Derek’s Story

Pastor Derek received Jesus as Lord and Savior in January of his third-grade year and was baptized the next month. He was called by God to the gospel ministry during his junior year of high school and began vocational ministry when he was 21 years of age. Pastor Derek was licensed to the gospel ministry in 1999 and ordained in 2001; both by First Baptist Church of Collierville, TN. He has graduated from Collierville High School (1994), received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Union University (1998), a Master of Divinity Degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (2002), and a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Expository Preaching from Union University (2014). Derek believes the pastor is to honor the Lord by leading, feeding, overseeing, and protecting the flock to which he has been called. He is passionate about God and His Word. He delights in preaching God’s Word, seeing souls saved, seeing lives transformed, marriages reconciled, strongholds defeated, and lives lived on mission with Jesus. Derek and Tiffany were married in 2002. Tiffany grew up in a Baptist minister’s home, graduated from Collierville High School (1997) and The University of Mississippi (2001) with a Bachelor of Social Work. Tiffany currently teaches English as a second language to Chinese children online through VIP kid. They have four children: Andrew, Matthew, Ally, and Luke.