This Is My Story: Jeremy Poplin

Welcome to "This Is My Story," a new blog series dedicated to highlighting the journeys of individuals within the Polyphony Music Resources family.

In these posts, we turn the spotlight on some of our dedicated church musicians. Through personal anecdotes and professional milestones, we’ll learn a little more about them and hopefully, get to know one another better.

This series aims to inspire and celebrate the invaluable contributions of our musical leaders. Join us as we delve into their stories and continue to strengthen our connections.

---

Meet Jeremy Poplin

Associate Pastor/Music - Franklin Baptist Church, Franklin, VA

Hometown - Hampton, VA

Education:

• BA in Theory and Composition; Minor in Jazz Piano - Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)

• MM in Church Music and Conducting - Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Fort Worth, TX)

Tell us about your family.

Holly (my wife) and I have been married for almost 20 years and we live in Franklin with our 19 year old cat named Dolly Purrton.  Holly is from Savannah, GA and I am an Air Force "brat".  My father served for over 23 years and we settled in VA on his last assignment at Langley Air Force Base when he retired in 2000. My mother is a retired Minister of Music and organist/pianist and has been a major influence on my career and ministry.  I have two younger siblings.  A sister two years younger who lives in Williamsburg, VA with your husband and daughter and a brother who is 14 years younger that lives in Durham, NC with his wife and daughter.  Holly and I met sitting next to each other in Oratorio Chorus at Southwestern-we talked during the whole rehearsal.  In 2006, we were married in a chapel in Pigeon Forge, TN and have had an adventurous life ever since.  Holly is also an ordained minister and an amazing coloratura soprano (You should hear her sing the Queen of the Night aria). She works in Franklin at a retirement community where she helps administrate the Assisted Living and Memory Care units, leads a women's group,  and she and I give a concert once a month to the residents.  She also sings with the VA Baptist Women's Chorale (and my mother is their accompanist).  When we are not working or performing, we love to travel with friends, visit wineries, and go antiquing.   

Favorite hobbies?

Cooking is my favorite non-musical hobby. My life motto is "Love people and cook them tasty food."  I love to cook-Holly does not.  I do all the cooking in our house.  There is funny story about how I started to cook-let's just say it involved a long day at work for Holly and me watching an episode of All My Children while she was at work and then before you know it I was making dinner the next night (and haven't stopped since).  French cooking is my favorite-I have studied Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for almost 20 years.  I also love to BBQ and grill.  When we lived in Marion, VA, I took a BBQ class at the community college and learned how to make sauces, rubs, and the types of different smoking meats and woods to use.  

We enjoy spending time outside and gardening.  We purchased an older colonial home in VA last year and have been enjoying filling it with antiques and redoing the garden and yard.

We also love to travel and take cruises.  If we have a free weekend, we will take off on a short excursion and visit wineries and do wine tastings.  Or, whenever we can find a free moment, we will also sneak away and do some antiquing.   

How have you participated in Polyphony?

I first went to a Polyphony conference in 2022 at Smoke Rise and found a real community of pastoral musicians who understood and were walking a similar path and journey that I was taking.  In 2023 I became a part of the Thriving in Ministry Cohort and discovered another amazing collective of colleagues and friends.  This past year I was grateful to also be given the opportunity to write the Piano reviews for Sacred Music News and Review.  I am so thankful for all the opportunities that Polyphony offers for spiritual renewal, learning, and community.

What do you think God is up to in your life right now?

I believe that I have entered into a new season of thriving, rest and renewal.  I took a new place of service last year and one of the things that my new pastor told me when I came was that he hoped that Franklin Baptist would be a place of refreshing and rediscovering my passion and calling.  And, I can say that it has been just that.  God is awakening in me a new found joy and love of what I feel that I have been called to do.  One of the ways that I have found this renewal is through a series that we have taking the congregation through. We are doing a series where we explore every book of the bible.  With this study, I have rediscovered the joy of seeing how God has worked and continues to work and move throughout the lives of God's people.  In addition, this series has allowed me new avenues of creativity in musical composition and worship planning. 

Tell us about your faith journey.

I grew up in a home where we went to church all the time.  But, it was never a chore or something that I dreaded doing or attending. It was my grandmother that encouraged me to follow and trust Christ.  I can still remember her talking with me and our pastor about my decision.  I also cherish the memories of my baptism on a Palm Sunday in 1990 at our church in Homestead, FL.  Since that moment, faith in Christ has always played a part in my life and music has constantly been the way that I experience  and express my faith.  Growing up I saw my mother up on the platform either leading the congregation and choir in singing or playing the piano or organ on Sunday morning.  I remember thinking, "I want to do that some day."  She was my first piano teacher and the one that I have constantly gone to as I have traveled my faith and ministry journey.  My father has been the one that has encouraged me as I studied music and began living out my calling.  And, my wife has been the one standing with me as we have continued to minister to the congregations that we have been called to serve. 

Something interesting most people would not know about you.

I played the piano at a lot of clubs in college with some friends who had a jazz combo.  I also played (piano) and sang in a band in NC that did covers of 60's and 70's folk rock.  (Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles were our favorite) 

What adjectives best describe you?

Outgoing, funny, witty, empathetic, tender-hearted