Pastor
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Pastor Brad is 50 years old. He has a fancy doctorate and prefers to go by "His Eminence." His Forrest Gump impression is okay, but it is better than his golfing abilities.
Director of Children's and Family Ministries
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Lindsey grew up just down the road from Knoxville in the beautiful booming metropolis of Louisville, TN. She married her best friend, Allen, in 2011 (known as "Mr. Lindsey" to the children and "Uncle Al" to many of the youth). They share a home with their pekingese, Mr. Meatball, and a rowdy boxer, Talley. In 2021, after years of fostering, Lindsey and Allen adopted two sweet kids into their family, Hannah and Gus.
Raised in the Catholic church, Lindsey always dreamed that she would be a nun because she wanted to help them to be as cool as Whoopi in the Sister Act movies. She fell in love with the Lord in high school and followed His call into children's ministry by leading an after-school Bible study for 3rd-5th grade girls. After the group tripled in size, the Pastor offered her a position on the church staff - at the age of 17! She quickly learned to believe that God does not always call the qualified, but he will qualify those He calls. Lindsey earned a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Children's Ministry at Johnson Bible College (now Johnson University) in South Knoxville. After serving at St. Mark's UMC in Louisville for five years, Lindsey was drawn to Bearden UMC in 2008 and has loved almost every minute. Lindsey is a fan of the New York Jets (by default/marriage) and dreams of a day when she can be proud of that. Lindsey and Allen have a heart and passion for the great outreach missions that BUMC is involved in, both local and international.
Director of Student Ministries
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Hailing from west-central Indiana, Dylan graduated in 2015 from Johnson University in Knoxville, TN with a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Theology and Intercultural Studies. He has a Master of Arts in Ministry and is currently obtaining his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Breanna, have been involved in various ministries over the past decade, including service in Mexico and Virginia, several short-term mission trips, and involvement in local outreach in Knoxville. They have three children together.
Director of Music Ministries
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Brandon grew up in Knoxville, TN. He married his wife in 2008. They have one daughter. Brandon says he loves to pretend to play golf. He also loves movies and comic books. As music director he just happens to dabble in music every now and then. Brandon has a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Master of Music in Choral Conducting, both from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge (GEAUX TIGERS!). Before coming to Bearden, he was a hired singer in churches and regional opera companies. Currently, he has his own voice studio for private voice lessons and works professional as a branch manager for ORNL Federal Credit Union. Brandon is an avid College Football fan and absolutely loves his LSU Tigers, though he says he also cheers for the Vols when they aren't playing LSU. Brandon's favorite hymn is How Great Thou Art.
Office Administrator
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Born in Michigan, Brenda lived in various parts of Florida for most of her life. About 11 years ago, she moved to Knoxville with her family. She is happily married, has two sons, a daughter, a granddaughter, and two dogs, Scruffy and Scrappy. Brenda enjoys shopping, going to the gym, and taking long, relaxing walks with her daughter. She is also interested in hiking, though admits she prefers the easier trails! While she’s not that interested in sports, she does support the UT Vols. Her favorite book is the popular devotional Jesus Calling. Her favorite movie is The Notebook. She loves the praise song I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe, and her favorite hymn is Amazing Grace.
Financial Administrator
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Born in Oak Ridge, Rob came to church administration after working for 20 years as a civil engineer. While working as an engineer, he was employed in a variety of settings including county government, general contracting, and commercial site design consulting. In recent years, he followed his passion for serving Jesus into church employment, working first as the worship coordinator and then church administrator at a local church. Rob and his wife Kim, who is way out of his league, have been married for 23 years. They live in the Halls community with their 5 little darling teenagers ranging in age from 15 to 19, who collectively are a pure pleasure. Rob’s main hobbies are reading and music. He plays guitar as well as bass and especially loves to encounter God’s presence through worship music. He and Kim enjoy taking scenic drives, traveling, and dining out.
Julie Callisto
Accompanist
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Ashley Harrington Amaro
Director of Childcare & After-School Programs
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Jenny Somerville
Childcare/After-School Program Coordinator
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Syeta Young
Childcare Administrative Assistant
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For more information regarding our childcare program, please visit our Childcare page or call (865) 588 1492.