South Knoxville: The Feeling of Home
Everyone has a place they call home. For Cesar Correa, Emerald Youth’s Director of Area Ministries - South Area, that place is South Knoxville. Originally from Brazil, Correa moved with his wife to Knoxville in 2000, and the South Knoxville community has been home ever since.
Correa started as a youth pastor at Mount Olive Baptist Church, where he served for 12 years, and he was also the campus pastor at NorthStar Church. In 2018, he applied for a position in Emerald’s fundraising department, and then soon learned about its expansion in the North area, developing and strengthening partnerships with churches.
Cesar Correa, Director of Area Ministries - South Area
He said “through a major God moment” and a conversation with Emerald Youth president and CEO Steve Diggs, he became the North Area JustLead Director. JustLead is Emerald’s neighborhood-based, K-12 urban youth ministry that partners with city churches and other faith-based organizations.
Being a resident of South Knoxville for 23 years now, Correa has a heart for the community. He had the desire to bring the work that was being done through Emerald in other parts of the city to the South area. In 2023, he was approached with the idea of separating Emerald’s East-South area ministries, and he transitioned to the role of Director of Area Ministries - South Area.
Correa is especially excited for South Knoxville students to have places to learn and grow in their own neighborhood, rather than having to leave their community for those resources. He feels this is a huge win for the community and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the lives of many young people.
“Having something in South Knoxville for South Knoxville is so important. We’re here. We’re here for the community, we’re doing things with our young people, and we can have a big impact,” he said.
He hopes that as there is progression with the programs Emerald offers, then the number of students and families served will increase. Woodlawn Christian Church has been a longtime ministry partner in South Knoxville with Emerald, and at Hillcrest Community Church, Correa is excited about growth opportunities in Emerald’s high school and young adult ministry there. He’s also looking forward to further developing neighborhood sports and partnerships with other churches and schools to reach as many young people as possible.
“We have something to offer families in this community that is unique. We’re offering an opportunity for youth to engage in areas of academics, health, and most importantly faith. We just want to serve the community in whatever way we can and see young people and their families flourish.”
Correa mentioned that people often ask ‘Why South Knoxville? Why now?’ and he responds, “I believe South Knoxville is an area that needs it. The South Knoxville zip code is the largest part of Knoxville. It’s a different part of Knoxville, almost unknown, but a lot of what drew me to the community was the people. Over the years, I've watched South Knoxville grow and change. New businesses have opened, new families have moved in, and the community has become even more vibrant and diverse. But through it all, one thing has remained constant: the feeling of home.”
South Knoxville is more than just a place to live for Correa. “It's a place where I've found a sense of belonging and purpose. It's where I've built relationships, raised my family, and made a difference in the lives of others. And for that, I will always be grateful and want to give back to the community even more,” he said.
For more information on how to be involved with Emerald Youth, its ministry presence in South Knoxville and across the city, visit www.emeraldyouth.org.
Emerald Youth's South Area Team, front, left to right, Madi Poindexter, Taylor Ellis, Victoria Griffin. Back, Christopher Whitehead, Cesar Correa, Max Lemons, Alec Ross.