ClearView Baptist Church sits on Franklin Road in the heart of Franklin, Tennessee, a Southern Baptist congregation whose stated aim is to help people walk with Jesus and with others. The motto is printed across the top of its pages: We walk with Jesus, with others. In a growing county where new residents arrive each year from many nations and backgrounds, ClearView describes itself as a church family where people matter more than programs, and where every person is invited to find where they belong and take their next step.

Sundays at the Chapel: Two Services, One Family

ClearView gathers for worship on Sunday mornings at 9:15 AM and 10:45 AM in the Chapel, located on the church's Building C side. Both services follow the same pattern: congregational singing, prayer, Scripture reading, and biblical teaching that points people to Jesus. The Worship Pastor, Alexis Cruz, plans and leads music for the services and also equips student worship bands for grades 6 through 12. After the 9:15 service and before the second, Sunday morning small groups meet throughout the campus.

First-time guests are asked to park in the south parking lot and enter through the main entrance, where greeters are ready to welcome them and guide families with children to the right check-in desks. People dress in everything from casual to more traditional, and visitors are encouraged to come as they are.

On occasional Sundays, ClearView holds a single combined worship gathering called ClearView Together. These mornings move worship into the Gym and bring the entire church family into one room before children and students head to their regular Sunday programming.

Family Ministry: From Preschoolers to High School Seniors

Family Ministry is the engine that shapes ClearView's next generation, with three distinct teams covering every stage from birth through high school graduation.

The Preschool Ministry serves children from birth through kindergarten on Sunday mornings during both the 9:15 and 10:45 services. Programming uses The Gospel Project, a three-year chronological journey through the Bible that keeps birth through fifth grade on the same lesson schedule each week. The preschool area uses the rooms numbered C106 and C111.

The Kids Ministry, led by Chelsi Bassham, focuses on first through fifth graders. CV Kids Time meets at 10:45 AM on Sundays in the Kids Worship Room with games, crafts, small group Bible studies, and the Bible Studies for Life: Kids curriculum. Parents can pre-register their children through the First Time Family Form to make check-in quicker.

The Student Ministry, led by Jamie Savley, walks alongside middle and high school students. On Sunday mornings students are invited to worship with their families at 9:15 AM in the Chapel (often sitting in a student section near the front) and then move to The Station, the third floor of Building B, at 10:45 AM for grade-specific small groups. On Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, students gather for worship, games, and teaching, and 6th through 12th graders also join the adults in the Chapel for First Wednesday evenings.

Family events thread the year together. Family Dedication gives parents the opportunity to publicly commit to raising their children in the ways of Jesus during a regular worship service, with a preparation dinner the week before and childcare provided. Fall Fest opens the campus to families from across Franklin, Williamson County, and the Nashville area for an evening of Trunk-or-Treat, pumpkin decorating, apple bobbing, a donut-eating contest, and a free dinner.

ClearView Prep Preschool: A Weekday Ministry of Care and Learning

ClearView Prep Preschool is the church's weekday early-childhood program for babies (at least eight weeks old) through PreK. Classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from after Labor Day through mid-May, following the Williamson County Schools calendar. The program is part of ClearView's children's education ministry and is overseen by a dedicated Preschool Committee.

Director Cindy Cornelius, a Western Kentucky University graduate with an Early Childhood Education degree, leads the program. Assistant Director Marissa Hromadka, who holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Texas A&M University, joined the staff in 2016 and brought more than twenty-five years of early-childhood experience to the role in 2025. Together they describe ClearView Prep as a place that seeks excellence through Christ-centered care, where every classroom introduces preschoolers to the love of Jesus in age-appropriate ways.

Groups: Where Community Becomes Personal

ClearView teaches that life with Jesus is better together, and the Groups ministry is the place where that conviction becomes personal. Groups meet on Sunday mornings at 8:00, 9:15, and 10:45 AM, and others gather during the week.

Sunday morning groups range from a young-adult class like Young Professionals, led by Dave and Cindy Holder, to long-running senior adult groups such as AGAPE and Active Adults 1 and 2. Married couples in their 40s and older can join Alongsiders, while Just Cruising serves adults in their 50s and Reflections gathers adults 60 and older. Women Growing in Grace meets at 9:15 in A102 and Women in Discovery meets at 10:45 in B206, both creating space for women to study Scripture and pray together. F.I.T. draws adults in their 40s and 50s, while Refuge and Believers round out the morning offerings.

