Leadership

Brandon Cookston is from North Alabama (War Eagle!) where his father pastored a small congregation.  He was taught from an early age the importance of serving the Lord and the church.  Brandon began attending The Church of God of the Union Assembly of Claxton in 2001. He married his wife, Brendia, in 2002, and soon after, he announced his call to preach.  Brandon was ordained to the office of a Bishop in 2003.  He has served the church in a pastoral role since 2004 beginning as an Assistant Pastor, transitioning to Associate Pastor in 2014, and being instated as the Senior Pastor in 2017.  In his years of service to the church in Claxton, Brandon has developed a passion for telling our community about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  His vision for the church is to share the peace, love, and fellowship of God with the people of Claxton and our surrounding communities.

Charlie Emert grew up loving and serving the congregation of The Church of God of the Union Assembly of Claxton.  Answering the call to preach, he was ordained to the office of a Bishop in 2004.  Charlie later married his wife, Lynsey, in 2010.  Both Charlie and Lynsey are natives to the Knoxville area and have a love for East Tennessee (Go Vols!).  His desire to help the church and the people of this area led him to seek a calling locally, and he was instated as the church’s Assistant Pastor in 2014.  Charlie has dedicated his life to sharing the Gospel.  His commitment to the church and people of our community is evident in all he does. 

Dave Condra is originally from East Tennessee (another Vols fan!).  He grew up as a pastor's kid (aka PK), and his parents taught him from a young age the joy of serving the Lord and His people.  He married his wife, Kina, in 1998 and, just a few years later, felt the call to preach. Since his ordination as a Bishop in 2003, Dave has served many congregations throughout the southeast, including churches in Florida, Arkansas, and Kentucky. After several years of faithful membership and service to the Claxton congregation, Dave was welcomed to the local pastoral team on March 5, 2023.  He  feels an excitement for the work God is doing in the Claxton community and is anticipating even greater things to come!

Charlie Singleton is a transplant from North Georgia (Go Dawgs!).  He married his wife, Krista, at an early age.  As a young adult, Charlie was impressed to work with the youth of the church.  For many years, he served (along with Krista) as the Youth Director for the Dalton COGUA ROCK Solid youth group.  During that time, God began dealing with Charlie’s heart, and he was eventually led to The Church of God of the Union Assembly of Claxton. He was ordained to the office of a Bishop in 2003 and has served as Youth Pastor since his ordination.  After many years of service, Charlie continues to be a constant source of support and leadership for Claxton’s ROCK Solid youth department.  His heart is to help each youth develop a personal relationship with the Lord that will continue to grow throughout their lives.

Alonzo “Dono” Butler has served as a deacon of The Church of God of the Union Assembly of Claxton since his ordination in October 1981.  When the need for a Deacon Chairman arose in 2002, Brother Dono stepped up without hesitation.  Over the years, he has been instrumental in the many upgrades to the church property itself and has offered unwavering support in all other areas of the church’s operations.  Along with his wife, Charlene, Brother Dono is a steadfast pillar of the church and remains committed to the church and its vision of ministering to the people of Claxton and its surrounding communities.