Quick Facts
Founded
1843
Denomination
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)
Service Times
Sunday services (check website)
Men's Ministry
Yes
Kids Ministry
Yes
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
SBC-listed per prior data, but staff page names senior pastor Brent McDougal (began Dec 2020), widely identified as a CBF-aligned moderate/progressive pastor — orthodox Christology expected but confessional framing suspect.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
BFM2000 not confirmed on fetched content.
Caution
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Not surfaced in fetch.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Not surfaced in fetch.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Megan Kewaza listed as 'Minister of Youth and College Students' on the fetched staff directory. 'Minister' titles for women in an SBC church with a CBF-aligned senior pastor are a strong egalitarian signal. RED.
Male senior pastor confirmed. Complementarian per SBC BF&M 2000 (CBMW halfway position; MOOP holds patriarchal headship as the biblical standard); verify whether headship convictions are robust or drifting toward functional egalitarianism.
WARNING!
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Brent McDougal is Senior Pastor (Shiell departed). Staff includes Executive Pastor Josh Gibson, Minister of Discipleship Paul Bagai, Minister of Music Richard Buerkle, and female Minister Megan Kewaza.
Caution
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Academic preaching style.
Caution
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Community service, missions emphasis.
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Not surfaced in fetch; 'helping people find and follow Jesus' is generic seeker framing.
WARNING!
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
Historic SBC church but current pastor's CBF trajectory and female pastoral staff indicate drift from BFM2000 accountability. RED.
WARNING!
Assessment
First Baptist Knoxville is a historic SBC church (est. 1843) in downtown Knoxville, TN. SBC affiliation confirmed.
#cbf#downtown#historic#knoxville#knoxville-tn#leadership-concerns#moderate-baptist#sbc#tennessee#verified-2026
MOOP Engagement Tracker
How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:
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Researched church website
Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes
--- Merged from first-baptist-knoxville-tn: Downtown Knoxville; see fbcknox.org/staff for current leadership
No URL sources recorded for this church. Rating based on denominational defaults and/or directory-level metadata.
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
510 W Main St, Knoxville, TN 37902
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