A weekly Young Adults community meets Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM in Room B204, creating space for adults in their 20s and 30s to build friendships, dig into Scripture, and serve Franklin together.

Wednesdays: Belong, Become, and Gather

Wednesday nights at ClearView are designed to help people move from attending to belonging, and from belonging to growing.

On the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM, Pastor Matt leads Belong, an introductory class that walks newcomers through ClearView's mission, beliefs, values, and what membership means. On the fourth Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the A-Building Gym, the same pastor leads Become, a follow-up class that helps participants discover their spiritual gifts, passions, and the shape of their serving fit at ClearView and beyond. After completing both classes, participants are invited to continue meeting on Wednesday nights for an ongoing Bible study led by Pastor David.

Once a month, the whole church family is invited to Gather Night in the A-Building Gym at 6:30 PM for a shared meal and unhurried conversation. The evening is intentionally simple: a table, food, and time to be present with one another beyond Sunday morning.

First Wednesdays: A Midweek Reset

On the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM, ClearView sets aside its regular teaching schedule for First Wednesday, a worship gathering held in the Chapel with no sermon and no message. The evening is intentionally unstructured, creating space to pause, breathe, and submit hearts to the Lord through worship, prayer, and reflection. Because the format is flexible, each First Wednesday takes its own shape, but the purpose is the same: to reset in God's presence as a church family. Families can bring their children, and 6th through 12th grade students join the adults in the Chapel. Childcare sign-up is available for parents who need it.

The Men, Women, and Active Adults of ClearView

ClearView's adult ministry is organized around three intentional communities.

The women's ministry, with Nancy Thomas as a long-time leader, gathers women of all generations around Bible study, prayer, mentoring, and community events. The weekly R.E.A.L. Women's Bible Study meets Wednesdays from 9:15 to 11:30 AM, working through eight-session Lifeway studies such as The Names of God. Embrace Grace, a twelve-week ministry supporting pregnant single women, also meets under women's ministry leadership.

The men's ministry, called Men of Franklin, focuses on discipleship, fellowship, and missions. The most visible rhythm is Mojo's Monday, a relaxed monthly lunch at Mojo's Tacos at The Factory in Franklin on the first Monday of each month at 11:00 AM. Men's groups and Bible studies meet alongside the men's ministry throughout the week.

The Active Adult ministry serves senior adults through groups and a monthly Active Adult Lunch in the church basement on the third Thursday of each month at 11:00 AM. Participants RSVP with Kim Margrave, and a $10 donation is requested to help cover the meal.

Missions: From Franklin to the World

ClearView describes its missions blueprint as starting locally, moving out to the state of Tennessee, broadening across North America, and extending around the world. The missions team partners with a wide network of organizations: Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Franktown, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief, GraceWorks, the Nashville Baptist Association, Room In The Inn, the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home, Graffiti 2 Community in the Bronx, Keystone Church in Manhattan, the North American Mission Board, Oneida Baptist Institute in Kentucky, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, Western Heights Baptist Center in Knoxville, and Radius International.

Mission engagement at ClearView is organized around four words: Live (equipping every member to share the gospel where they live, work, and play), Local (engaging every small group in local mission effort), Least of These (serving those in Middle Tennessee living at or below the poverty line), and Lost (engaging with places where the gospel of Christ is not known).

The Student Ministry runs Summer Camp, Student Mission Trips, and DNOW weekends, drawing middle and high school students into mission-shaped rhythms beyond the classroom.

A Statement of Faith Rooted in Scripture

ClearView's beliefs are spelled out in detail in its Constitution and Bylaws, revised May 5, 2024. The church teaches that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, and sufficient Word of God, and that God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The statement of faith affirms salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection and return of Christ, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the ordinances of baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, and the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. Marriage is defined as the lifelong covenant union of one man and one woman.

The Constitution notes that, where practical, ClearView cooperates with and supports the Nashville Baptist Association, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and the Southern Baptist Convention, while remaining autonomous and accountable to no other ecclesiastical body.

Membership: Belong and Become

Membership at ClearView is described as more than attending; it is an invitation to belong to God's family. The path runs through six steps: confess faith in Jesus Christ, be baptized by immersion, be led to join ClearView, complete the Belong and Become classes, complete a membership application and meet with a staff member, and be approved by the church body at a quarterly business meeting.

