Who We Are
Mission
To Make, Shape, and Send Faithful Followers of Jesus Christ
Vision
We desire to be a family of Christians empowered by the GOSPEL to
GATHER, GROW, GIVE, and GO.
Values
GOSPEL FOCUS: GOSPEL
We will focus on the GOSPEL because the GOSPEL transforms lives.
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY: GATHER
We will GATHER because we are not meant to live this life alone.
INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP: GROW
We will GROW because we are not yet everything God created us to be.
RADICAL GENEROSITY: GIVE
We will GIVE because we have been given much in Jesus Christ.
MISSIONAL OUTREACH: GO
We will GO because we have been entrusted with his mission.
Beliefs
The beliefs of Spring Creek Baptist Church are consistent with those of fellow Southern and Great Commission Baptists as outlined in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.
You may click the button below to download a copy.
STAFF
John Nelson Senior Pastor
John grew up in a Christ-centered home and church in Nashville, where he heard and saw the gospel displayed from his earliest memories. While he was still a child, the Lord graciously saved him as he repented of his sin and trusted Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
John felt called to the ministry in 1999, during his freshman year of college. Since that time, God has provided consistent opportunities for him to serve in various ministerial and pastoral roles. One of those opportunities was serving at a church in Clarksville during the summer of 2001, which God providentially used to instill a love for the people of Clarksville in his heart.
After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in history from the University of Tennessee at Martin, John earned a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. More important than his education, though, is the love and support he receives from his wife, Amber, and their daughters, Adelyn and Brantley.
John is honored to serve as the pastor of Spring Creek Baptist Church, a church that faithfully builds on a 217-year history of gospel proclamation and ministry to the greater Clarksville community.
Derek Simonis WORSHIP PASTOR
Derek was raised in a Christian home by faithful parents who loved Jesus. The Lord used their prayers, influence, and the faithfulness of a Sunday School teacher to convict and save him as a young boy.
A military veteran, Derek was stationed at Fort Campbell for six years and served on multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. While stationed at Fort Campbell, Derek met his sweetheart, Jana, in church, and they were married in 2009.
In March of 2009, while still in the military, Derek surrendered to a call to ministry and began fulfilling it by preaching and singing in jail ministry and special services.
Derek has served as a youth pastor, campus pastor, and in evangelistic ministry around the country.
Derek counts it a privilege and an honor to serve as the Worship Pastor at Spring Creek, and he is thankful for what God is doing through the ministry of this wonderful church.
Matt Willis Student Ministries Director
Growing up in a Christian home, Matt was blessed to have been surrounded by church and ministry all his life. At an early age, God drew him to salvation and began working in his life to lead him into ministry as a vocation. It was while interning at a church for a summer that his love for the local church and for youth in America developed and blossomed.
He, along with his wife, Abbey, and their three sons—Jason, Carter, and Ryan—have served God in ministry in both full-time and bi-vocational capacities. After serving in a church for nine years, Matt and Abbey stepped back to pursue the next chapter in their journey. In 2024, God led them to Spring Creek Baptist Church as members, and in January 2025, they accepted the role of Student Ministry Pastor in a lay capacity. Matt is a full-time appliance repair technician, and Abbey is holding down the fort at home while the kids are little. They are both committed to serving God wherever and in whatever capacity He allows at Spring Creek.
Patricia Fox ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Pat accepted Christ as her Savior at the young age of nine. The Lord has given Pat a heart for babies and elderly people for as long as she can remember.
Pat is blessed with two beautiful daughters and a wonderful son, and she taught them in Sunday School and Bible Drills as they were growing up. She now has six grandchildren, and she marvels at what God is doing in their lives.
God gave Pat the opportunity to work in a crisis pregnancy center, and between 1998 and 2006 she was privileged to foster 26 newborns while they waited for their forever homes.
Pat is thrilled that God placed her at Spring Creek in 2008 and that He continues to bless her with opportunities to serve Him.
