Phipps, Richard A.: - Pastor Richard A. Phipps has served as Senior Pastor in Jacksonville, Florida; Severna Park, Maryland; and his current home of Knoxville, Tennessee. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business management and the Arabic language from the University of the State of New York and a master of arts degree in church ministry from Luther Rice Seminary. Prior to going into the full-time ministry, Pastor Phipps proudly served in the United States Navy as an Arabic linguist and retired in 1998 as a Master Chief Petty Officer. During those twenty-eight years of service to his country, he also served bi-vocationally at every duty station in music, administration, evangelism, and education ministry. He has had opportunities to help build the Kingdom in numerous states within our great country, as well as throughout the world in Greece, Spain, and Cyprus. He has three grown and wonderful children; however, his loving wife and ministry partner for nearly thirty-five years, Diane, lost her long battle with breast cancer and went home to be with the Lord on September 16, 2007.