Good Neighbor Podcast: TN-WNC-SWVA

EP#357: From Youth Pastor To Shepherd: Building A Gospel-Centered Church In Kingsport

• Skip Mauney & Pastor David Hodges • Episode 357

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A calling rarely arrives on our schedule. Pastor David Hodges traces a winding path from a teenage conversion to years in the secular workforce to a decade in youth ministry—only then stepping into the role of senior pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Kingsport. Along the way, he learned the slow lessons of service, the weight of shepherding during crisis, and the joy of preaching Scripture with clarity and care.

We talk about inheriting a remarkable legacy: Pastor Cecil Sturgill’s 51 years of faithful leadership that shaped a congregation and sent the gospel far beyond the Tri-Cities. Rather than reinvent the wheel, David honors the foundation by centering the church on expository preaching, prayer, and a warm, family-like culture. From a 30-week journey through Galatians to a new series in Ecclesiastes, he shows how steady, passage-by-passage teaching forms people who love God and love their neighbors.

You’ll also hear how Tabernacle blends tradition and access: children’s and youth ministries that build habits of faith, Sunday services that stream on YouTube and Facebook, archived messages on SermonAudio, and even a phone-based option for homebound members. And yes, there’s a human side too—coffee, donuts, fishing with family—because pastors are neighbors before they step into a pulpit.

If you’re new to the Tri-Cities, looking for a church home, or simply curious about what a gospel-centered congregation looks like today, this conversation offers a clear picture of conviction without hype and community without pretense. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s searching, and leave a review to help others find thoughtful, grounded conversations like this one.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Money.

SPEAKER_02:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast of the Tribe Cities in Western North Carolina. So I'm very excited today to have a very special guest in the studio for the first time, and I'm sure you'll be just as excited as I am to learn all about him and his ministry. Because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Pastor David Hodges with Tabernacle Baptist Church of Kingsport. Pastor Hodges, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much for uh the opportunity. And I'm looking forward to this for some time and really just uh opportunity to tell people here in uh this area, Sullivan County and the Tri-Cities, about our church and the gospel work here. And uh, we have a lot of mutual acquaintances, you and I, as we were just talking before we went on the air, and uh I've been looking forward to this.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, same here, Pastor, and uh uh excited to learn all about you and Tabernacle Baptist Church. So if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about your ministry?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure, yes, sir. So my name is David Hodges, and I serve here as the pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in uh beautiful Kingsport, Tennessee. And uh I've been here for four years uh as the pastor, and uh my wife and I, we have two children, Ella and Kate, and uh my wife Patty and I celebrate 24 years of marriage this year, and uh just grateful for uh the season the Lord has given us here. And I was a um uh youth pastor and assistant prior to accepting the position here, the call of the church to be the pastor, and uh, we're just excited and learning the area and uh learning how to navigate all the good restaurants, all the good people here in the tri-cities, and uh we're grateful to be here and have the privilege to minister here in this community.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Well, we're thrilled to have you and uh uh very excited to learn. How did you, you know, tell us about your journey? How did you get started? Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_01:

