Oakland Staff
Rev. Charles Biggs
PASTOR
Brother Charles was born on October 18, 1967 in Bristol, TN. His father was Pastor Franklin D. Biggs and his mother was Martha Biggs and he was also the youngest brother to Robert. He lived the largest portion of his life in the Bristol area attending the local city school system and in 1985 he graduated from the Bristol Tennessee High School. Along with his family, he attended the Emmanuel Baptist Church on the corner of 5th Street and Weaver Pike where the late Dr. Howard Robinson was the Pastor for a quarter of a century.
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On August 24, 1979, Charles felt the Holy Spirit dealing with his life about being saved, and on that day he trusted Christ as Lord and Savior and followed the Lord in believers baptism. After his salvation, he began serving the Lord in the bus ministry and served there for many years building one of the largest bus routes in the ministry. He surrendered to full time Christian work on January 23, 1983 at Emmanuel and on April 18, 1988, he surrendered to the call to preach the word of God at a “Stand Up for America Rally” at the Castlewood High School where Evangelist Tim Lee was holding a series of revival meetings.
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On June 19, 1993, he married LaVonda Cox of Bristol, VA and the Lord has blessed them with 2 wonderful children, Carson (07-26-96) and Mary Beth (07-03-00). He was licensed and ordained at the Belle Meadows Baptist Church on July 5, 1998 and begin Pastoring the Braemar Baptist Church in Hampton, TN that same year. He graduated in 1997 from the Belle Meadows Baptist Bible College with an Associates degree in Pastoral Theology and attended the Pastors College at The Crown College in Powell, TN in 2008 and 2009.
In January of 2013 the Lord lead his family to serve at the Oakland Avenue Baptist Church where he currently serves as Pastor.
Robert (Bobby) Laughlin
Robert (Bobby) Laughlin was born April 23, 1964 in Bristol, TN. He is the son of Johnny (Albert) Laughlin and Elva Laughlin. He attended public school in Sullivan County, TN and graduated from Sullivan Central High School in 1982. He was saved at a young age while listening to Bro. Harold Sightler on the radio and his mother led him to the Lord.
He was a member of Pleasant View Baptist Church at a young age under Pastor Ralph Cook and Pastor Wayne Baker. He met Pastor Roy Yelton while he was Pastor at Gunnings Baptist Church in Blountville, TN and became part of their youth program. He sang in the youth choir and had a bus ministry while at Gunnings.
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In July 2018, the Lord led him and his father to Oakland Avenue Baptist Church. He was asked to be assistant choir director in late 2018 and remained in that role until the choir director retired in April 2019. He is excited about how the Lord led him to Oakland Avenue. He desires to see the church and the choir grow in the Lord in the days ahead and see true revival come “one more time.”
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Scott & Neisha Linginfelter
Youth Directors
Scott & Neisha Linginfelter, and their four children are originally from East TN, and moved back here in 2022 after serving at Faith Baptist Church of Winter Haven, FL for six years. They worked with children in Awana, Upward Sports, sang in the choir, and served in various roles in different men’s & women’s ministries.
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Until February of 2024 they were members at Community Baptist Church of Bristol, TN under Todd Crusenberry. That same month the Lord led Pastor Charles Biggs to offer Scott & Neisha the Youth Director position at Oakland Ave Baptist Church.
“We’re grateful the Lord has opened this door of opportunity. Getting to know these teens and helping them grow in their relationships with each other and the Lord is such a blesssing! We can’t wait to see what all the Lord has in store!” - Scott & Neisha