Jonesborough Presbyterian Church | Worship, Fellowship, and Mission in Tennessee

About Us

Who We Are
About Jonesborough Presbyterian Church

Since 1790, Jonesborough Presbyterian Church has been a place of worship, fellowship, and service, shaping the spiritual lives of generations in Tennessee’s oldest town. As a member of Holston Presbytery and part of the larger Presbyterian Church (USA), we are a community of faith that honors our heritage while looking forward to the future.

Here, you’ll find a welcoming and intergenerational congregation, where the wisdom of experience meets the energy of new beginnings. Some families have worshiped here for decades, while others have recently found their church home among us. Regardless of background or walk of life, we believe that everyone has gifts to share and a role to play in God’s work.

At Jonesborough Presbyterian, relationships matter. Faith is lived out in community— through worship, study, mission, and shared life together. Whether it’s singing in the choir, serving on a committee, preparing meals, studying scripture, or working side by side in mission, these connections strengthen our faith and deepen our friendships.

We are a church with deep roots and an open heart—proud of our history but always looking ahead to where God is calling us next. We invite you to join us, grow with us, and be part of what God is doing in and through this church family.

Our Staff

At Jonesborough Presbyterian Church, our dedicated staff and committed congregation work together to foster a vibrant and welcoming community.

Following the retirement of our long-time pastor, Rev. Allen Huff, in 2024, we are now served by our new interim pastor, Rev. Richard Raum. We also have a strong team of elders and lay leaders to keep our ministry programs running at full strength during this transitional period.

Rev. Richard Raum

Interim Pastor

Rev. Richard (Rick) Raum has been our Interim Pastor since March 17, 2025. His ministry education was completed at Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1975, and for 50 years served as Installed or Interim Pastor at churches in New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Virginia, and North Dakota. Rick and his wife Elizabeth (Betty) Raum moved to Greeneville TN from Fargo ND in 2022.

Cherry Smith

Director of Music

With a lifelong passion for music and education, Cherry brings decades of experience to her role as Music Director at Jonesborough Presbyterian Church, where she finds deep fulfillment in leading choirs, organizing community performances, and fostering a love for music across all generations—truly a homecoming in her Christian journey.

Jerilyn Paolini

Pianist

Jeri brings a wealth of experience to Jonesborough Presbyterian Church as our staff pianist, drawing from her extensive background in performance, teaching, and leadership in the music community, including her roles at East Tennessee State University, the Tennessee Music Teachers Association, and previous positions at The Juilliard School and the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra.

Suzanne Donaldson

Office Manager

After a successful career in finance, Suzanne felt called to serve as Office Manager at Jonesborough Presbyterian Church, where she brings her organizational skills and dedication to the church community—grateful for the unexpected path that led her here.

Sarah Gibson

Treasurer

Debbie Walls

Nursery

Our History

Jonesborough Presbyterian church was originally founded in 1790 as Hebron Presbyterian Church located just outside of present-day Jonesborough. In 1816 the Hebron congregation relocated to within the Town of Jonesborough and built the first church in Jonesborough. The current building was built in 1845, renovated and rededicated in 1943-1944, and added to in 1952. Extensive renovations to the lower floor of the original building (the Fellowship Hall) were made in 2004 after a flood and to the second floor (the sanctuary) in 2007.

The links below will direct you to other sites with more detailed historical information. As part of Tennessee's oldest town, we have a long and fascinating heritage.

This ancestry.com link has a brief overview from the founding in 1790 until the re-uniting of the Jonesborough Presbyterian churches in 1943.

The Tennessee Geneology and History Project site tngenweb.org has this page dedicated to the Presbyterian churches of Washington County, Tennessee. Jonesborough church is the third one down on the page.

In 1887 the Goodspeed Publishing Company published detailed histories of each of the Tennessee counties up until that time. This page contains Goodspeed's history of Jonesborough church from 1790 to 1887.

In 1972 Paul Fink, noted Jonesborough historian, published his history Jonesborough. Google Books has these excerpts containing detailed information about Jonesborough Presbyterian Church. There are 17 pages with references.

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Jonesborough Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Our local presbytery is Holston Presbytery, which is part of the Synod of Living Waters.

What does being a Presbyterian mean? The following articles from the Presbyterian Church (USA) Web site give a good overview of our beliefs and how we work:

What Makes Us Unique?

What We Believe: Theology

What We Believe: Social Issues