Our Vision
Our vision and goal is for disciples to make disciples of Jesus. Jesus’ last words to his disciples were "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). At CHBC we strive to be disciples who are living to be Christ-like and in the process help others to do the same. Our desire as a church is to equip believers to be disciples of Jesus…to do as he did, live as he lived, walk as he walked, and talk as he talked. As Paul writes in Ephesians 5:1, "be imitators of Jesus."
DR. LES HUGHES
Pastor Les received his first call to pastoral ministry in 2012. Since then, he served three churches as Lead Pastor before coming to Chilhowee Hills in 2023. Pastor Les married his now-wife Lacey in 2012, and God has given them 6 beautiful children. Pastor Les holds degrees from two of our six Baptist Seminaries [Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity, 2013) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (Masters of Theology, 2013; Doctorate of Philosophy, 2022)]. Pastor Les loves to spend time with his family and enjoys cooking, grilling, woodworking, golf, and movies.
Tom Smart
Tom Smart is a worship pastor and servant-leader with a deep love for God, His Word, and His people. He has been married to his wife, Missy, since 2005, and together they are raising their four children—Addie, Jackson, and twin boys Jeremiah and Jonathan. Tom is a U.S. Army veteran who served honorably for eight years, an experience that shaped his leadership, discipline, and commitment to service. He is formally trained in music and has spent many years serving local churches through Christ-centered, biblically grounded worship ministry. Tom believes worship should form disciples, strengthen the church, and glorify God in both spirit and truth. He senses a clear calling to shepherd God’s people with humility, integrity, and compassion. In every role, he desires to point others to the hope, grace, and transforming power of Jesus Christ.
MATT PARADIS
Matt has been serving as our College and Missions Pastor since 2011. He is married to Dana, and they have three children, Brody, Caroline, and Bella. They enjoy Volunteer football, Red Sox Baseball, exploring new cuisines, and anything to do with coffee.
HANS HAUN
A member since 1994, Hans began serving as Director of Biblical Counseling in 2015. He enjoys being outdoors and spends much of his time kayaking, canoeing, camping, and hiking. Hans and his wife Rene enjoy getting out together and driving the countryside, watching UT sports and other favorite shows, but their highlight these days is keeping their grandchildren, who are so precious to their hearts.
JAY BODIFORD
Jay Bodiford serves the worship ministry at Chilhowee Hills by wrangling audio, video, lighting, and the occasional untamed cable. He equips volunteers, fixes mysterious issues, and keeps the team entertained through the chaos. His happy place? Relaxing on the Gulf with his family—fishing, listening to the waves, and not troubleshooting anything.
AMANDA VADEN
Amanda Vaden has been a member of CHBC since 2014 and joined the church staff in the summer of 2024 as the Children’s Ministry Director. She is married to her husband, Ryan, and together they have three boys—George, Henry, and Benjamin. As a family, they enjoy hiking and biking whenever they can. In her spare time, Amanda loves building with LEGO sets (just peek into her office!) and getting lost in a good book.
RICH PARADIS
Rich serves the CHBC staff as a self-proclaimed "Minister of Miscellaneous", bringing nearly 30 years of local church and corporate chaplaincy experience to the team. He and Deb joined the church in 2020 and enjoy being involved in multiple areas of volunteer ministry in and around the church, including leading an Adult Bible Fellowship group, mentoring, counseling, and anything else that might help CHBC towards its mission to "Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples". They also enjoy time together with 3 adult sons and their wives, as well as their 9 grandchildren. If time allows, a short day trip to explore, appreciate and learn something or a good book are great additions to any day or week.
HARLEY QUINN
Office Administrator and Bio coming soon!
KAYLA CARPER
Housekeeper and Bio coming soon!