Meet The Pastor
Pastor Dr. V. P. Travis, Jr.
Our Mission: Caring for People and Connecting Them to Jesus Christ!
Dr. Travis has been a pastor and counselor for over 35 years. He attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from seminary, he entered the military in 1986 as US Army chaplain and traveled the world over for twenty-five years until he retired in 2008. During that time, he completed his doctoral work at Fuller Theological Seminary, Liberty University in clinical counseling and was re-ordained a priest in the Orthodox Church. In 2013 he was received into the Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America. Emmaus Abbey Church has been in Karns for over four years and going strong. There are over 1500 churches within the Charismatic Episcopal Church in America, Europe, and Africa.
The Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America (CECNA) is neither protestant nor roman catholic. Emmaus Abbey is a Orthodox Anglican Church not affiliated with any other denomination, ACNA Anglican Church or Episcopal Church USA. The CEC-NA Churches are independent Communion of churches and very conservative bible believing & practicing the fullness of the Christian faith. Jesus is our Lord; the bible is our source of truth and worship is how we express our love for the Father in heaven. We believe there is a hell and those who do not make a choice to live for Christ in this life will end up there in the afterlife. We believe marriage is between one man and one woman, we are pro-life, and salvation is by Christ alone and baptism is a command that we follow to be united to Jesus Christ.
We believe in weekly Eucharist, healing prayer, laying on of hands and anointing with oil in our services. We are missions oriented and conduct missionary work through our church.
Upon retiring to Knoxville, Fr. Brett started Emmaus Abbey Church and Centre for Christian counseling and a school to train Christian counselors. The church has approximately 37 members meeting in a proprietary chapel in Karns, Tennessee. The church has purchased property in Knoxville and will break ground 1 March 2024 on its new building at 4912 East Emory Road, Halls, TN. We are praying for donations and to complete building by Sept 2024.
The church conducts weekly worship with communion every Sunday, healing ministry and private biblically based counseling by appointments only.