What a wonderful blessing it is to serve as senior pastor of Antioch Baptist Church! Antioch is such a special place, and I continue to love and appreciate our church family more and more with each passing day.

I am a native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and upon graduation from high school there, I attended Chowan College, and then transferred to Campbell University. I received my Masters of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. My wife, Beechye, and I have three children, Stephen (married to Kelly), Angie (married to Ryan), and Matthew. In this past year, Stephen and Kelly have given me a new title, one I enjoy immensely, of "Sophie's Granddaddy."

When I became a Christian at the age of 16, I found in Christ a sense of meaning and belonging I had never experienced. I immediately had a strong desire to share this experience with others. Now, many years later, I still feel that same desire to share the "good news of Jesus Christ," and I sincerely feel that God has called me to do this through the local church.

I strive to grow stronger in my relationship with God every day and to live my life in a way that demonstrates His love to others. It is vital that we, as the body of Christ, stay connected to God and to each other, and that we find ways to connect with those without Christ.

Coming to Antioch is like coming home. Our church has a warm and loving family atmosphere. Everyone, from the smallest child to the "most senior" of our senior citizens comes to church happy and excited to be here. We have a diverse congregation, and everyone is welcomed. Those who join the Antioch family seem to quickly find their own places of service among the ministries and activities of our church. Our church is very missions-minded, and there are many opportunities to reach out in the name of Christ to those in our community and around the world. I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful, God-centered body of believers.