Cumberland Road

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.Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 every Sunday. Nick has served as moderator of Arkansas and Grace Presbyteries, numerous presbyterial committees, and the Communications Ministry Team. He is currently the pastor of the Camden CP Church, and, via video stream, the Walkerville CP Church.  Adapted from the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine, May 2024.Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 biography of British pulp artist, Denis McLoughlin. He is employed by the Ministry Council of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at the Cumberland Presbyterian Center in Memphis, Tennessee, as editor of the Cumberland Presbyterian Magazine and as publications manager. He has been associated with both Western Kentucky University, which honored him with their James H. Poteet Award, and the University of Kentucky. He also serves as editor for all Boardman Books (Memphis, Tennessee) publications.Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Foundation Best Americana Artist award in April 2023. She has performed a tribute to the late Skeeter Davis at Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; and has performed live on Chicago WGN TV. Giving back to the community, she is an active performer with Music for Seniors, “Musicians on Call” and “Songs of Love.” She is endorsed by Kamoa Ukuleles and Luna Guitars; and is an ambassador for True Joy Acoustics which donates ukuleles to pediatric hospitals for music therapy programs across the country. Her latest album The Beautiful Unseen is a collaboration with her longtime friend Jack Howell, and recorded in Joshua Tree, CA. (Adapted from https://donnafrost.com/press-kit/).Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 belief in the classroom, in the church, and when she writes.Dr. Minor was reared in Southern Baptist Churches and continues to be grateful to those good folks in that setting who taught her to love the Bible. She left the turmoil of that denomination in 1990 and was ordained by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1991. Cumberland Presbyterians and their seminary (MTS) have provided a challenging and nurturing environment for Dr. Minor to grow as a person of faith and as a teacher/scholar. She teaches courses at MTS in the Gospels, Romans, the Corinthian letters, Revelation, NT Greek, and feminist NT studies. The Gospel of Mark was her first love as a grad student, and it inspires her still. She’s written two books and numerous articles on Mark and has lectured on the Second Gospel twice. In addition, she’s written a commentary on 2 Corinthians and given lectures inspired by that writing. She’s also lectured on Revelation.Beyond her work at MTS, Dr. Minor also spends significant time teaching in church and retreat settings, which brings her much joy. Lay Christians benefit from critical biblical study every bit as much as seminarians! While some people insist that critical study “won’t work” in church, Dr. Minor delights in proving them wrong. She delights even more in lay Christians’ eagerness to understand their Bibles.If possible, Dr. Minor would spend every moment outside of work hiking somewhere and taking her camera along. But since that’s not possible, she also fills her non-working hours with good friends, mystery novels and poetry, bicycle rides, being an Auburn sports fan, and attending to her large and close extended family.  - Bio from the faculty page of Memphis Theological Seminary https://memphisseminary.edu/dr-mitzi-l-minor/Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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. Emrie and her husband, Matt, met during COVID and now live in the South Nashville area with their adorable collie and trouble-making cat.Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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.  Prior to his appointment at Memphis Theological Seminary, Dr. Wood was employed by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America as General Secretary/Stated Clerk (1979-1997) and as Director of Christian Education (1973-1979), working at the church headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama. He and his wife, Patricia, live in Cordova, Tennessee.Music is provided by Pierce Murphy, Caldera Blue. Source:  https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Pierce_Murphy/through-the-olive-branches/caldera-blueComments: http://freemusicarchive.org/Additional comments:  modifications made to shorten and loop song for introduction and closing of podcast.Copyright Attribution and License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/