The Hamilton County Baptist Association searched for a new missions director for seven months after longtime Director Dennis Culbreth retired at the start of 2025. Now, Scott Harris, the incoming director, begins a new chapter as the most unifying local figure of the congregationalist denomination.
Harris, who moved to Chattanooga from Illinois after being hired in September, was at the helm of the association’s annual meeting in October and officially started in the position Nov. 10.
Harris sat down with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and in an interview, edited for clarity and brevity, shared about his journey to Chattanooga and his plans for the Baptist landscape in Hamilton County.
Q: When you were being introduced via Zoom call, you mentioned that you have a passion for pastors and the local church. Can you tell me a little bit about that, and what ignited that passion?
A: Well, I was a pastor for most of my life — 24 plus years — and so I know what that burden is for those guys. There’s a lot of responsibility that sits on their shoulders. They carry the weight of a lot of concerns for a lot of people. When you’re a pastor, you know the hurts of your people because they share those with you. It’s kind of like being, well, you’re their counselor in the religious setting, right? And so you carry that, but you’re also their friend, so you don’t walk away from it … like you might (in a clinical setting). So you carry that. It is an emotionally and spiritually tiring position to be in.