Church Plant Team

Matt & Elaine Tipton

Matt grew up in Memphis, TN. His family attended Bellevue Baptist Church, and he gave his life to Christ at age nine. New Orleans has always been a part of his life; he has childhood memories of driving to New Orleans to visit his grandparents. The Lord has given him an entrepreneurial spirit; he has a passion for starting new things and seeing them through. He loves to lead a group of people to do great things for the glory of God.

Matt and Elaine met in high school and both graduated from Union University in Jackson, TN. They were married in August 2000. The Lord has blessed them with two beautiful children: Anna Claire (3 years old) and David Matthew (8 months old).

At the time they were married Matt was doing an internship in the student ministry at Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, TN.

In August 2001 they moved to New Orleans, LA for Matt to attend the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Their plan was to get a degree and get out of town. However, the Lord had a different plan. They quickly fell in love with the city and the students the Lord gave Matt the privilege to work with during his time in seminary. One of the big lessons they learned was how to love people who are hurting. The Lord expanded their hearts for the needy and broken-hearted.

August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina dramatically changed their lives. The storm wiped out the seminary where they lived, the church where they served, and scattered the community they had grown to love across the United States.

But God is faithful. In October 2005, Matt began serving in the student ministry at ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, TN. ClearView was a place of restoration for their family. God used this time of ministry to teach Matt lessons that will shape the way he serves the Lord forever. One overarching lesson was, "when everything is gone one turns to those things that are eternal: God's Word, God's people, and God's presence."

Nearly four years into Matt's ministry at ClearView the Lord began to teach him and Elaine about radical obedience to His voice and His Word. For many months the Lord whispered in their hearts that something different, something significant was coming. The Lord made it clear that Matt was to resign from his position at ClearView as an act of obedience and begin to prepare for what He had planned next. During this time of preparation and diligently seeking God's voice two things have been affirmed: God is calling Matt to pastor, and God has given Matt and Elaine both an affection and a burden for the city and people of the New Orleans community. It just makes sense to them to plant a church in New Orleans, LA. They believe it is one of the things God has created them to do.

There are several families that are currently praying about joining us from around the country.