I'd love, I'd love to. I have kind of a long story, and uh for the podcast, I'll somewhat abbreviate it. I went to college in the late 90s, and I really felt uh right out of college the Lord would give me an opportunity to minister. 14 years old, uh I accepted Christ as my savior. I realized I was a sinner and asked the Lord in my heart to be my Lord and Savior of my life. And shortly thereafter, I I felt a call to the ministry. And uh my wife and I uh we met at college, and I really thought right out of college I would go somewhere and minister and serve in that capacity. And for one reason or another, the Lord didn't allow that right off the bat. And uh I worked in the secular workforce for about nine years, and I worked a landscape company uh and uh commercial landscaping, and then I worked at Home Depot, and I was 30 years old, and my wife and I had two children, and uh just trying to ask the Lord, what do you want us to do? And uh the Chihuahua Baptist Church in Chihuahua, Virginia called us to serve there, and so my wife and I, it was our great joy uh to serve with both Pastor Chuck Harrell as well as uh Pastor Cody Sturgeil. And uh so we served there for 10 years, and uh many folks here in our community would know Pastor Cecil Sturgeil. He was uh the pastor here, and the Lord called him to heaven. He pastored here faithfully for 51 years, and their uh church pulpit committee uh reached out to me there at uh Joe Holly Baptist Church and and said, you know, they they would can would I consider being their next pastor. Uh an interesting fun fact is uh 51 years prior, uh Pastor Sturgeon was actually the assistant pastor at Joe Holly Baptist Church in Chihuahua, Virginia. And uh 51 years later, you know, he he faithfully served here for 51 years. And uh 51 years later, uh the church uh in the Lord's providence uh called me to be the next pastor of uh of the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Our church has been in existence 63 years here in Kingsport, and I'm actually only the fourth pastor. And there was a founding pastor and then another pastor, uh Bobby Grubbs, many folks would know that name. He went into evangelism, and then Pastor Sturgeon was here 51 years, and uh kind of a unique uh the way the Lord puts all the pieces together, you know. And uh, but we're thrilled to be here and excited about the opportunity. And I served uh for 10 years there at Choi Baptist Church as a youth pastor, assistant pastor, children's pastor, and uh the Lord gave me a heart to uh to be a senior pastor and uh through some circumstances. Um sometimes God uses difficulties in our life to give us direction. And uh at the season I was in, our pastor, his wife was battling cancer. They needed to go to Vanderbilt, and uh for a short season, I I kind of filled the pulpit and did the funerals and served alongside the pastor. Obviously, he was he was in Vanderbilt caring for his wife, and it was in that season the Lord kind of began working on my heart uh to be a senior pastor. But um three or four years later, I I kind of uh submitted to that direction the Lord was leading. And uh shortly thereafter, uh the Tabernacle Baptist Church called me, and and the and the Lord and his providence uh put all the pieces together. But kind of a unique, a unique story. I knew Pastor Sturgeil's brother, uh I knew his uh sister-in-law and nephews and nieces and so on and so forth, you know, through the years, and uh to have the privilege to be here and to follow his ministry all those years he faithfully served. Uh, I'm awful honored and and really humbled at the opportunity.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, and that's that's pretty big shoes to fill after 51 years.

SPEAKER_01:

For sure, for sure. He uh he he he was a I I use jokingly used the term, he was a legend, but he was a very humble man, and uh no doubt he had a great gospel impact, had a radio broadcast here for years and years and years, and uh built a tremendous church here in our community, uh, emphasized gospel missions or global mission work uh literally around the world. And uh man, I'm so faithful that uh he he kind of uh laid the path, so to speak. And I tell our church often that we are all standing uh on the shoulders of those that went before us, you know, and uh just following the Lord, trusting the Lord and asking him to help us. But uh what a what a what a privilege really to follow his faithful ministry all those years. And obviously, we all just look to the Lord for direction and guidance. Uh but it is quite a unique opportunity, quite a unique. Usually if people say Tabernacle Baptist Church, his name is associated with it. You know, Pastor Sturgeil, Tabernacle Baptist Church, or uh Tabernacle Baptist Church and Pastor Sturgeil. They're they're closely associated for 51 years, no doubt. Uh he made a great gospel impact here in the community.

