Pastor Eric Kennedy and his family began serving Ringgold First Baptist in 2014 and are thrilled to call Ringgold home. Eric was born and raised in Laurens, SC and gave his life to Christ as a child. After studying finance at Florida State University, Eric spent ten years working as a stockbroker and operations manager in the financial industry before accepting God’s call to vocational ministry. He served on staff with Central Baptist Church of Miami, FL for two years before attending seminary at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, and then served as senior pastor of Community Baptist Fellowship church in Bedford, IN for seven years. In his free time, Eric enjoys being outdoors fishing, hiking, and kayaking, and spending time with his family. Eric is married to Dallas, TX native Lori, who is a speech pathologist with the Catoosa County school system. Lori spent several years as a full-time missionary working in inner city Miami, FL and is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Eric and Lori are the proud parents of James and Ellie.