meet our team

Rev. Dennis Landrum is originally from Munford, Tennessee. He is married to Rhonda and they have three children and five grandchildren. Dennis began his ministry studies at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Extension at Madison, Mississippi, and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Studies from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Dennis later received a Masters in Pastoral Ministries at Caskey School of Divinity.

Dennis pastored Belen Baptist Church for two years. He then pastored Evansville Baptist Church for 7 years. Dennis has been the Associational Missions Strategist for X-tended Missions Network, now known as Desoto-Tate Baptist Association, for the past 11 years. Through this position and with God’s divine provision, Dennis has helped facilitate many church plants and church re-plants. Dennis is most passionate about church revitalization, pastoral care, church growth, and missions work. Dennis has done missions work in India, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, and many states within our nation.

In addition to feeding people spiritually, Dennis shows his love for others by feeding them physically as well. He prepares meals for many events in our Association.

Donna holds the title of Ministry Assistant. In this position, she plays a pivotal role in maintaining seamless operations across 65 Southern Baptist churches. With precision and care, she maintains our bookkeeping, manages the M5 newsletter, compiles Annual Church Profiles, and updates Church Directories, ensuring all information is current and accessible. Donna expertly coordinates the calendar for the Ervin Brown Training Center Camp and organizes Associational Bible Drills with finesse. Her support extends to facilitating Administrative and Executive team meetings and preparing comprehensive Training Center manuals. Always ready with a warm greeting, Donna also handles incoming calls, providing a friendly and informative voice for our community. Her attention to detail and commitment to excellence underpin the smooth manner in which our ministry functions. 

Randy is the newest member of our team, and he is excited to be at the Ervin Brown Training Center to serve alongside a Godly team and member churches as we enjoy God’s creation outside.

Randy’s experience is diverse in scope including home and grounds construction, outside sales of various products and services, Air Force Crew Chief of the F-IIIF jet, and service maintenance manager of semi-trucks and trailers. Randy’s most rewarding assignment was serving as a bi-vocational pastor for 8 years in Desoto County.

Randy has been married to his wife, Tami, for 38 years and is blessed with his daughter Amanda, son-in-law Matt, and three exceptional grandchildren, Maliyah, Reed, and Dawson.

Randy is a 2012 graduate of Union University with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership which was something he wanted to complete even at 52 years old.

Randy is enthusiastic about continuing the superior groundskeeping and maintenance already practiced and “do a good work” for God’s glory as we wait for “The Day.”

John Hampton, along with and his team of volunteers, is invaluable to the ministry of the Desoto-Tate Baptist Association. Having been in the Emergency Services field for over 40 years, John has been with the MS Baptist Convention Board and Desoto-Tate Baptist Association since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. In the aftermath of Katrina, John began the Association’s Disaster Relief Team with ten people. We now have about 150 people trained in one or more areas of chainsaw, mass feeding, flood recovery, ham radios, childcare, Incident Command, Incident Management Team, shower trailer, blue tarping, chaplaincy, and basic assessment. We have two Disaster Relief trailers, one loaded with chainsaw gear for tree removal, and one loaded with tarps for a temporary solution after storm roof damage. In addition to providing help within our own state, the Desoto-Tate Disaster Relief Team has assisted in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky since its inception in 2005. 

Meet Samantha, our spirited Kids Camp Director who infuses every camp day with fun and energy! With a genuine love for children, Samantha crafts engaging activities that captivate young minds, bringing a smile to every face. Her passion for teaching the Bible shines through creative storytelling and interactive lessons, making spiritual learning a joyous experience. Driven by a heart full of enthusiasm, Samantha leads with kindness, fostering a nurturing environment where every child feels valued and inspired. Under her vibrant leadership, our camp is a place of laughter, growth, and memorable adventures.