SPEAKER_02:

No question. No question. Well, tell us uh about any, could you think of any myths or misconceptions that you hear about the your church or or about the church in general?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh just uh I would kind of remind folks uh that we all are to be gospel-centered. And uh, we have such a loving congregation. And uh through the years, you know, as I arrived, we uh we've relaunched uh children's classes there on Sunday, Sunday school hour, boys and girls and junior church, a youth group on Wednesday nights at seven uh with the teens and the teenagers. And really, we're just trying to show the love of Christ to others here in our community and really allow the word of God to impact our life day by day. And uh that's that's much easier said than done. Truthfully, it's so much easier to said than done. But that's really my heart is to try to love the Lord and to love people. And uh, I think folks would find if they were to visit us here at Tabernacle Baptist Church, a very warm and loving congregation uh that really is accepting, ready to love them, and point them to Jesus Christ. And uh it's such a it's a it's a family type atmosphere, you know. You just feel so welcome when you come. I hear that from guests often, and uh I'm so grateful uh that we have such a loving church family.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Sounds wonderful, actually. Yes, sir. Um, Pastor, you're obviously as as a pastor leading a church, a congregation. I know you're busy and you've got stuff going on all the time, 24-7, but hopefully you get some downtime or sabbatical or something when you do. What do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_01:

I I uh my wife fusses at me that I don't have any hobbies. I'm not good at hobbies. I like uh spending time with my family, and uh I love coffee, a good cup of coffee. I'll I'll drive miles and miles uh for a good cup of coffee and a donut. I really love a donut is what I really love is a is a donut. Um I love watching football. Uh I did a little fishing this summer, and I never got into hunting or golf. You know, some preachers golf, some hunt, and so on and so forth. Um, I'm not very patient. You know, I'm kind of on the go, go, go, go, go. So the idea of golfing or setting and waiting for the little deer to come by, I've never got bitten by the bug. I may, I may get bitten by the bug. I love spending time with my family. I love watching football and uh love being with our church family and things of that nature.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Now, uh, what kind of fishing were you doing?

SPEAKER_01:

I it I usually I took my daughter and my here's my philosophy of fishing. I told the congregation, I go to the dollar store and get a bag of snacks. And when the snacks are done, then I'm done fishing.

SPEAKER_02:

You're done fishing.

SPEAKER_01:

So uh we yeah, we uh a little bluegill, a little largemouth bass, that type of thing, you know. And uh I live kind of on the other end of the county out uh out towards the lake. And um but uh but I do enjoy fishing uh when I have the opportunity. And uh I had a kayak years ago. And I think everybody has done this. You get a hobby, you you get a kayak, you get a set of golf clubs, uh, you you're you're gonna get into this, and then about a half dozen times into it, you you you uh put the kayak in storage, and has it it hasn't been out of storage in uh I think three years, maybe two, two or three years, something along those lines, that type of thing.

SPEAKER_02:

I have one too. I've got one too. Well, uh what I was gonna suggest, uh, if you're not very patient, uh I don't know if you want to take your how old's your daughter?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh one is 20 and one is 17.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, okay. Well, they're good. I'm a fly fisherman, and especially living up here in the mountains. And uh boy, I'll tell you what, I I grew up fishing, pond fishing with my dad, and uh, but I you know hate just sitting there and waiting for something. But fly fishing, you're busy.

SPEAKER_01:

So I told my family, I said I wouldn't I would like to give that a go one time.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. You're right in the middle of a ton of great trout streams anyway. Didn't mean to get off on fish at some point. We are a fish of men. So, what's one thing, uh, Pastor David, if if um you could think of one thing you'd like our listeners to remember about Tabernacle Baptist Church, what would that be?

SPEAKER_01:

I I think I would want people to know that we emphasize Bible preaching. And uh, you know, a lot of churches today have a lot of different programs, and I'm all for uh you know Iwana's Wednesday night class, junior church, Sunday school. We we have uh many of those um outlets here in our church, uh, but but ultimately uh the only thing inspired is the word of God. And it would be my desire if they were to come Sunday morning, Sunday night, or Wednesday night. We we have a typical Bible study on Wednesday night prayer meeting. Uh, it would be my desire that when they left, uh they they knew more about the Lord and they knew more about the word of God uh when they left. Because ultimately that's what's going to give us our guidance and uh govern our life uh as we move forward is the scriptures. That's what he's left us. And I would want them to understand or to realize, you know, that that's something I we work diligently at emphasizing the word of God here. Um I try my best to preach expositionally. In other words, we we just work through a portion of scripture or a book of the Bible. Um, I spent about 30 weeks preaching through Galatians, Paul's uh letter to the Galatian believers, and uh just kind of what what how do we apply that to our life today? What did Paul say to those believers then? Well, how how is that going to help us today by day? And and then recently, two Sundays ago, I began a series through um Ecclesiastes there. Solomon looking back at his life and gives us all a warning. And so we just walk, you know, eight, ten, twelve verses each service together and just kind of open the text and explain the text and uh pray that the Lord would use uh his word to impact our heart and really our life uh day by day.

