Signal Mountain Bible Church meets on Shackleford Ridge Road in scenic Signal Mountain, Tennessee. The congregation's motto - "To know Christ and make Him known" - shapes everything from the preaching schedule to the midweek groups. Worship services happen on Sunday mornings, and the church's calendar also includes Sunday school for every age, a Sunday evening youth gathering, in-home growth groups, and a Thursday night recovery ministry.
From Storefront to Shackleford Ridge: Four Decades on the Mountain
The story of Signal Mountain Bible Church begins with two Signal Mountain businessmen who, in 1984, approached Dr. W. Gary Phillips, then heading the Bible and Philosophy departments at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, about starting a Bible-based, expository teaching ministry in the community. Phillips had planned to help for six months. God had other plans.
The group, calling themselves Palisades Community Church, first met on a Thursday night for Bible study and on Sunday mornings for worship in vacant storefronts in the Signal Plaza shopping center, moving from one store to the next as space allowed. Within a year the handful of families was growing.
By 1986 the town of Signal Mountain offered the church the use of a log cabin on Timberlinks Drive, and the congregation changed its name to Signal Mountain Bible Church, often shortened to SMBC. The cabin had its own history. On Easter Sunday 1934 several families had met for worship in a private home and decided to begin mission work to the rural mining families on the "back side" of the mountain. Land was donated and the Log Cabin Chapel, also known as Signal Mountain Mission, was dedicated Easter Sunday 1936. Through the decades Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church supported the mission with teaching, Bible study, and health classes; a small log cottage was built in 1941 for the missionaries who ran it; the work continued under different names until services ended in 1974. For twelve years the cabin stood vacant until SMBC renewed a Bible-teaching ministry there.
In 1996 the congregation purchased six acres on Shackleford Ridge Road and began to plan a permanent home. Construction began in March 2003 and was completed in December of the same year. The first services in the new building were held December 14, 2003. In 2016 sixteen additional adjacent acres were added through the generosity of the people.
Two Pastors, One Long Succession
Dr. Gary Phillips served as founding pastor. A Chattanooga native who attended Red Bank schools and Baylor School, Phillips earned a B.A. from Vanderbilt (1971), a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary (1975), and a Th.D. from Grace Theological Seminary (1985). He spent most of his career at Bryan College, retiring in 2001 as Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Biblical Studies with six teaching awards to his name, the commentary Judges and Ruth (Broadman & Holman), and co-authorship of Making Sense of Your World, an apologetics text nominated for Christianity Today's Reader's Choice book of the year. In January 2020 he became Pastor Emeritus and now preaches monthly and helps the other pastors as needed. He also serves on the board of Bible in the Schools in Chattanooga and has taught Bible for forty years with the Officers' Christian Fellowship at their retreat centers.
Louis Belva succeeded Phillips as Senior Pastor in January 2015. The son of a pastor, Belva grew up in the Chattanooga area and graduated from Central High School before attending Maryville College, where he recommitted his life to Christ and sensed a call to ministry. He earned a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville (2000), married his wife Kasey in 2002, and returned to Chattanooga in 2004. Before coming to SMBC he pastored at Crossroads Church of Chattanooga and provided individual and family counseling through Shepherd's Care Inc. Belva lives on Signal Mountain with Kasey and their four sons - William, Myles, Silas, and Flanary - and is known around town for running and biking.
The Staff Who Shape the Week
Working alongside Belva is a team of associate pastors, ministry directors, and care leaders:
- Damon Kelly, Associate Pastor for Family and Youth Ministries. A Bryan College graduate who encountered Gary Phillips as one of his Bible professors, Kelly has shepherded students in Knoxville, Dallas, and Watkinsville, Georgia. He and his wife Lea have three grown sons and care for Lea's mother.
- Denver Kindiger, Student Pastor. A Signal Mountain native, Kindiger earned a B.A. from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2020) and a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando (2025). He joined the staff in January 2024 and became full-time Student Pastor in May 2025. He and his wife Lydia are raising their son Cyrus.
- Ruby Dabney, Children's Ministry Director.
- Jon Rowell, Worship Ministry Director.
- Bethany Ware, Women's Care and Counsel.
An Elder-Led Church
Signal Mountain Bible Church is governed by a board of elders, and deacons and elders share in caring for the congregation. Speight Overman serves as Chairman of the Elders. Each elder oversees a slice of ministry: Andrew Sharps (Women's Ministry and Deacons), Bob Walter (Global Missions and Children's Ministry), Louis Belva (Preaching and Teaching, Growth Groups, and Stephen Ministry), Bill Huddleston (Local Missions and Administration), Steve Bower (One Family Ministry), Paul Cleckner (Men's Ministry and Youth Ministry), and Dr. W. Gary Phillips (Secretary). Members in need of practical care or spiritual counsel can reach the deacons and elders at deacons@smbible.com and elders@smbible.com.
