Interview by Jenny Lynn Davis and Heaven Curtis | Images by Ryan McGill and Heaven Curtis
The Walker Leader recently sat down with Parker Darnell, the lead pastor at Cornerstone Church in Jasper, to learn more about his life and career.
With an impressive career dedicated to serving the Lord, Parker brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to his role.
WL: Tell us about your background.
PD: I am a fourth-generation minister in my family. Starting with my great-grandfather Parker, whom I am named after, then my grandfather Billy, and then my dad. My parents live in Germany, and my dad oversees all the churches in the Church of God denomination in Europe and the Middle East. Church is all I’ve ever known – I cut my teeth on the pews! Because of that lifestyle, I don’t have a good answer to the question “Where are you from?” because I moved every 2-4 years of my life up until recently. I’ve lived in 12 states and two countries!
WL: Have there been any pivotal moments that have deepened your faith?
PD: Before my grandad Billy passed away, he took me on a walk through every room in his house. He said, “Parker, when I bought this house, it was a two-bedroom house, now it has six bedrooms. I added each room by myself and had no idea what I was doing, but I called people who did, and they helped me.” And that was a metaphor of sorts for his philosophy, and my philosophy, that you’ll be surprised at what you can do if you just trust the Lord and try.
WL: How long have you been in ministry?
PD: I have pastored for 18 years! I got my minister’s license when I was 19 years old, and my first full-time job was in ministry, and I’ve done it ever since.
WL: Did you always know you would follow in your family’s footsteps to become a pastor?
PD: I believe that the Lord writes His word upon the hearts of all people when he forms us in our mothers’ wombs. My whole young life, I dreamed of standing on a stage with big lights and a band behind me. I always believed that I was going to be a rockstar! But what I was actually seeing was a church service where I was on stage pastoring, and the band behind me was part of the worship. So, have I always known that I would pastor? No, not in the literal sense. But have I always internally known it was my path? Yes.
WL: How did you end up at Cornerstone?
PD: Very simply, that’s where the Lord led me. My family and I had a great life in Georgia. We were pastoring a great church; we had just built a beautiful house near the beach, we had everything we thought we wanted, and we thought that’s where we would be. But after 11 years there, the Lord just started working on us. We weren’t actively searching for a new role, but the opportunity to move home was hard to say no to. My wife is originally from Walker County, and God led us back here. It has been such a blessing to be surrounded by her family. My family is scattered across the country and the globe, so having her family here, filling the front two rows of every church service, and being actively involved in our kids’ lives is lovely.
WL: What are your goals for Cornerstone?
PD: Our goal is just to build and grow. We were brought to Cornerstone to bring life back to the church. We’re currently remodeling the whole facility, and a long-term goal is to one day utilize the land to build a school.
WL: Tell us about your family.
PD: I met my wife, Starla, when we were students at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. Funnily enough, I was going to pick up a different girl for a date, but when I arrived at her house, Starla walked down the staircase, and all of Heaven opened up with transcendent noises. I looked at her and asked, “Don’t you want to go with us?”. She said yes, and the rest was history! She is a singer, and she is so creative, she’s just good, and that’s all there is to it. We have three kids – Judah, Jed, and Esther – all students at Sumiton Christian School. We’re big outdoorsy people; we have a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, and we like to hike and go whitewater rafting, but other than that, we spend a lot of time at the church, so the kids are real troopers in that regard.
WL: In general, what is your biggest piece of advice to anyone?
PD: Know what you believe in. Believing in something means taking action. You wouldn’t get in your car if you didn’t believe it would get you where you need to go. So, if you believe in God, serve Him.
