OUR MISSION AND VISION
Our Mission (Why We Exisit)
Pursuing Jesus, loving deeply, and serving the world with purpose.
Our Vision (Where We Are Headed)
Virtue Church is committed to becoming deeply biblically grounded; a loving, vibrant, multi-generational family which provides a refuge, and moves its people into the world to live and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Generations of Serving Christ
Since 1887, Virtue Church has been an integral part of the Knoxville community. Our desire is to spread the Word of Jesus Christ and provide the community with a Christ-centered and family-focused place to worship and serve.
Meet Our Team
Meet our dedicated team, united in our mission to serve the community, support one another, and spread God's love.
Bill Lyle
Pastor
Bill is a Knoxville native, and has been a dedicated servant of Christ for over 25 years, having Pastored various churches throughout the Southeast. A proud graduate of The University of Tennessee and Reformed Theological Seminary, Bill brings a wealth of knowledge and a heart full of compassion to our congregation.
When he’s not preparing sermons or engaging with the community, Bill enjoys diving into the adventurous worlds of Star Trek and Marvel movies. He also has a deep appreciation for classic literature, with John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” being one of his all-time favorites.
Bill has two grown children, Hannah and Joshua and a fur baby, Josie. He and his wife, Laura enjoy the great outdoors and are National Park enthusiasts.
Bill looks forward to walking alongside you in your spiritual journey. Whether you’re a lifelong believer or just curious about faith, he is here to offer guidance, support, and a friendly chat about your favorite superhero.
John Peach
Associate Pastor
John is a devoted leader in our church community. Graduating from both Moody Bible Institute and Liberty University, John has been committed to ministry since the young age of 22. Throughout his career John has pastored six churches, two of which he planted, bringing his passion for the Gospel to life in every congregation he touches.
Born in Nashville and raised in California, John is not only a man of faith but also a history enthusiast. He has written 10 books on genealogy and one on Thomas Jefferson, showcasing his deep love for the past. Together with his wife, Laney, John brings history to life by visiting schools, churches, and senior centers, performing historical reenactments of Thomas and Martha Jefferson in full costume.
When he’s not delving into history or leading the church, John enjoys watching his favorite movie, “Fiddler on the Roof.” He is thrilled to be part of our church family and looks forward to sharing his love of history, faith, and community with everyone.
Our Beliefs
We believe God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.
We believe there are three persons in the Godhead: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer of God’s children. We believe Jesus became flesh through a miraculous conception by the power of the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man, united in one person. He died on a cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the scriptures. On the third day, he arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of God the Father, He is now our High Priest and Mediator.
We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity, separate but equal. He convicts us of sins, and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, he gives new life to us, empowers, and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us and into all truth and seals us for the day of redemption.
We believe the Bible is the Word of God; verbally inspired by Him, inerrant in the original writings; the supreme, final, and infallible authority in doctrine and practice. The Bible is the only rule for faith and practice.
We believe the Universal Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, is not an organization but a spiritual organism comprised of all who have expressed saving faith in Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord.
We believe that God gives to each believer gifts which are to be used for the building up of the Body of Christ. These gifts are to be exercised according to biblical guidelines and priorities (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12,14). We believe the Holy Spirit is sovereign and may give any gifts He wants at any time He wants (1 Cor. 12:11).
We believe baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ.(a) By baptism a person is solemnly admitted into the visible church.(b) Baptism is also a sign and seal of the covenant of grace,(c) of the believer’s engrafting into Christ,(d) of rebirth,(e) of remission of sins,(f) and of the believer’s yielding to God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life.(g) By Christ’s own direction this sacrament is to be continued in his church until the end of the world.(h) – (a). Mt 28.19, Mk 16.16. (b). 1 Cor 12.13, Gal 3.27-28, Acts 2.41, 10.47. (c). Rom 4.11, Col 2.11-12, Gal 3.29. (d). Gal 3.27, Rom 6.3-5. (e). Ti 3.5. (f). Mk 1.4, Acts 2.38, 22.16. (g). Rom 6.3-4. (h). Mt 28.19-20.
We believe Communion is worship through reverent remembrance. It is a direct and obedient response to one of Jesus’ last instructions to his disciples. While we would not say that it is a means of obtaining God’s grace, we would say that God’s grace abounds as we focus on and worship the Savior.
By taking a piece of bread and a cup we acknowledge a view on which Paul called of first importance, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Because we believe that Communion is a Sacrament of the Church, we believe it is for confessing believers only. We do not practice “close communion,” as we believe this is the table of our Lord.
We would ask that non-believers and children who have not yet confessed Christ abstain from coming to the table. Instead use this time to talk about the need for faith and public proclamation of that faith when coming to Christ.
We believe that salvation is a gift of God and is received by man only through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We believe that man is justified by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from human merit, works, or ceremonies (Eph. 2:8-10).
We are affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Come Join Us!
Come as you are and discover a welcoming community committed to faith, fellowship, and growth. We look forward to seeing you at Virtue Church!
