Gateway Church

Pastor Cooper has enjoyed a fruitful pastoral ministry for over 35 years. His ministry experiences include youth work, church planting, mission work on four continents, and pastoring other pastors.

Pastor Cooper has been married to the beautiful Debra Ann Rutledge (Cooper) for 37 years. Their life together has produced 3 children (2 sons and 1 daughter), 8 grandchildren (expecting more if the daughter who is lagging behind will cooperate), and much happiness.

In addition to serving as Senior Pastor at Gateway Church, Pastor Cooper serves as Executive Pastor for Reconciliation Ministries and Churches International. He also serves as pastor and mentor to several Senior Pastors.

Dr. Ruth Carpenter serves on the staff at Gateway Church as Associate Pastor, Director of Counseling Ministries, Small Group Facilitator and is one of the elders. Her professional experience before joining the staff at Gateway Church was as a public school educator, professor, Social Science Division Chair, and assistant dean at Walters State Community College.

Her education consists of M.S. in Education and Education Psychology and the course work for Ed.D. at UT. She completed her Ph.D. in Christian Counseling at Jacksonville Theological Seminary.

Dr. Carpenter received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the early 70’s during the charismatic renewal that touched many denominational churches. She became active in various ministries especially in deliverance, intercession, speaking at churches locally and in other cities and states.

She has always been involved in community outreach serving as hospital chaplain, police chaplain and is currently on several social service boards.

Dr Carpenter’s continuing vision is for the maturity of the local Body of Christ. She is presently writing a book reflecting her own spiritual journey and the moving of the Holy Spirit among her people.

Adam began attending Gateway Church pretty much at birth. (That’s what happens when you are the pastor’s son) Throughout his life Adam has been enriched by the ministry of Gateway Church, including his time as a student of Covenant Academy. After graduation from Covenant Academy, he attended Tennessee Technological University, where he received a degree in Electrical Engineering. Adam was married to Jeanine Wright (also a graduate of Covenant Academy) before his senior year of college. They have three children; Caleb, Aaron, and Lydia. Adam has been ministering as the youth pastor since 2001 and began teaching at Covenant Academy in 2005.

Omar was introduced to Christ in 1992 by a Canadian pastor he met in Holguin, Cuba. He became involved in different ministries with the local church, teaching and opening mission churches in some areas of Holguin Cuba. He also served as assistant pastor for 5 years at the Methodist church in Holguin.
His wife, Andria, and he founded a youth ministry in Cuba called “Soul Winners for Christ”. In these clubs they trained and discipled teenagers while meeting in homes.
The Ministry grew rapidly, so they began to work with different churches in Holguin and across the Island. By the time they left Cuba for the United States, there were over 400 kids. Currently, there are clubs in more than 10 provinces of Cuba and “Soul Winners” is reaching over 500 kids.
At Gateway Church, Omar is helping us to reach the international community God has brought to this area. He gives pastoral oversight to our Sunday evening service.

Susan began attending Gateway Church while a college student at Carson-Newman College in nearby Jefferson City. After graduation she made her home in Morristown and began teaching at Morristown Covenant Academy. Since that time, she has worked with Jews for Jesus while living in New York City for two years, helped start a church and taught English in Dagestan, a Muslim republic of Russia for three years, and lived and ministered in inner-city London, England. She was with us in the United States from 2000 to 2009 where she kept busy teaching school, playing piano for services, teaching music lessons through Covenant School of the Arts, and ministering at local churches. Currently she is on a two year ministry trip to Whitbank, South Africa. There she is working with Gateway International Church. Her motivating desire is to see the Body of Christ united and mature as they grow in the Kingdom of God and fulfill the Great Commission.

Gateway Church has been Debra’s church family for most of her married life and has been a blessed environment in which to raise her three children and eight grandchildren. From very early in her life she knew that she wanted to teach – that’s who she is. Debra loves learning, and has been delighted to respond to God’s call to “train up children in the way they should go.” In the founding of Covenant Academy, God gave her an outlet for her passion for children and for education. Her connection with the school has both challenged and fulfilled her through the years, and she is truly grateful for the opportunity to give herself to something so significant as “making disciples” of the next generation.

Jeanine began working as the church administrator in August 2009. She has the best husband in the world.

Angel’s information

Fred Myers was born and raised in Morristown and has attended Gateway Church since birth. He became a member of the worship team when he was fifteen and has continued as a member by playing bass, drums, guitar and piano. In addition to leading worship at the church, Fred has traveled with a group of young worship leaders doing several youth retreats, camps, and lock-ins. In his younger days, he traveled with “The Company”, a traveling dance and drama group made up of teenagers.

After graduation from Morristown Covenant Academy, Fred attended and graduated from Walter State Community College where he studied Pre-Engineering. He now works for Roger’s Petroleum a local petroleum company in Morristown.

Michelle Myers was born in the Philippines. She assumed leadership of the dance ministry in August 2009.