
Quick Facts
Founded
Not published
Denomination
SBC
Service Times
Sunday (check website for times)
Men's Ministry
No
Kids Ministry
No
Pastor Credentials
Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, Clear Creek Baptist Bible College; 20+ years pastoral experience

10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
SBC orthodoxy assumed; not verified from homepage.
Caution
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
BFM2000 assumed.
Caution
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
No men's ministry found.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Baptist sola-fide assumed.
Caution
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Women's ministry active; pastoral policy not published.
Caution
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Current pastor is Bryan Gunter (since 2024); Garrett Sheldon is no longer senior pastor. Staff: Tabitha Grieger (Administrator), Chasity Castle (Children/Youth), Joe Mcloud (Music).
Caution
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Not verified.
Caution
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
'Worship, Evangelize, Disciple, Serve' fourfold mission stated.
Caution
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
No DEI markers observed.
Caution
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
Church is listed in the BGAV (Baptist General Association of Virginia) church directory — not SBC/SBCV. BGAV is the CBF-aligned moderate-progressive Virginia Baptist body. Downgrade from assumed SBC-green to yellow pending dual-alignment check.
Caution

Assessment
First Baptist Church of Big Stone Gap at 108 E 1st & Wood Ave. Pastor Rev. Garrett W. Sheldon. Phone: (276) 523-0165. Has a 'What We Believe' page — review for doctrinal assessment. Needs full review.
#sbc#big-stone-gap

MOOP Engagement Tracker
How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:
✓
Researched church website

Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes
Pastor succession: Sheldon -> Gunter in 2024. Major correction: this is BGAV, not SBC. Denominational score drops.
These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.
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[1] Live source
fbcbsg.com
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[2] Live source
fbcbsg.com/leadership
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[3] Live source
bgav.org/church-directory/first-baptist-church-of-big-sto…
Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.

Last reviewed:
2026-05-16
— Annual review recommended