Leadership Transition

 

Dear TVC family,

Over the years, we have watched God faithfully guide and grow The Village Chapel in ways none of us could have imagined. From our earliest days at The Hampton Inn to this moment in our own beautiful historic building, His hand has been steady and His grace abundant.

Next year is our 25th anniversary as a church—a good time for celebration, and a natural time for change. After much prayer, reflection, and conversation with our Servant Leadership Council and Ministry & Executive Leadership Team, we’re entering a new season of leadership alignment—one that honors the past while preparing us for the years ahead.

For the next six months, we will be transitioning and handing over responsibilities and leadership at The Village Chapel. We are grateful for God’s incredible faithfulness over the years and excited about what His continued faithfulness will look like.

To ensure a gradual and seamless transition, Kim’s role as Curate and my role as Senior Pastor will remain active until May. In May, Kim will transition to overseeing selected special projects, and I will assume a one-year term as Founding Pastor and Teacher in Residence. In this role, I’ll continue to be involved with the Sunday preaching prep team and further develop my Timeless Truth podcast.

We’re thrilled to announce, with the full support of the Servant Leadership Council, Pastor Tommy Bailey as our Lead Pastor. Our first 25 years at TVC have been a season of planting and building; now we move into a season of development and growth, and Tommy is perfectly suited to lead that charge. He and I will be continue working closely during this 6-month transition to pass the baton, carefully ensuring things are as smooth as possible.

After 13 years walking together, many of you already know Tommy’s heart for people, gospel commitment, and steady leadership. In this role, he will lead our church and team in the mission and vision of TVC, under the oversight of the Servant Leadership Council, whose role remains unchanged, and in partnership with the Ministry & Executive Leadership Team. I could not be more grateful for Tommy and for the partnership we share in ministry, and I am deeply confident in his humble, wise, and grace-filled leadership. We are so proud of Tommy and his wife Emily and their strong marriage, the testimony of faithfulness they each exhibit, and together, how they love the individuals of The Village Chapel. The future looks bright, friends!

Over many years, each of our pastors has demonstrated deep faith, maturity, and a servant’s heart. As we navigate this transition up through May and when Pastor Tommy takes the helm in leading here at The Village Chapel, I believe these changes will reflect not only the strengths God has built into each of our staff members, but also His preparation for what’s next for our church.

We’ve spent the last two years praying and preparing with the Servant Leadership Council and are proud of the team God has equipped. Our deepest desire is to glorify Him with the expression of his church here at The Village Chapel. He has been so good to us, and we’re confident that His plans for the next chapter will overflow with grace and fruitfulness. Please pray for and encourage our Pastors as they step more fully into their responsibilities, and let’s continue to give thanks for the Lord’s steadfast faithfulness—past, present, and future.

Pastor Jim and Kim Thomas

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6

  • How did the Servant Leadership Council come to this decision?

    Over the past five years, Pastor Jim and Kim have been praying and talking about what their next season will look like. With the help, prayer, and wisdom of the Servant Leadership Council, they began discussing what the Lord might have in store for the future of TVC without them in leadership. What kind of Lead Pastor would serve the continued mission and vision of TVC? What character markers and gifting are needed to lead our church and staff? The Lord has been so generous in preparing our church, team and Pastor Tommy for this next season in leadership.

  • What are Pastor Tommy’s qualifications?

    Pastor Tommy Bailey comes from a long line of faithful pastors and has served in local church ministry for more than two decades. Although he has lived in several states across the country, his family is deeply rooted just south of Nashville, near Lawrenceburg, TN. After attending Trevecca Nazarene University, he moved to Oklahoma City to help plant a church with his father, serving as Creative Arts Pastor, where he oversaw worship and began preaching. During that time, he and his wife Emily were married and launched Collision Media, a design studio serving churches and nonprofits around the world through thoughtful branding, design, and web development.

    Sensing God’s call to a new chapter, the Baileys moved to Nashville in 2012 and soon found a home at The Village Chapel, where they began serving as volunteers before Tommy joined the staff in 2014. Over time, his role expanded from leading worship and design to overseeing staff and ministry strategy as part of the Ministry & Executive Leadership Team.

    With the encouragement of Pastor Jim Thomas and the support of TVC, Tommy pursued theological education at Covenant Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (2020) and a Doctor of Ministry (2024). In recent years, his ministry has focused on teaching, organizational leadership, and giving oversight to the ministries of the church.

    For more than twenty years, Tommy has sought to serve Christ and His Church faithfully—as a creative, teacher, and pastor—helping others grow as whole disciples of Jesus who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

  • Will Jim and Kim be congregants at TVC?

    Yes, for the next six months, Pastor Jim and Kim will continue in their roles as Curate and Senior Pastor. In May 2026, Pastor Jim will transition to Founding Pastor and Teacher in Residence, and in May 2027, they will enter the next chapter of studying through books of the Bible at The Village Chapel as faithful congregants.

  • Will Kim continue to lead congregational prayers on Sundays?

    Over the next six months, we will begin a rotation of pastors leading our weekly congregational prayers. The dedicated time of prayer in the service will continue to be a part of our weekly liturgy, regardless of who is leading it.

  • Will Pastor Jim continue to preach on Sundays?

    Yes, as Teacher in Residence, Pastor Jim will continue to serve on the Preaching Team at TVC.

  • Who is on the Servant Leadership Council, and what is its purpose?

    The Servant Leadership Council (SLC), under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, serves as the governing body of The Village Chapel. The primary function of the SLC is to seek God’s wisdom and will for TVC, generate strategic plans, administer resources, set the church’s budget, and provide oversight for all staff and ministries.

    In the coming year we will see members rotating off and new members stepping into roles on the SLC. Find the names and photos of the SLC here.

  • Who is on the Ministry & Executive Leadership Team?

    Tommy Bailey, Jim Thomas, Kim Thomas, Chris Parker, Matt Pierson, and Tom Yarbrough

    Over the past year, we have been preparing staff and pastoral roles for this transition. Pastor Matt Pierson will serve as our Shepherding Pastor, with a focus on congregational care and spiritual health. Pastor Tom Yarbrough will serve as Pastor of Ministries and Worship, overseeing our ministry directors and guiding us in Christ-exalting worship. Chris Parker will continue in his role as Senior Director of Operations & Administration.

    Find photos and more about them here.

  • Will we honor Jim and Kim’s years of ministry together?

    Yes! 2026 will be filled with celebrations marking 25 years of God’s faithfulness at TVC, and we will be honoring Pastor Jim and Kim as we look back on all that the Lord has done in our midst.