Beloved Knoxville pastor, Doug Sager, has passed away.
Sager was well-known for his time at one of Knox County’s largest churches, First Baptist Concord. The church told the congregation the news during Sunday morning services.
His family released this statement on the loss:
“It seems that God has been calling His most faithful home. We are grieving the loss of our Daddy, Papa, and everyone’s 'Brother Doug,' but we are also rejoicing that he is now in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is most certainly being welcomed home with a 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.' We are beyond grateful for all of the people who have prayed and wept and waited with us, and we continue to ask for your prayers during this time.”
From zip-lining to riding a motorcycle, Sager was known for his memorable entrances at Vacation Bible School each summer. He was also a strong supporter of the Mission of Hope.
"It's hard to really honestly to be able to measure his impact, but I can tell you it's an internal impact for sure," Jeff Lawrence, a friend of Sager's, said. "Brother Doug, as we loved to call him a fiery preacher, when he came here, the church was small. We were in the 'a-frame.' He began to preach the gospel. He was a man who loved people and loved children. God blessed that and it grew and grew to the facilities we have now."
After 20 years of service at Concord, Sager retired in 2013. At that time it was the largest southern Baptist Church in Knoxville with a congregation totaling more than 8-thousand members.
"For the person never met brother Doug, I would describe him as the most humble, but yet while he is humble - He is a fireball filled with the gospel of Christ," Andrew Osakue, another pastor from Knoxville, said.
Sager and his wife were next led to serve at Vonore Baptist Church. On their website, his bio says Doug was led to be a pastor at the age of 11.
In 2016, he led the church in a fundraiser to provide bulletproof vests for the Vonore and Madisonville police.
First Concord Baptist says it plans to play many of Doug's favorite songs during next Sunday's services as a tribute to the pastor.
A celebration of life for Pastor Doug Sager will take place at First Baptist Concord this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.