Dr. Merrick Nunn | Lead Pastor

Merrick became Lead Pastor at Westside Baptist Church in July 2020. He previously served as an Associate Youth Pastor in Jackson, MS, and a College Pastor in Ruston, LA. His passion is helping people know and treasure Jesus.

Merrick has been married to Emily since 2013, and they have three children: Ellis, Nora Grace, and Abram. He holds a bachelor's in Chemistry Education from Louisiana Tech (2012), an M.Div. (2017) and D.Min. (2025) from Southeastern Seminary.

Merrick enjoys sports, movies, reading, and time with friends and family—always with coffee in hand. He loves sharing meals and, above all, walking with others in their faith journey.

Braden Hilton | College Pastor

Braden started at Westside in August of 2020 as the Student and College Pastor and in August 2024 he transitioned to College Pastor. Prior to serving our church, he served for three years as the Middle-School Pastor at First Baptist Church of Ruston, LA. Braden hopes to show every college student that the Lord has incredible plans to use them to make his name known!

Braden has been married to Emily since May 2018 (yes we know another wife named Emily, it gets confusing) and they have two kids: Abigail Jane and Thomas David. Emily is a Pediatric Speech Therapist through Cutting Edge Therapy in Paris, TN. Braden and Emily both went to college at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston for their undergrad degrees. Braden also has an Advanced Masters of Theological Studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which he completed in 2018.

Braden loves a good cup of coffee, so he would love to grab some with you at any of the great coffee shops in town! Along with drinking coffee he likes to go hiking and biking, and he loves to talk sports. Another fun fact is that Braden has traveled to all 50 states; so be sure to ask him about some of his family vacations that he took as a kid!

Julie Canerdy | Kids Ministry Director

Julie began at Westside in July of 2022 and was hired as the kids minister in September of 2024. Prior to serving at Westside, she taught elementary ages for seven years and then stayed home with her girls for two years. Julie's desire is for all children, no matter their age, to learn about Jesus and his character. She believes that even little hearts can love Jesus in a big way.

Julie has been married to Brian since 2016. She has two daughters: Gracie and June. Brian works for the TN Nature Conservancy. Julie has a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a Masters in Teacher Leadership.

She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working out, and hiking. Fun fact, she has a twin named Leslie that Westside sent to Scotland. They love to confuse people now that she has come on staff.

Micah Bice | Student Minister

Micah became a member of Westside in January 2024 and was hired as the Student Minister in August 2024. Before this, he worked at Crossings Camp multiple summers and served faithfully in the local church. He deeply desires to grow relationships with students and for them to radically follow Jesus during their years in student ministry and long after.

Micah graduated from Lee University in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. He is currently pursuing a Master's of Divinity at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Micah enjoys lifting weights and running. He is a huge Alabama football fan and loves coffee, pizza, cookies, and reading good Christian books. A random fun fact is that he used to run a snack-selling business during his junior and senior years of High School (you should ask him about it).

Cody Brown | Worship Leader

Cody and his family have been members of Westside since January of 2021. He became the worship leader in March of that year and has loved serving ever since. Prior to being at Westside, Cody was always involved with leading worship since he was in college at Murray State University.

Cody met his wife Kara while at Murray State University. While there, Cody received his bachelors in Finance and continued with his Masters in Teacher Leadership and his Rank I in Education Administration.

They have been fortunate to lay down roots in this community. They have 2 boys, Camden and Cohen. Cody is also the assistant principal at Murray Middle School and his wife Kara is a teacher at Murray Elementary School.

Kaylee Wilson | KKLC Director