Members are expected to worship weekly with the church, build meaningful relationships through a small group, and use the spiritual gifts God has given them to serve inside the church and wherever He has placed them. The Lord's Supper is observed at least quarterly, and baptism by immersion is administered as an act of worship.

The Staff Who Lead ClearView

Dr. Matt Pearson became Senior Pastor in the fall of 2025, having previously served as Campus and Teaching Pastor of The Church at West Franklin, a regional campus of Brentwood Baptist Church. He holds a Ph.D. in Practical Theology with a concentration in Preaching from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Auburn University. Matt and his wife Katie have three children: Luke, Seth, and Birti.

David Burdeshaw serves as Groups and Connections Pastor. Alexis Cruz has led worship at ClearView since 2008, having previously served as Worship Pastor at Hamilton Community Church in Chattanooga and as a touring keyboardist with Christian music groups. Tracy Sellers, Preschool Minister, joined the staff in 2015 after years as a copywriter in marketing and advertising. Chelsi Bassham joined the team in 2024 and is pursuing a Master's in Family Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jamie Savley, Student Minister, joined ClearView's staff in 2021 through the Kingdom Growth Institute Residency Program. Kim Margrave serves as Missions and Active Adults Minister, having spent twenty-two years with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board before joining ClearView in 2019. James Smetanin serves as Worship Ministry Resident, assisting the Worship Pastor with Sunday and midweek services. Cindy Cornelius directs ClearView Prep Preschool and Marissa Hromadka serves as its assistant director.

Stewardship, Facilities, and a Franklin Campus

ClearView's Franklin campus sits at 537 Franklin Road and includes Building A (offices, gym, basement), Building B (which houses The Station on its third floor), and Building C (the Chapel, preschool area, and additional ministry rooms). Online giving is available through the church's online giving portal, and gifts can also be placed in the Sunday morning offering plate or mailed to the church office. Members and supporters can give appreciated stock by contacting the finance office at (615) 794-5488, give by texting GIVE to 615-258-6335, or plan a legacy gift through their estate. The Finance Committee notes that gifts designated to individuals generally cannot be accepted; gifts to specific ministries are welcomed.

ClearView's facilities are available for ministry events and may be reserved through the Facility Request process. Weddings hosted on the property are limited to marriages between one man and one woman, in keeping with the church's statement of faith.

Sermons, Teaching, and the Work of the Word

ClearView maintains an extensive sermon archive online, with messages organized by series, speaker, topic, and book of the Bible. Senior Pastor Matt Pearson's recent teaching series has walked through ClearView's own strategy and values, covering spiritual gifts, small groups, and corporate worship. Guest teachers have included Mike Glenn, former Senior Pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church and President of Engage Church Network, who taught on stewardship in September 2026.

The church's teaching calendar has included series such as FORMED: Wins and Warnings from the Life of David, Conversations with Jesus, God's Grand Story: Understanding The Bible, The Personality of the Holy Spirit, Keys to Freedom, Identifying God's Voice, Heaven & Hell, and recurring Missions Month emphases. Messages can be watched online or listened to as audio, and the worship services themselves are available for online viewing.

A Church That Has Helped Start Others

ClearView's Constitution records that, when the church was being established, the Nashville Baptist Association, Belmont Heights Baptist Church, and Brentwood Baptist Church assisted in various ways, including financially. Should ClearView ever cease operation, its constitution directs that remaining assets be distributed to the Nashville Baptist Association or, if that body no longer qualifies, to other qualifying religious organizations. ClearView's governance rests in the body of its members, who call and dismiss the senior pastor, approve members, approve the annual budget, and amend the Constitution and Bylaws.

The church is governed day to day by a Church Council of nine members drawn from the trustees, committee chairs, and the Senior Pastor, and is led through its ministry by a staff team that includes pastors, ministry directors, an executive administrator, and facilities and finance leaders. Deacons are servants, not decision-makers, and serve alongside pastors in caring for the church family and assisting with the ordinances.

Staying Connected

Beyond Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, ClearView keeps its church family in touch through Instagram (@clearviewfranklin for the church, @clearview_students for students, @clearviewyoungadults for young adults, and @clearviewwomen for women's ministry), Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a public events calendar that can be added to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live. Visitors can also reach the church office by phone at (615) 794-5488 or by email at info@clearview.org, and the staff helps connect newcomers to the right ministry through an online contact form.