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
B.S., Virginia Tech, M.Div., Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Th.M., Union Presbyterian Seminary
Originally from Roanoke, VA, Justin now considers Richmond home after living here for close to a decade. Following a time serving in a congregation in Europe, he came to Richmond and received a Master of Divinity as well as a Masters of Theology. During seminary, he worked as a ministry assistant at Richmond’s First Baptist Church, and then stayed on staff following seminary for a two year Pastoral Residency before joining the staff at Central Baptist in 2023. 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.
Tori Smith
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.