Elders and Staff
Sam Gage, Pastor
Sam Gage was born in Chicago to a nominally Catholic home. His family later moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, where he attended a high school football breakfast hosted by the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). There he heard the gospel for the very first time and placed his faith for salvation in Christ alone. Following high school, he entered the Navy as a submariner and was befriended by a mature believer who discipled him and encouraged him to attend Bible college.
Sam left the Navy and completed a B.A. in Bible and an M.A. in Church History. He was ordained to the ministry at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina. In 2002, he completed the Master of Divinity degree and was accepted as a Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, where he served until 2006 when he was asked to become the pastor of Charity Baptist Church.
Pastor Sam is committed to the integrity of the local church and to careful, expositional preaching. His vision for Charity Baptist Church includes mature believers, grounded in doctrine, appreciative of church history, and practiced in Christian disciplines. He loves children and Christian education, and he helped to start Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy, where he currently serves as Head of Board. He and his wife, Dana, have three children, Samuel, Jeremiah, and Anna Grace.
Bob Meoak, Elder
Bob Meoak was raised in a Christian home in Ohio. After completing a B.A. in Biology, he began working in agriculture. He later moved to Tennesee to manage Davey Tree of Nashville. Bob is known for his thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He and his wife, Tami, have four children: Joel, Alyssa, Kara, and Jonah.
Carl Stewart, Elder
Carl Stewart has faithfully served the local church for over 50 years. He moved to Tennessee from Indiana, where he worked in real estate. After coming to Charity, he was quickly recognized for his love for the church and his spiritual leadership abilities. With years of experience and tested character, Carl is a wise and trusted leader in the church. He and his wife, Jeannine, have 4 grown children.
Ryan Boomershine, Director of Children's Ministry
Ryan Boomershine is the director of children's ministries at Charity. Ryan originally hails from Michigan where he was the principal of a Christian school for ten years before relocating to Nashville to start Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy where he is the headmaster. Ryan is serious about training generations of faithful believers. He loves the church and he is a faithful example of fatherhood. He and his wife, Christie, have five children, Karsten, Haddon, Lincoln, Knox, and Claire.
Daniel Newman, Director of Music Ministries
Daniel Newman is the director of music at Charity. After accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior as a child, he desired to develop his musical talents and abilities to serve the Lord. He graduated from Bob Jones University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Church Music. That summer, he married his wife, Emily. In 2009, he received a Master of Music Education degree from BJU. Currently, Daniel and his wife teach at Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy in Nashville, TN.