The Service of Induction for the Rev. Dr. Chris Joiner occurred on Sunday, June 23. The short bio below will tell you a little about Grace’s new lead minister.
Chris has been a child of the church from infancy. He was born in Florence, Alabama, and was baptized and nurtured in the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Florence, where he first experienced the seeds of a call to pastoral ministry.
Those experiences led Chris to McKenzie, Tennessee, to attend Bethel College (now University). Chris and Kim met on campus and were close friends for two years before they started dating. The summer after graduation, they were married. This year, 2024, they will celebrate 35 years of marriage.
Moving to Nashville, Chris earned a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and served as Youth Director and then Associate Pastor at West Nashville Cumberland Presbyterian Church. While in Nashville, Chris and Kim welcomed their first child, Samuel Caleb.
From Nashville, they moved to Memphis when Chris accepted the call to be Pastor at Colonial Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In Memphis, Chris and Kim welcomed their second child, Chandler Belle.
After three years, Chris accepted a call to be Pastor of Elliottsville Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Alabaster, Alabama (now First Presbyterian Church (Cumberland) of Alabaster). Chris served in Alabama for over six years before he was called back to Memphis to be the Executive Director of the denominational Commission on the Ministry.
While serving the denomination outside of a congregation, Chris sensed the renewal of his calling to the weekly rhythms of congregational life. He received a call to be Pastor and Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Franklin, Tennessee. Chris accepted the call and served in Franklin from 2004 to 2024. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Chris considers every setting where he has served to have been centred in Christ, seeking to live out the church’s calling to be bearers of the good news of God’s peace, justice, and radical welcome to all, in word and deed. Each place was filled with grace, leaving a lasting positive impact on him and the life of his family.
In addition to their two adult children, Chris and Kim have a daughter-in-law (Ryoko) and two granddaughters (Kotomi and Naomi). Their son Caleb and his family live in Tokyo, Japan, and their daughter Chandler lives in Bozeman, Montana.
Beyond ministry, Chris finds joy in life with Kim, whether walking, hiking, running, taking in music festivals, or enjoying nights out on the town. He loves time with his children and grandchildren and is an avid reader of almost any genre, with mysteries being his go-to fun read. He is fed spiritually by poetry and tries writing it occasionally. He loves watching American football and the other football as well, especially the English Premier League.
