Thank you for taking the time to visit the Laurel Bank Baptist Church website. Our desire is to grow closer to God through the study of His Word and closer to each other as we serve our Lord together. I hope you are able to find all the information that you need on the website. If I can help in any way, please email at laurelbankbaptist+matthew@gmail.com. I grew up in a strong Christian home and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at the age of six. I first understood the Lord’s calling to serve at the age of twelve, and I have been consistently teaching the Bible for over 20 years. My wife Janna and I got married and moved to East Tennessee in 2002. Through the years we have served in varying capacities in the church and community. It has always been our strong desire to equip the saints through discipleship and we have discipled all ages through Bible studies in our home, with our church, and even as houseparents at Wears Valley Ranch, a Christian boarding school in Sevier County, TN. Before coming to Laurel Bank, we served for 9 years in college ministry. In addition to being a pastor, I am also the Rosenberg Associate Professor of Practice in the Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering department at the University of Tennessee. Engineering has really helped me better understand the character of God, and I love helping train the next generation of engineers. One of my interests is the field of apologetics, and I am a sponsoring faculty of the UTK chapter of Ratio Christi, a ministry devoted to presenting a rational defense of Christianity. I often have the chance to engage in conversations with college students who have a wide range of worldviews. Janna and I have six wonderful children between the ages of 8 and 17. As a family, we like to read, hike, sing and travel.
