Web Verified
Southern Baptist

First Baptist Church Cookeville

18 South Walnut Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501
Mixed — Caution in Top Priority
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Scott McKinney
Founded Unknown
Denomination SBC
Service Times Sundays 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry Yes
Pastor Credentials SBC pastor
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
BFM2000 orthodox
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Inerrancy affirmed
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
'Men' ministry confirmed (/men) plus Discipleship Groups. No preaching detail. Held yellow overall.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Grace through faith
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Complementarian (CBMW halfway position; MOOP holds patriarchal headship as the biblical standard)
Caution
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Pastor-led with deacons
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Not stated on available sources — site references current sermon series; style not described.
Caution
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
SBC missions
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Conservative SBC values
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
SBC cooperative program
Strong
Assessment
SBC church in Cookeville, TN. Cooperative program participant.
#cookeville#tennessee#national#sbc
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Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes

Senior pastor (8+ years tenure, NOBTS grad) verified via cookevillefirst.com/staff + LinkedIn 2026-04-30.

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. [1] Live source cookevillefirst.com

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
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