Bob Briggs, Elder
I was raised a member of the Lutheran Church but didn’t come truly to know Christ as Savior until age 29, when the Lord graciously (yet severely) convicted me of the hypocrisy I exhibited in living an altogether worldly lifestyle while professing to be a Christian. Soon after, I met my wife-to-be, Coco, and we’ve now been married 25 years. We have five children: Becky Richards (now married to Tom), Reuben, Miles, Margaret, and Bobbie. We began attending Trinity Baptist Church in 1999 and participated in the merger with Clifton in 2001. I’m in my 20th year as an employee with UPS Airlines, my current assignment being a functional representative with the IT department.
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Bill Croft, Elder
I grew up in the Methodist church and was in a family that would have been considered Christian by most people. It was not until I was 36 years old, however, that I really came to know Christ as my Savior. From that time the scriptures have had new meaning, and I have pursued them with much greater desire. From our first Sunday here at Clifton, Mae and I have felt this was where the Lord had intended us to be and have been members for over 8 years. We have helped lead marriage retreats and have lead as well as participated in small groups. We have three married children and seven grandchildren. I have been a Family Physician in New Albany for over 36 years. I consider the role of elder to be a great privilege and strive to live up to the responsibility.
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David Dykes, Elder
My sin was made clear to me as a child when I struggled with my temper, and I learned that I was powerless to change on my own. My parents taught me the gospel through their words and example, and the Lord graciously gave me faith in Christ and a desire to turn from my sin at a young age. Through my college and seminary years, the Lord filled me with a greater understanding of the glory of Christ and my daily need for His grace. Ericia and I were married in 2005, and we have 3 precious children: Ruth, Elisabeth, and Seth. I joined Clifton in 2001 and had the privilege of serving on staff at Clifton part-time as the Children’s Ministry Director from 2004 to 2006. I am currently employed with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
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Matt Hall, Elder
I was converted and baptized at a young age through the witness of my parents and local church. I met my wife, Jeannie, while an student at Grove City College and we have three children: George, Charlie, and Jane. I currently serve on staff at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and have been a member at Clifton Baptist Church since 2003.
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Randy Murray, Elder
I trusted Christ at an early age after hearing the gospel from my mother and my Bible teachers in school. My wife Michele and I met Bill and Kelley Housley (missionaries sent out by Clifton Baptist to Papua New Guinea) in 1998. Through their loving discipleship the Lord blessed us with a deeper love and commitment to Christ and his church. My family and I began attending Trinity Baptist Church (now Clifton Baptist) in 1999. Michele and I have been married for 15 years (1994) and have six children. Our four daughters are Caitlin, Chelsea, Corey and Claire. Our two boys are James and William. I am self employed as an executive recruiter.
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Staff Elders
John Kimbell, Pastor of Preaching and Discipleship
I began to trust Christ at an early age under the instruction of my parents, and thank God for graciously deepening my hope in Him with each passing year. Early in my college years the Lord opened my eyes in new ways to His greatness and glory, and slowly began to instill in me a love and appreciation for the local church. It was also at this time that I met my wife, Sarah. We now have four children: Anna, Rachel, Trevor, and Ryan. We joined Clifton in 2001, and throughout our marriage have been actively involved in small group ministry. God has used Clifton in remarkable ways to encourage us in our relationship with Christ, and I was thrilled to come on staff here in 2008.
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Oren Martin, Pastoral Assistant
I was born and raised in Houston, TX, under the instruction of wonderful parents who raised me to love Christ and his church. I was brought to faith in Christ in college through the faithful preaching of the Word and discipleship of a local church and, by God’s grace, he has continued his good and needful work of conforming me more into the image of Christ. After serving as a college minister in a local church at Texas A&M, we moved to Louisville in 2004 to train for ministry at Southern Seminary and joined Clifton shortly thereafter. I am married to Cindy and we gratefully have two children, Jonathan Owen and Anna Grace. We are so thankful for the many ways that the Lord has used Clifton and its gospel-centered preaching, teaching, shepherding and fellowship to increase our love for Christ and God’s glory. In addition to serving on staff at Clifton, I am also working on a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology, which I hope the Lord will use to make me a more faithful minister of his Word.
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Jeremy Pierre, Pastor of Member Care and Administration
I was brought to Christ at a young age, having heard the gospel from faithful parents and teachers at church. God used two scripture verses in particular—Romans 6:23 and Titus 3:5—to convict me of sin and send me to the cross to receive the full and free gift of forgiveness. I was later baptized as a profession of my faith in Christ. My wife Sarah and I have been at Clifton since 2002, when we moved from northern Ohio to go to seminary. Sarah and I have been married for almost a decade, and we’ve been given four children: Allie, Ronnie, Marlie, and Frankie. I am also a professor at Southern Seminary.
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Tom Schreiner, Pastor of Preaching
I trusted in Christ through the witness of the person who is now my wife (Diane) at the age of 17. After my conversion I immediately felt called to ministry and have served as a teacher in three different schools and an elder in three different churches. I’ve been the preaching pastor at Trinity and Clifton since 1998. God has blessed Diane and me with four children: Daniel, Patrick, John, and Anna. I am also a professor of New Testament at Southern Seminary.
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Shawn Wright, Pastor of Leadership Development
The Lord blessed me with Christian parents who brought me to church and taught me the gospel from a young age. I believe I trusted Christ at the age of 10. I helped to start Trinity Baptist Church in 1996 when I began working on my Ph.D. In 2001 Trinity merged with Clifton, where I have served ever since. I also teach church history at Southern Seminary. I am married to Gretchen, and we have five sons: Benjamin, Jonathan, Aaron, Nathan, and Stephen.