meet the pastors
Steve, Melissa, Steven , Seth, Joy, Lydia and Luke, and Leah
Steve serves the Tiver as the Lead Pastor. Steve enjoys playing sports and playing with his children. Melissa enjoys getting out of the house with friends and baking desserts. As a family they enjoy going camping and having others over to talk and play spades or other card games.
Steve, originally from Memphis, Tenn., moved to Cookeville in 1986 to attend Tennessee Tech. Steve was active in the BSU on campus and served on their leadership team on a local and state level. After graduating in 1990 with a degree in Business Administration, he became a youth pastor first in Germany and then in Monterey, Tenn. Seminary was the next direction in which God lead him, so he headed off to California attend Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a Master's in Divinity (MDiv). It was there that he dated and married his beautiful wife Melissa, and they began their lives together.
As a team, Steve and Melissa ministered in Redwood City, Calif., as youth workers and then traveled to Turkey for two months, ministering there. Upon returning to the States, they moved to Los Angeles where they learned about starting new churches. God then sent them to Silicon Valley where they started New Hope Community Church. After establishing the new church and watching God grow it, they felt called back to Cookeville to do the same.
Melissa and Steve have been blessed with three daughters and three sons and feel their move to Cookeville was like “coming home.” Steve coaches a children’s soccer team and Melissa is involved with Community Bible Study and The River Children’s Ministry.
Bryan, Meredith, Carson, Elijah, Luke and Kaylyn
Bryan serves the River as the Worship Pastor. He grew up in Franklin, Tenn., and moved to Cookeville in 1992 to attend Tennessee Tech. Meredith grew up just down the road in Livingston. They met and fell in love during college and were highly involved in the Baptist Student Union.
By the summer of 1997, both were college graduates, Meredith was a Registered Nurse, and they were married. They then moved to Louisville, Ky., where Bryan attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A year and a half later they were off to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Bryan became full time Worship and Youth Pastor, and Meredith worked as a Cardiac ICU Nurse at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. Bryan’s passion for worship and a heart for Cookeville led him back here to be the Pastor of Worship for The River in January of 2002.
Bryan spends most of his “ministry” time in worship and music, and mentoring next generation worship leaders with the 18-20-something crowd at The Gathering. Meredith is a leader and dreamer for Kid’s Worship. They have four children: Carson born in 2000, Elijah in 2001, Luke in 2003 and Kaylyn in 2005, so needless to say things are interesting around the Vaughn house, especially while attempting to do school at home.
Bryan and Meredith love the outdoors and enjoying God’s creation as a family. Meredith enjoys scrapbooking and being a mom. Bryan has a passion for his wife, kids, running, and football. They both love music and together as a family their deepest desire is to be fully devoted slaves of Christ.
Steve, Lori, Taylor, Josie, Emily and Mallory
Steve serves The River as Pastor of Family Ministries--a job he loves, by the way! Steve and Lori both share a commitment and passion for serving others and are excited about being a part of what God is doing here in Cookeville.
Steve grew up in East Tennessee, but has lived in this area since 1989. He is a graduate of Tennessee Tech and East Tennessee State University. While in college, he was active with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and played on the rugby football team. Steve began serving in full time ministry in 1993 as a children’s pastor at Lighthouse Christian Camp in Smithville, Tenn. He moved to Cookeville in 1996 and has served locally as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and church planter. He joined the staff at The River in 2003 as Family Pastor. His favorite ministry however, is that of husband and dad! He enjoys reading, traveling, skiing, and going to Nashville Sounds’ baseball games with his family. He is currently pursuing his masters in Children and Family Ministry at Bethel Seminary.
Lori is from Milan, Tenn., and came to Cookeville in 1993. She has a BS in Music Therapy from Tennessee Tech and was active with the BSU and Tech Chorale. After completing an internship in Iowa, she moved back to Cookeville in 1997 and worked in a local geriatric care facility. She left the workplace in 1998 to become a full time, stay-at-home mom. Lori enjoys taking care of her family (and others that God sends her way), gardening, scrap-booking, and spending time with her girlfriends.
Steve and Lori were married in January of 1998. They have four beautiful daughters, Taylor, Josie, Emily and Mallory (plus an eccentric cat named Matilda and an excited dog named Bosley). As a family, they enjoy playing games, watching movies, and taking vacations…long vacations.
