Dr. Alan Price has been called to serve as the director of missions for the Knox County Association of Baptists.
A resident of Halls, he was senior pastor of Beaver Dam Baptist Church from 2006 to 2024.
What’s going on with the Baptists and what’s ahead?
Dr. Price was quick to say that Baptist churches are autonomous. There is no central office or “chief in charge.” His role at the KCAB is as a facilitator. “We are 167 Baptist churches and this office exists to serve and strengthen them. … I’m like a concierge.”
Price has been attending a different church each Sunday to meet the pastors and congregations. And while he has no authority over them, he is available to meet with church leaders at their request to offer counsel and support.
Going forward, he wants to connect churches with churches. “For instance, we’ll find a church with a robust social media/online program and connect them with churches that may lack that.” Other connections might be in church finance and record-keeping or audio-visual technology.
As the head of KCAB, Price also oversees four local missions – each with a director and each supported by church congregations.
Western Heights Baptist Center operates after-school programs for youth in grades K-12. It also offers free food, clothing and household items through a market and regular Bible study is scheduled. The on-site director is Shannon Washam who says on the website, “We have dreamed of helping one of our kids go to college and God has allowed us to witness that dream come true. Sixteen young people who have grown up at the Baptist Center are now in college! We have established a scholarship fund to help other Western Heights kids follow in those footsteps.” Info: 865-525-9068.
Montgomery Village Baptist Center exists to share Jesus with the South Knoxville community, to a large degree with the residents of Montgomery Village and the surrounding neighborhood. Volunteers are needed for after-school programs and help with food and clothing distribution. Volunteers can help with the end-of-August back-to-school bash or with medical check-ups by Wallace Mobile Medical. Anyone who can help should call 865-577-6244 or email: mvbaptistcenter@gmail.com.
Camp Ba Yo Ca is a 350-acre retreat in Wears Valley which has 12 cabins, three retreat facilities and a 10-week camp season. Churches can rent the facilities for retreats or volunteer to help at the ongoing summer camp. “Our mission is to invest in Knoxville by developing leaders, enriching churches and reaching a generation for Christ.” Info: www.campbayoca.com
Disaster Relief, directed by Stanley Roach, the KCAB has a dozen vehicles for use by volunteers during regional disasters – for tree removal, hauling supplies, etc. “It’s a very large team,” Price said. “We’ve had teams going to Elizabethan and Newport every week (since Helene).” Info: 865-693-9097.
What’s happening at Beaver Dam, the oldest and probably largest church in Halls?
Price said Dr. Robert Brown of Lakeway Christian Schools in White Pine, Tennessee, is the interim pastor and the search committee is “accepting résumés.” Eventually, the congregation will vote. With a nod toward humor, he added, “You know the Catholics can pick a pope in a week and it takes Baptists a year or so to pick a preacher.”
Meet Alan Price: He has been at KCAB since November 2024. Alan and his wife, Tracy, were married in 1994 and have two children, Lauren and Jacob. He received a bachelor’s degree in business with a major in accounting from the University of Georgia. His master’s degree in divinity is from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis in May 1996. He has since completed a doctorate in expository preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he graduated in May of 2003.
