Dr. Dwight Gunter served as pastor of Nashville Trevecca Community Church from April 2002 until his election as the MidSouth District Superintendent in 2018. He previously served as pastor of Richardson Church of the Nazarene in Richardson, TX, Midland Valley First Church of the Nazarene in Aiken, SC, and Spartanburg (SC) First Church of the Nazarene. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Trevecca Nazarene University and served as President of the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene, Inc. for 2017-2018.

Dr. Gunter has written for various publications and authored Deliverance From Daily Giants (2006), Seven Letters for Seven Churches (2011) and co-authored Best Practices for Effective Boards (2012).

Dwight and his wife Karan have two children – Lindsay (Jamin) Wentworth and Trae Gunter, and three grandsons, Benjamin, Carter, and Rivers.

Dr. Gunter earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Trevecca Nazarene University (1982), the Masters of Religious Education degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary (1984), and the Doctor of Ministry degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary (2000).

Rev. Jeff Sexton graduated from Southern Nazarene University with a baccalaureate in music. Upon graduation he served in Admissions and Enrollment Management at SNU until 1990.

Jeff has served on pastoral staff at Portland First in Portland, OR (1990-1994) as Youth Pastor and Executive Pastor and at Nashville First (1994-2011) as Executive Pastor, Worship Ministries, and Senior Associate Pastor.

He and his wife Michele have two children, Nicole and Trent.

Rev. Sexton may be reached at jsexton@midsouthnaz.org

Rev. Derek Mitchell served as Associate Pastor of Congregational Life and Young Adults at Nashville First Church of the Nazarene (NFCN) in Nashville, TN (2022-2024). Previously he served as Executive Pastor at Memphis Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Cordova TN (2015-2022) and as Senior Pastor at Harvest Community Church of the Nazarene in Lilburn, GA (2005-2014).

Derek graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1990 with a BS in Business Marketing. After receiving a call to full-time ministry in 1997, he earned a Masters of Religious Studies from Trevecca Nazarene University (2005) while serving as Children's Pastor, Youth Pastor, and finally Discipleship Pastor at NFCN .

He and his wife, Amy have three children, Moira, Mason (and Emily), and Meril (and Tanner).

Rev. Mitchell may be reached at dmitchell@midsouthnaz.org

Tina is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University and joined the district office team January of 2016. Tina and her husband, David, have two children, Joy and Gloria.

Tina can be reached at tdiehl@midsouthnaz.org

Sherri joined the district ministry team in 2009.  Sherri has three children – Bobby (Christina), Matthew, and Nikki (Nathan). She has four granddaughters Chloe, Claire, Lylah and Adalyn. Sherri is married to Mark and together they have six children and thirteen grandchildren.

Sherri can be reached at sherri@midsouthnaz.org

Born in 1976 to Monroe and Joeann Ballard, Monroe Jr., was raised in the Nazarene Church. He is married to Rev. Janice Ballard, and they currently serve in an interim capacity at Memphis Friendship Church of the Nazarene. Monroe is in the process of finishing the required classes to obtain his district license.

Monroe, has been the owner of Optimum Studios, a production company in downtown Memphis, TN specializing in videography, photography, audio, graphic design, and web design needs. 

As a community leader, foster parent, and concerned citizen, Monroe has created Optimum Learning to give young people an opportunity to learn marketable media production skills.

A life-long Memphian, Monroe graduated from Christian Brothers University in 1998. He majored in Information Technology Management and minored in Computer Engineering. He currently serves as COO at the Neighborhood Christian Centers and sits on numerous boards including the MidSouth District Advisory Board, Nazarene Theological Seminary Board, and the Memphis and Shelby County Workforce Development Board. Monroe enjoys refereeing high school and NCAA II college basketball. 

In 2016 Rev. Eduardo Lelli joined the MidSouth District Ministry Resource Center as Hispanic Ministries Coordinator having served over a decade as a MidSouth District pastor. Eduardo has been a Licensed Addiction Counselor. He is the founder and Clinical Director of Puertas Abiertas (Open Doors), a compassionate community center dedicated to helping some of the neediest Hispanic clients in Nashville. He has obtained the Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) credential from the National Association of Addiction Counselors (NAADAC). Prior to founding Puertas Abiertas, Eduardo was the Director of Chemical Dependency at the Cedar Springs Psychiatric Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO.

He resides in Nashville with his wife Graciela and their four children.  Eduardo can regularly be heard on Spanish Radio in Nashville as expert on matters of emotional and spiritual concern.

Rev. Lelli may be reached at elelli@midsouthnaz.org

Pastor, Church Planter, Author, NTS Adjunct Professor, Denominational Leader. Dr. Bill Wiesman is the former Director of Evangelism and New Church Development at the Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center, the North American World Zone Leader for Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI) and currently is the primary professor for the "Certificate in Church Planting" at Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS). Bill has been involved in helping start 63 churches on four districts as church planter/founding pastor (5), sponsoring pastor (6) or coach (52). He has an M. Div. from NTS and a D. Min. from Fuller.

Bill now serves as a member of the Church of the Nazarene USA/Canada Regional New Church Task Force, leads the MidSouth District Church Planting Task Force and is the Outreach Pastor at his local Nazarene church.

“Jesus changed my life at the age of 26. My heart’s desire is to serve Him all the days of my life and make it to heaven taking as many people with me as I can!”

Dr. Wiesman can be reached at bwiesman@midsouthnaz.org 

Rev. Finley Knowles earned his undergraduate degree in Christian Education from Trevecca Nazarene University and his masters in College Student Personnel from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

After graduating from UT, Finley joined the team at the Pensions and Benefits office in Kansas City, but having a longing to work in the local church, he transitioned to serve on pastoral staff as an executive pastor at Trevecca Community Church, Nashville, TN (1986-92) and at College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais, IL (1992-1998). Career paths take twists, and Finley served as the Chief Administrator for the Hamilton County Clerk's office in Chattanooga, TN from 1998-2016 followed by a two year stint at his alma mater, Trevecca, from 2016-2018

Finley and his wife Lori joined the Camp Garner Creek in 2018. They love living on campus in Dickson, TN! The couple has four children, Will, Evans, Meg and Becca.

Finley has been heard to say many times, "This is the best job I've ever had!"

Becky graduated from Tennessee Tech University with an accounting degree and has worked part time with the district office since the fall of 2012. Becky and her husband, Bob, have two children, Austin (Olivia) and Drew.

Becky can be reached at becky@midsouthnaz.org