I served as a senior staff pastor of one of the largest Baptist churches in the Chattanooga area
until Valentine's Day 2005 when that door was abruptly shut. My wife Melanie and I began to seek
the Lord about what was next. God had already laid it on our hearts to begin a new ministry in
Chattanooga and so we prayed and fasted until we received His confirmation. We planned the
launch of 'The Cross Culture' for Father's Day 2005, which also happened to be the week our third
son was born. We began meeting in hotel conference rooms and looked for a place to call home.
On Valentine's Day 2006 God providentially lead us to Eastgate Town Center which we later
discovered to be the site of the former Brainerd Mission. As we learned the mission's history we
quickly identified with it's original heart. It was a mission to the Cherokee Indians and the first place
that the gospel opened up to this region. It stands at the Eastern gate of the city known as the
'Gate Way to the Deep South' and is a profoundly significant location. On Good Friday 2009 we
were granted permission to build out our first permanent space at Eastgate and on May 31st were
lead by God to host The 2009 Global Day Of Prayer for the Chattanooga area.