Our Staff

David Turner

Senior Pastor​

B.A., M.A., University of Alabama; M.S., Florida State University; M.Div., McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University; D.Min., Wesley Theological Seminary

The Rev. Dr. David Turner has served Central as Senior Pastor since March 2005. Prior to his call as Senior Pastor, David served Central as Associate Pastor/Administrator. He came to Central from First Baptist Church of Griffin, Georgia, having previously served in hospital chaplaincy and at churches in Georgia. He is married to the Rev. Christy Haga Turner, a United Methodist pastor and, together, they have two sons. Dr. Turner serves on the Board of Directors for Baptists Today magazine and is a past moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia (CBFVA). His interests include Christian education, reading, history, current events, baseball, and college football.

Justin Pierson

Associate Minister for Family Ministry and Missions

Originally from Roanoke, VA and a graduate of Virginia Tech, he holds a Master of Divinity from the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond as well as a Masters of Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary. Justin’s ministerial interests revolve around the intersections of faith, culture, and justice, particularly as they relate to Christianity. Alongside his wife and newborn son, Justin enjoys traveling, cooking, music, the perfect cup of coffee, and anything happening outdoors.

John White

Associate Pastor for Worship and Pastoral Care

The Rev. Dr. White joined the Central staff in 2022. Before coming to Central John has served Third Church, Richmond, VA; St. Matthews Baptist, Louisville, KY; First Baptist, Marietta, GA; Brushy Creek Baptist, Taylors, SC and Alice Drive Baptist, Sumter, SC. He is married to Marilee Abel White who serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. They have a daughter and three sons. John’s interests include golf, Braves Baseball and college sports.

Nicole Averette

Financial Administrator

Nicole is a native of Richmond and grew up attending Central Baptist Church. In fact, she was a founding member of the preschool in 1975. Currently, Nicole serves as Financial Administrator for the church where she has worked since 2002. She’s married to Steve and they are very proud parents of two children. In her spare time she enjoys attending her children’s sporting events, exercising, gardening, and spending time with her fur babies! Occasionally, you will find her at the courts playing tennis and pickleball and she has been known to binge watch a Netflix series…or two! Before working at Central, Nicole spent several years in the banking and insurance industries.

Carole Studdard

Receptionist / Office Assistant

Carole has a diverse background and has been at Central since July, 2022. Her
business background includes working in the private sector, nonprofits, a small
business owner and most recently working for a management company as property
manager. Prior to moving to Richmond, she and her husband lived in Arizona for thirteen years where she was an executive director for an HOA. As their family was growing, they decided to return to Virginia to live closer to their children and their families.  They enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Carole is a member of St. Edward Catholic Church where she and her husband
were married and her children attended elementary school.  She is involved in a
bible study group and volunteering and enjoys time with their children, nine
grandchildren and two great-grandchildren as well as gardening.

Melissa West

Director of the Ruby Cashion Preschool at Central Baptist Church

Melissa has been an integral part of the Ruby Cashion Preschool since 2018. Starting as a teacher of the 4’s class, Melissa has expanded her role within the Preschool as Preschool Director.  Together with a team of amazing and creative teachers, she and her staff are committed to providing your family with a loving and developmentally sound foundation for a lifetime of learning.  She and her husband, Marc, live in Powhatan and are raising their 3 amazing children.  She enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, running and bike riding with her family.  Additionally, she likes crafting and reading a good novel.  Melissa believes that play is a child’s most important work.  By creating and maintaining a faith-based environment, a child can grow and thrive while exploring the world around them.

Tori Smith

Assistant Director of the Ruby  Cashion School at Central Baptist Church

Tori started working at Central Baptist Preschool in 2019 as a teacher’s assistant. She then moved up to a lead teacher role in one of our four-year-old classrooms. She graduated in 2018 from American Military University with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. She enjoys watching the children grow and develop as they go through the learning
process. She lives in Chesterfield with her husband, three kids, and two dogs. Most of her free time is spent at a sports field watching one of her kids play sports, whether it is baseball, softball, or soccer. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her family outside or watching movies.

Darryl Emerson

Pianist

Bio for Darryl Emerson coming soon!

Phyllis Watkins

Organist

Bio for Phyllis Watkins coming soon!