SPEAKER_02:

Very, very good thing to remember. Awesome. So if any of our listeners, our uh viewers are uh intrigued or they're uh uh churchless right now if that's word. Sure. And they're looking for looking for a church home, or they would like to learn more about uh what what you guys are doing there, uh how can they learn more?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure, yes, sir. We are located here in Sullivan County. Uh many people know where Holston Valley Hospital is. We're very, very close to Holston Valley Hospital. We're on Bloomingdale Road at 1444 Bloomingdale Road here in Kingsport, Tennessee. We have a church YouTube page, and we live broadcast to our YouTube page our Sunday morning service. And uh that YouTube page is Tabernacle Kingsport, is the is the handle, I guess is the right verbiage. Uh we have a Facebook page, Tabernacle Baptist Church is our Facebook page. Um Tabernacle Baptist underscore Kingsport, Tennessee is our Instagram page. And then we have uh we have a I don't know the right verbiage. It's called sermon audio, but on sermon audio, the the church has a channel. I I guess is the best way to describe it. So you put in sermon audio in the web browser, you put in Tabernacle Baptist Church, Kingsport, Tennessee, and it it it's a log of every sermon from the pulpit here at our church. Or you can put my name in, Pastor David Hodges, and it would have previous services uh in sequential order, you know. And so we have a lot of different uh media outlets in that fashion, if you will. Uh we live stream our Sunday morning services on our Facebook page, Tabernacle Baptist Church. It's live streamed there as well as our uh live stream onto our YouTube channel each Sunday morning at 11 a.m. And then uh for folks that would be interested, we have a unique opportunity. I have a it's kind of a third party, but uh for older folks that don't do apps or the website, uh we have a phone number they call, they put in a code, and they listen to it on their landline phone uh as if they're listening to a radio broadcast. And so we have that available for some of our homebound and shut in. And if they'd be interested, I could get some more information to them. Just something unique uh for some of our older folks that uh aren't uh into apps and technology, the website, the Facebook page, so on and so forth. It's uh it's more or less like a live radio broadcast, and we do that each Sunday morning so they can enjoy uh the choir, they can enjoy uh the service as well and feel like they're a part of what's going on here at our church.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. So many, many different ways to participate.

SPEAKER_01:

Sure, for sure. Yes, sir. Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, sir. Well, Pastor David, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your uh schedule there at the church to be with us and our listeners and viewers and share all the wonderful things that you're doing uh uh uh for for your congregation and for Kingsport with the Lord and bringing them closer to him. And we appreciate that. Thank you for that. And uh we uh wish you and uh your your congregation at Tabernacle and uh your family all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed uh the opportunity. And if folks are in the Kingsport area uh praying or looking for a new church, or maybe they're new to the area and out of church, we would love to have them worship with us. And uh I think they would find a very warm and welcome congregation uh that loves the Lord and loves people, and they would feel very welcome.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful, wonderful. Well, thank you again. We appreciate you being here, and uh maybe we can have you back sometime.

SPEAKER_01:

That'll be great. I would enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02:

All right. Thanks so much, Pastor Hodges. You have a blessed rest of the day.

SPEAKER_01:

You do the same, likewise.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Tri-Dash Cities dot com. That's GNP Tri-Dash Cities dot com or call four two three seven one nine five eight seven three.