Leadership

Dr. Jed Coppenger started Redemption City Church in 2013 with a handful of people who wanted to build a church with the gospel that would be a preview of and pathway to the future, heavenly Redemption City in Rev 21-22. He loves preaching, leading, encouraging the people of Redemption City, and reaching the lost with the gospel. Pastor Jed has served in a wide variety of ministry roles since he was called to the ministry in 2002 at North Greenville University, both in America and around the world. He earned his M.Div. at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Pastor Jed edited Retreat or Risk: A Call for a Great Commission Resurgence (B&H 2010), contributed to Theology and Practice of Mission: God, the Church, and the Nations (B&H Academic 2011), and authored 21 Days to Childlike Prayer: Changing Your World One Specific Prayer at a Time (Harvest House 2022). He helped co-found Baptist 21, which is a pastor led voice for gospel centrality in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Pastor Jed is married to Melanie and they have three kids, Josiah (14), Susannah (13), and Judah (10). They all love sports, the beach, traveling, and people.

Micah has a deep love for Jesus and seeing others pour out worship to Him. He desires to see God’s people engage in deep community and write songs out of what God is doing in the local church. Micah loves to see ministry teams come together as family to advance the mission of the church.  Micah brings over ten years of church staff experience serving in the worship and creative ministries.

Believing that people are the mission, Jonathan is passionate about seeing the gospel come alive in the lives of children and adults. Jonathan has served in vocational ministry for over 16 years in all age-based ministries, community groups, community ministry, and missions. He has also served as a Church Partner Liaison at VisionTrust International where he connected churches in the US with local ministers in multiple countries throughout the world.

Jonathan and his wife Kori love vacationing in the mountains, touring historical destinations, finding new restaurants, and cheering for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. They have been blessed with six children, four biologically and two by way of adoption from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hunter serves as the Creative Arts Pastor at Redemption City and oversees production and communication. Hunter was an OG at RCC where he and his wife, Bethany, were members from January of 2015 to November of 2019. Hunter worked at Capitol Christian Music Group/Worship Together while they were in Nashville. God called Hunter and his family to Pensacola where he served as the Director of Communications at First Baptist Church Pensacola. Hunter and his family are pumped to be coming back to Redemption City and serve this faith family. Hunter and Bethany have three kids, Anne-Marie [6] and twins, James and Ruby [3]. Hunter loves to do anything outside from fly-fishing, paddle boarding, and playing either golf or tennis.

Chase loves God and loves people. He is passionate about seeing the Great Commission fulfilled, so has dedicated his life to the mobilization of disciples making disciples. He and his wife, Briana, believe that God has given them the specific calling of becoming spiritual parents to many, so they aim to obey the Great Commission by focusing on the unreached people group of children. Chase has served as a pastor to students for over seven years while his wife has been serving children in the medical field during that same time.

Some of his family’s favorite activities are: deep conversation, hosting, traveling, exploring nature, going on walks, and hanging out at the playground with their son, Zion.

Abigail grew up in Virginia and comes from a family with 10 siblings. She has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from James Madison University. Her heart in hospitality is for people to know the love of God in the small and simple acts, no matter who they are or where they come from.

Maggie got her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, her masters of accounting from the University of Southern California, and is a licensed CPA (inactive). She is wife to Brad and mother to Alex, Hensley and Sam and dog June. She is a founding member of Redemption City Church and enjoys exercising, gardening and good music.

Trevor Walker serves as the Pastoral Intern here at RCC. He was born and raised in East Tennessee and moved to the Nashville area when he and his wife, Makayla, got married in July of 2020. Since then, they have been attending RCC and volunteering in the Kid’s City Ministry. Trevor is currently in his third year working towards his Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and in his spare time enjoys coffee, food, and any excuse to get outside.

Priscilla (Cilla) Deal Vandercook was born, raised, and still lives on the same family farm in Leipers Fork, TN. She has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Middle TN State and a Masters degree in Supervision and Leadership. Cilla was a teacher for over 10 years in Dickson. During that time and since, she has raised 4 children, Jax, Nola Grace, Mela and Gave. She also married Derek in 2020. Cilla loves her farm and animals, especially her goats and has always loved dirt, gardening, and helping people. She became a Believer in 2000 and soon after God laid ministry on her heart.  Cilla is so excited to see that God has made a way for her in Ministry by combining her love of dirt, people and serving God at our church farm leading the Hope for the Hungry Ministry.Her prayer is to grow food for those in need, minister to volunteers and those that receive the food, and make disciples for the glory of God and His kingdom. 

Nathan has been a pastor for over 20 years, coming to Franklin after pastoring a Hispanic church in Texas. He formerly served as the president of the Venezuelan Baptist Convention and his family’s work for the Gospel in Venezuela is ongoing. He is married to his wife Karina and they have 2 daughters, Gabriela and Nathaly. He has a degree in Theology from Venezuela Baptist Seminary and has finished his Th.M. in Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.