First Baptist Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Bryan Gunter (since 2024)

Founded Not published

Denomination SBC

Service Times Sunday (check website for times)

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry No

Website fbcbsg.com

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.

[1] Live source fbcbsg.com
[2] Live source fbcbsg.com/leadership
[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.