Meet the Leaders
David Emmert Long and Kay (Casey) Smith Long
David and Casey Long reside in the Nashville, TN area. God has blessed them with four godly daughters, four godly sons-in-love, 15 amazing grandchildren (two by marriage), and three great-grands.
David founded Grace Community Church in 1977. It is located on 127 idyllic acres. Since 1994, he also has led the ministry at Woodcock Memorial Baptist Church formerly in Nashville’s inner city. Refugees, homeless, the addicted and poor have been loved, nurtured, listened to, and taught the transforming power of Jesus Christ. David ministered in Denver, Minnesota, and Chicago before moving to Nashville in 1972.
David’s Background
David was called to the ministry as a sophomore in college and studied to be a preacher. After graduating, he studied archaeology in Israel, which sparked a love for the people and the land. David earned a Master of Christian Education degree from Pillsbury Baptist College (now Maranatha Baptist University) and a master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation and Business Administration from DePaul University.
He has extensive experience in pastoral counseling, with an emphasis in the areas of marriage, addiction, deliverance, and Christian growth. David has started businesses or been involved in sales, engineering, construction, real estate, health, and agriculture.
David’s wife, Casey, had a powerful conversion to Christ while she worked a paralegal in NC. Serving as alumni director at Montreat College, Casey developed an interest in Christian higher education. She completed her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at UNC-Asheville later in life. Casey then earned both master’s and doctoral degrees in Higher Education Administration at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Her doctoral research was conducted at Oxford University in England.
Casey’s Background
Casey has worked as a pastor and teacher since completing graduate school. For over a decade, she served as an adjunct at Belmont university. Beginning in 1996, Casey ministered on staff at Belmont Church in Nashville in various positions until 2008. As Director of Educational Leadership, she oversaw the training of cell group leaders. As District Pastor, Casey ministered pastorally to a geographic district of Nashville. Later, she served as Pastor of Personal Ministry and oversaw the training and ministry of lay leaders, both at Belmont and throughout the US. Both she and David taught and ministered deliverance. Like David, Casey has extensive experience in pastoral counseling.
Following the sudden death of David’s late wife, David and Casey married in 2008 and have ministered together since. They say their cups of God's love and mercy were full before they married and now their one cup overflows, splashing and immersing them and others with living water.