Rev. Louis Hudson III is a native of Halls, Tennessee, and the son of the late Mr. Louis Hudson Jr. and Mrs. Edna A. Hudson. He was raised in a Christ-centered home where Sunday School and faithful church attendance were foundational practices. Rev. Hudson was educated in the Lauderdale County School System and accepted his call to ministry at an early age. He brings more than forty years of devoted pastoral service to the faith community.
​
With humble gratitude and joyful commitment, Rev. Hudson accepted the call to serve as Pastor of First Baptist Church in December 2010. He is a 1983 graduate of Lane College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, cum laude. He later received a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Recognizing the evolving challenges of ministry in the twenty-first century and guided by a lifelong commitment to scholarship and thoughtful leadership, Rev. Hudson pursued theological studies at Memphis Theological Seminary, earning the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. His passion for teaching and lifelong learning led him to doctoral studies at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he attained doctoral candidacy (Ed.D., ABD).
​
Prior to his service at First Baptist Church, Rev. Hudson distinguished himself as an effective servant leader and pastor within two major African American denominations: the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBC) and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME). He approaches ministry with the conviction that the entire community is his parish. Throughout his pastoral journey across West Tennessee, he has been blessed to serve alongside devoted congregations and remarkable mentors who helped shape his ministry.
Rev. Hudson’s longest and most recent pastoral assignment before coming to First Baptist Church was at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Dyersburg, Tennessee, where he received the spiritual nurturing and support that further shaped his growth as an authentic Christian servant leader. In addition to his pastoral ministry, he has served as a Christian educator at both the K–12 and higher education levels, making a lasting impact as a transformational teacher.
​
Rev. Hudson is married to the former Norma Louise Harrell of Ripley, Tennessee, and they have shared thirty-six years of marriage under God’s favor. They are the proud parents of four children—Christopher, Marlon, Jonathan, and Brittany—and the grateful grandparents of five grandchildren: Brianna, Jaylen, Cameron, Jay Louis, and Christian.
