Artie Rivers
Pastor
Artie Rivers has been at Mount Hermon Baptist Church since September 12, 1988. He previously served as pastor of Lakeview Baptist Church in Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee, and then West 22nd Street Baptist Church in Granite City, Illinois. Artie and his wife, Barbara, are both graduates of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and Artie obtained a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort, Worth, Texas.
He has served in leadership roles in the Shiloh Baptist Association, the Hardin County Ministerial Association, the Savannah Rotary Club, the Hardin County High School Band Boosters, the Salvation Army, as well as other community committees and organizations.
Artie is from Clarksville, Tennessee, and Barbara is from Paris, Tennessee. They have three children. Daughter Jennifer is married to Brian Baird, and they have two children: Lauren and Logan. They reside in Clarkton, Missouri, where Brian is a farmer, and Jennifer is a school teacher. Daughter Christie is married to Clay Elliott, and they reside in Jackson, Tennessee, where Clay is Director of Pastoral Ministries and Prayer with KontactMission and is a biblical counselor, and Christie is an Orientation and Mobility Specialist at the Star Center. Son Ben and his wife, Magen, and daughters, Molly, Nora, and Annie live in Chattanooga, Tennessee where Ben serves as Student Pastor at Oakwood Baptist Church, and Magen is an entrepreneur. Barbara was a teacher for adult education in Hardin County, but had to give it up after suffering bilateral partial loss of sight as a result of a rare disease, essentially a stroke of the optic nerves.
Ricky Sample
Worship Leader
Ricky Sample has been at Mount Hermon Baptist Church since March 4, 1996. He previously served as Minister of Music and Youth at Sharon Baptist Church in Savannah. Ricky and his wife, Pamela, are both graduates of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Ricky is bi-vocational, serving full-time as president of the Savannah branch of Home Banking Company. Though bi-vocational, Ricky does the work of a full-time Worship Leader!
The Lord has greatly blessed the music ministry at Mount Hermon, and He continues to use Ricky Sample as an instrument of revival and worship.
Ricky has been involved in leadership roles in the Shiloh Baptist Association, the Kiwanis Club, and many other community organizations and committees.
Ricky, and Pam are both from Corinth, Mississippi, and have two children. Daughter Emily is married to Jonathan Spiceland, and they have two children: Porter and Audrey Anne. They reside in Lakeland, Tennessee, where Emily is Medication Safety Pharmacist at Regional One Health, and Jonathan is Chief Development Officer in West Tennessee for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Son Rick and his wife, Tory, have two children: Raegan and Dex. They reside in Leoma, Tennessee, where is Rick Regional Health Information Manager for National Health Care Corporation. Pam is a teacher at Northside Elementary School in Savannah.
Jonathan Barnard
Pastor to Students and Children
Jonathan Barnard began his ministry at Mount Hermon Baptist Church in January of 2018. He and his wife, Stefanie, are both graduates of Mississippi State University, and Jonathan is pursuing a Masters Degree online with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Jonathan and Stefanie are both from the Tupelo, Mississippi area, and have four children: Briley, Denver, Rhett, and Katie. Stefanie is a teacher at Parris South Elementary School in Savannah.
We’re excited about the impact Jonathan and Stefanie Barnard make in the lives of students and children at MHBC! God has great things in store for Linked Student Ministry and Live Out Loud Children’s Ministry!!
Martha Littlefield
Administrative Assistant
Martha Littlefield has been the Administrative Assistant at MHBC since June 30, 2011. Martha and her husband, Larry, are both from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Larry is Minister of Music at Green River Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Tennessee. They have two married daughters. Kristi LaBorg and her husband Jeff live in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Jeff is pastor of Fairview Baptist Church, and Kristi works at Gibbs Middle School. Karen Godwin and her husband Patrick live in Savannah, Tennessee, where Patrick is pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.
Martha’s office hours are Monday thru Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. She is financial secretary, membership secretary, printing secretary, and so much more!
