Dr. Darrell Bridges, known by his congregation as

“Pastor D”, served as a pastor or on a pastoral staff

team for over 40 years. He began his ministry as a

Youth/Children’s minister at Second Baptist Church in

Conway, AR. He served there for six years. From

there, the Bridges family moved to Germantown, MD

(a suburb of Washington, DC) where Darrell served

as pastor of a church plant (a new church just

beginning) for almost 15 years.

     Darrell returned to Arkansas and lived in Arkadelphia

for two years, teaching adjunctly in the Christian

MinistriesDepartment at Ouachita Baptist University and

serving on the Pastoral Staff at Fellowship Church of Arkadelphia.

 Ministry opportunity led Darrell to First Baptist Church of Clarksville, AR where he served as Pastor for 18+ years and from which he retired in July of 2025.

     Dr. Bridges is from Northeast Arkansas and attended college on a basketball scholarship, first at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis) and then transferring to the University of Central Arkansas where he made the All-Conference Basketball Team (and graduated in Business Administration). Darrell received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth Texas. During this time he also attended Dallas Theological Seminary. He later received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO.

     Dr. Bridges began attending Davidson Campmeeting in 1978 after meeting Terri Hunter, the daughter of then Campmeeting Chairman Kendall Hunter. He has missed only one year since that time. Upon speaking this year at Davidson Campmeeting, Dr. Bridges will have the distinction of both previously running the Commissary and being the Preacher here at Davidson Campmeeting.