Our Pastor

UPCOMING
EVENTS

OUR PASTOR

Rev. Eric Timothy French, Sr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Anthony and Sandra French. Rev. French is the grandson of the late Rev. John T. French, founder of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, and the great-grandson of the late Rev. Charles H. Sands.

Rev. French graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1991 and earned a Master of Business Administration Degree from Clark Atlanta University in 1994. In 2006, he graduated with a Master of Arts Degree in Theological Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Rev. French accepted Christ in 1981 and was baptized at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and was licensed into the Gospel Ministry in 1993 under the Pastorate of Rev. Thomas H. French. In 1994, Rev. French relocated to Columbia, S.C. where he served as Associate Minister at St. John’s Baptist Church and as a Youth Minister at Central Baptist Church.

In 1997, Rev. French and his family returned to Louisville and joined his wife’s home church, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. In 1999, Rev. French was ordained by Antioch under the Pastorate of Rev. Curtis Crawford, Jr. Under Rev. Crawford’s leadership, Rev. French served as the Assistant to the Pastor, Youth Minister, Vacation Bible School Teacher, and Sunday School Teacher. In December 2005, Rev. French took his first mission trip to Haiti and the Dominican Republic during which time Rev. French had the opportunity to preach the gospel during a Revival meeting. He returned to Haiti in October 2013 to serve on an Evangelistic Medical Mission with members of Southeast Christian Church.

From 2009 to 2017, Rev. French served as Executive Pastor at Bates Memorial Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. F. Bruce Williams. His areas of responsibilities included Strategic Leadership, Budgeting and Planning, Staff Supervision and Development, Administration, and Congregational Care. On January 3, 2016, the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church elected Rev. French to succeed Pastor Woodrow McElvaney as their next Pastor upon Rev. McElvaney’s retirement in June 2017. Rev. French was installed as Pastor of Antioch on July 23, 2017, by Dr. F. Bruce Williams and the Bates Memorial Baptist Church. To God be the Glory!

Rev. French is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and has served on the Board of Directors of Metro Bank and the University of Louisville Planetarium. He currently serves as the Second Vice Moderator of the Central District Baptist Association and completed his Doctor of Ministry Degree at United Theological Seminary in 2023. Rev. French is married to Rev. Kimberly Blackford-French and he is the proud parent of two children, Timothy and Michaela.