What the Church Believes
The Statement of Faith summarizes the congregation's convictions in plain language. There is one God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The sixty-six canonical books of the Bible, as originally written, are God's inerrant Word and the sole authority for belief and life. Mankind, created in the image of God, fell into sin in Adam and is now sinful both by nature and by choice, the outcome of which is eternal death. From this condition salvation comes only by the grace of God, through faith, on the basis of the work of the Son, and by the agency of the Holy Spirit.
The eternal Son became incarnate by being born of the virgin Mary; He is both true God and true man. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitute, shed His blood for the remission of sins, rose bodily from the dead, and will return again bodily to complete His saving work and to consummate the plan of God. Believers who have turned to God by faith in Jesus Christ are accountable to God for a life separated from sin and characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, contributing by word and deed to the mission of the church. The church itself is a living organism of all believers in Jesus Christ, engaged in building up the Body through the ministry of the Word, the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and the practice of Baptism. At God's chosen time, all persons will experience resurrection - believers to a state of eternal joy in the presence of God, and unbelievers to eternal punishment.
To Know Christ and Make Him Known
The mission is rooted in Ephesians 4:11-16 - to equip believers to do the work of ministry through the teaching of the Word of God. The congregation describes three components of that mission:
- The upward ministry of worship through prayer, singing praises, remembering the Lord in Communion, and studying Scripture (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 2 Timothy 2:2, 15).
- The inward ministry of building up the body of Christ through encouragement, prayer, accountability, discipline, benevolence, hospitality, and serving one another through spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:12, 16; Hebrews 10:25; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, 28).
- The outward ministry of fulfilling Jesus' great commission to make disciples through evangelism and discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12).
The goal: to know Jesus Christ and to make Jesus Christ known.
Sunday Mornings on Shackleford Ridge
Signal Mountain Bible Church gathers at 4872 Shackleford Ridge Road, Signal Mountain, Tennessee 37377. Sunday School runs from 9:45 to 10:30 in the morning, with classes for every age. Adult offerings include a biblical teaching class led by John Renegar in the Library on the main floor for men and women, a parenting discipleship workshop called Nourish that meets downstairs in the Youth room, and a women's Bible study led by Virginia Barlew on the main floor.
Children are welcomed to age-appropriate classes: Sara Holmes teaches K and 1st grade on the main floor near the sanctuary, Judith Walter teaches 2nd and 3rd grade in the kids' rooms on the main floor, and Juanita Duong teaches 4th and 5th grade downstairs. During the 11:00 worship service a children's church is offered for kids in 5th grade and under.
The 11:00 a.m. worship service is the main weekly gathering of the congregation. Services are expository in style, working through books of the Bible in sequence. A long series through the Book of Hebrews has been a recent focus of Pastor Belva's preaching, while Pastor Phillips and other elders have brought messages from Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 2 Timothy, and the Psalms. Services are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, and a weekly bulletin with announcements is shared.
Growth Groups: The Heart of the Congregation
Growth Groups meet in homes during the week - typically on Sunday and Wednesday nights - and are described by the church as the heart of ministry at SMBC. The groups promote Christian discipleship and growth through fellowship, prayer, and the application of God's Word. Most groups follow the Sunday sermon, with a separate Parenting Group book study offered in the fall. Groups meet September through May, taking breaks over the holidays and for the summer. Childcare is available on Sunday nights. Those interested in joining or leading a group can contact Damon Kelly.
Children on the Mountain
The Children's Ministry vision is to see children become men and women of faith, love the Word and learn to live by it, have a faith that will stand in hard times, become parents who lead their children to Christ, and have a God-centered view of themselves and the world around them - in the hope that they will belong wholly to the Lord, serve Him with all their might, glorify Him in all they do, and spread that glory to future generations.
The programs put that vision into practice:
- Nursery care is available for infants through age two for virtually all church events.
- Sunday School for ages 3 through 5th grade meets at 9:45 a.m.
- Children's Church, for children 5th grade and under, meets during the 11:00 worship service during the school year.
- A Sunday Evening Program for kids ages 3 through 5th grade meets at 6:00 p.m. during the school year, with teaching, music, and fun.
- Vacation Bible School is held each year with the goal of making sure every child hears the gospel and has an opportunity to respond.
Students and Youth Ministry
Student Sunday School meets at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays, and Student Growth Groups gather Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The youth ministry's vision is to stand with parents as a community of students and adult friends, learning to be broken, real, and in awe of God until Christ is formed in them. The team describes its mission as journeying with, processing with, and changing with - first with parents, then with students - modeling the incarnational WITH of Jesus.
Men, Women, and the Family
The Men's Ministry gathers around Proverbs 27:17 - "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Quarterly men's prayer breakfasts are held at the church for high school age and up, with a topic central to men's ministry and time for prayer. A men's retreat is held for a weekend of mutual encouragement and fellowship. Several times a year the men hike, shoot skeet, and cheer on the Lookouts. Matt Bakthasekaran leads the ministry, with Dave Baskin, Paul Cleckner, Phil Gagliardi, and David Kindiger on the team.
