Charles is a 1997 graduate of Cookeville High School, who grew up attending Free Will Baptist churches.  After graduating from Free Will Baptist Bible College in 2003, Charles married Laura Meadows from Lexington, Kentucky.  They moved to Florence, South Carolina where he served as an associate pastor before working two years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  Recently, Charles pursued graduate studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Duke University.  Charles received a masters degree from Duke and wrote a thesis titled, “Embattled and Engaged: The National Association of Evangelicals and 20^th Century American Politics.”  Besides the excitement over returning to preach and teach in his home church, Charles is looking forward to hiking the Big South Fork region with Laura and their son, Ethan.