hr•Ep. 161
Rev. Lucas Garcia is a Cumberland Presbyterian minister in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Lucas writes, "I have been happily married for ten years to my beautiful wife Jennifer and we have a three year old son named Santiago. I have served the El Redil Cumberland Presbyterian Church for the past six years as its pastor. It has been a wonderful and fulfilling journey. I love playing the guitar and laughing." Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/m...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 160
Benjamin Diaz Villa is an ordained elder and pianist at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Houston, chair of Trinity Presbytery Board of Christian Education, and is currently a PhD aerospace engineering student at the University of Texas at Austin. His research is currently on hypersonic aeroelasticity, and he enjoys composing music in his free time. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/cal...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 159
Danny Willis is a Cumberland Presbyterian minister in Owensboro, Kentucky. He and his wife Jessica, join me in this faith journey on Cumberland Road. Danny writes, “my story is one of ‘I am lost and now I am found’ and being pulled from certain death, by God’s hand. My church, wife, and children have all been a huge part of my journey; a journey that has just begun.” Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 158
Matthew H. Gore is a British journalist, historian, popular culturist, archivist, and educator residing in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the immediate past-president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists and is best known for his book The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988 (2000). He has also published on a variety of topics as diverse as The Origin of Marvelman (a British superhero of the 1950s and 1960s), the relative scarcity of East German philatelics, and the bio...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 157
LeighAnn Morgan is serving as the Congregational Life Director at Winchester Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Tennessee. She was raised in the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination and says she has "loved every second of it". She answered the call into ministry while in high school and graduated from Bethel University in Mckenzie, Tennessee with a major in Human Services. LeighAnn is now attending Memphis Theological Seminary. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://ww...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 156
Carissa Welch lives in Oklahoma. She and her husband have three children, 7, 5, and 2. She is a seminary student and attends Covenant Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blue Comments: http://freemusicarchive.org/ Additional comments: modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast. Copyright Attribution and License: ht...
Mar 05, 2024•59 min•Ep. 155
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Donna Frost is a traveling troubadour with decades of performing and touring experience. Expertly weaving folk, blues and pop, she creates memorable concerts that champion the human spirit. She logs thousands of miles each year, performing across the U.S., solo and with her band. With over 300 songs in her catalog and seven albums, her music has received airplay, charted and garnered awards worldwide. Recently, Donna won the Mississippi Music Foundatio...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 154
Mitzi Minor joined the Memphis Theological Seminary (MTS) faculty in the summer of 1993. From the beginning of her vocation as a teacher/scholar, first as a grad student, through three years of teaching undergrads, and during all her time at MTS, the primary focus of her work has been (and continues to be) the intersection of the New Testament with our own spiritual journeys. She believes deeply that critical biblical study is a significant aid along the journey and seeks to demonstrate that bel...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 153
Reverend Justin Richter recently became the Director of Global Missions of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He lives in Albuquerque and served there as a pastor at Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church for over fourteen years. He had a multicultural upbringing with multi-ethnic parents and overseas living due to his father’s military career. He has a passion for cross-cultural ministry and hopes to continue our denominations efforts to be global in its vision. Music is provided by Pierce Mur...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 152
Rev. Merlyn Alexander celebrates 71 years of ministry in this faith conversation. Ordained December 30, 1952, Merlyn has served Cumberland Presbyterian congregations in multiple presbyteries and states, as vice moderator of the General Assembly in 1992 and as moderator of the General Assembly in 1996. He lives in Jackson, Tennessee. Thanks to his daughter, Dewana Latimer, for making this faith conversation happen. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source: https://www.freemusicar...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 151
Rev. Emrie Smith Rogers is currently serving as minister of Tusculum Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. She grew up in Westborough, Massachusetts with a passion for missions and fluency in the Spanish language. Emrie came to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by God’s leading through many unforeseen circumstances including her thwarted attempts to run away from God’s call. In the Cumberland Presbyterian Church she has found purpose, mentors, and opportunities to serve God. E...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 150
Rev. Rocky Johnson has been in the ministry for over 40 years. He has served Cumberland Presbyterian congregations in Greeneville and Morristown Tennessee and soon will start his 10th year as pastor at Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Clarksville Tennessee. He has been married to his wife Janet for 31 years and they have a 13 year old granddaughter, Mikeyaka, who lives with them. Rocky says, "We all try to contribute to the ministry and make it a family affair." Music is provided by Pie...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 149
The Rev. Dr. Robert S. (Stan) Wood is pastor of the Mt. Tabor Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America in Jackson, Tennessee since 2011. He was Vice President of Academic Affairs/Academic Dean, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, Clara Scott Professor of Ministry at Memphis Theological Seminary retiring in 2017. He earned degrees from Bethel College, Memphis Theological Seminary, and Vanderbilt Divinity School. He is an ordained minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America....
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 148
Rev. Kevin Brantley writes, "I was born Dec. 25, 1971, in Ada, OK, the son of Wes Jr. and Susan Brantley. Dana and I were married May 26, 2007, and have 2 children: daughter Kristi (21) and son Wesley (13). I graduated from Ada High School in 1990, Bethel College in 1994 with a B.S. degree in Mathematics with an emphasis in Business and from Memphis Theological Seminary in 1998 with a M. Div. degree. I became a Christian in 1981 and joined the Latta Cumberland Presbyterian Church (now Covenant C...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 147
Earl Goodwin is a Birmingham, Alabama native. He has a background in education as well as his theological endeavors. In his little down time, he enjoys singing and working in live theater. In addition to his responsibilities serving the Stevenson, Alabama church, he is also a full time floral designer as well as Stated Clerk for Robert Donnell Presbytery. Earl is a graduate of The University of Montevallo and Memphis Theological Seminary. Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue . Source...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 146
Gina writes: "Hello, my name is Gina Wood, and I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I am a third-generation Cumberland Presbyterian. My parents are Reverend Leonard and Mary Jo Turner (C.P. royalty, according to me), and they have been at Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church for 51 years. I have two incredible daughters (Taylor & Anna) and a fantastic son-in-law (Matthew). My sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews (Tabitha, Dave, Guy, & Brodie Roberts) also live here in Knoxville, and we are...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 145