The Women's Ministry, operating under the authority of the elders, meets in a variety of settings. There is a women's Sunday School class, weekly Bible studies offered during the year, regular fellowship and prayer gatherings, and retreats. The Women's Ministry Team for 2026 includes Kasey Belva, Anna Gonzales, Jessie Cleckner, and Amy Davis, with Kasey Belva as leader.
Stephen Ministry: Christ Caring for People Through People
Signal Mountain Bible Church runs a Stephen Ministry program, named after Stephen in Acts 6. Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained for fifty hours to provide quality, confidential, one-to-one Christian care for people facing difficult life circumstances - grief, medical crisis, broken relationships, caregiver stress, deployment issues, financial difficulties, loneliness, or faith struggles. The Stephen Minister and care receiver typically meet weekly for about an hour, with the relationship lasting as long as the care receiver needs it. Louis Belva oversees Stephen Ministry, with Pat Kassebaum serving as Referrals Coordinator.
Celebrate Recovery on Thursday Nights
A chapter of Celebrate Recovery meets at Signal Mountain Bible Church on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The Christ-centered recovery program, started by Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, walks through the eight principles from the Beatitudes and twelve biblically based steps. The Thursday evening gatherings include a Large Group gathering with worship music and teaching, gender-specific Open Share groups, and Step Study groups led by facilitators who have been through the process.
The Signal Mountain chapter is unusual in that several churches sponsor it through a small, modestly funded 501(c)(3) called Signal Resources for Hope and Healing. The corporate sponsors include The Point Church, Signal Crest United Methodist Church, Signal Mountain Bible Church, Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, and Wayside Presbyterian Church. Donations can be made out to Signal Resources for Hope and Healing (SRHH) and sent c/o Signal Mountain Bible Church.
Sending and Supporting: Mission Around the World
Missions at Signal Mountain Bible Church are about sending and supporting those God has called. Short-term mission teams have gone to China, Greece, Haiti, India, Latvia, Mexico, New Zealand, Niger, Peru, Romania, Singapore, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam.
The church currently supports a number of career missionaries and their families:
- Ken and Gwen, Serving in Mission (SIM), training multi-national missionary teams for church planting among unreached people groups.
- Fred and Juanita Duong, Wycliffe Bible Translators/SIL, working globally with the Global Sign Languages Team in HR and medical consulting.
- Daniel and Anne King, Greater European Mission (GEM), church planting and disciple making in Cologne, Germany.
- Argyris and Dina Petrou, AMG International, Athens - Argyris teaches at the Greek Bible College, Dina works with survivors of trafficking at the Damaris House.
- Mark and Vesma Sandberg, Greater European Mission (GEM), discipleship, teaching, and church planting in Riga, Latvia.
- Tim and Janet Roberts, Ethnos 360, missionary recruiting and gift administration in Missouri.
- Matt and Crystal Henderson, Wycliffe Bible Translators, web development at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina.
Mission Organizations Supported
Alongside missionaries, SMBC supports a roster of partner organizations:
- Bible in the Schools (Bible History electives in Hamilton County public schools)
- Cedine Ministries (camp, conference, and outreach ministries)
- Chattanooga Sports Ministries (athletic engagement and mentoring for at-risk youth)
- Chattanooga Youth Network / 100 Years (equipping adult believers to share the gospel with the next generation)
- Child Evangelism Fellowship
- Choices Pregnancy Resource Center
- Messianic Ministry to Israel
- Every Man a Warrior (biblical discipleship for men)
- Her Song (residential support for survivors of human trafficking)
- Jews for Jesus
- Isaiah 117 House (comforting children awaiting placement)
- Lifeline Children's Services (gospel ministry to vulnerable children)
- Prison Prevention Ministry
- Reconciliation Ministries Network (missions among African-American churches and ethnic reconciliation)
- Young Life
Kendell Drumm oversees mission organizations; Jon Rowell oversees missionaries.
Trail Life, BSF, and a Lending Library
Signal Mountain Bible Church also serves as a local host for Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), an international Bible study program, and supports Trail Life USA, a character and outdoors alternative to Boy Scouts. The church operates a Lending Library that members can browse by title or by author, with print catalogs available.
Giving and Staying Connected
The congregation can give in several ways. Members may give during services, drop off gifts at the office, or mail checks to the church. Online, donors can give by ACH or debit card through the church's Breeze portal, or by credit card or bank draft through The Generosity Trust, a Chattanooga-based Christian gift management service that handles donations of cash and appreciated assets such as stocks, bonds, and securities. The church notes that ACH transactions carry the lowest processing fees.
Sermons are livestreamed on YouTube and made available afterward. A weekly bulletin with announcements and a giving QR code is also shared. Visitors in the Chattanooga and North Georgia area can find the church at 4872 Shackleford Ridge Road, Signal Mountain, TN 37377. The phone number is 423.886.1981.