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about
On February 21, 1971, Pastor Mike came to personal faith in Jesus Christ at age 19. He was in Cincinnati, Ohio under the preaching of Dr. John Rawlings at the Landmark Baptist Temple. A few months later, he was called to ministry under the preaching of Dr. Bob Hugh, a missionary to the Philippines. That fall he was in the very first group of students at Lynchburg Baptist College, a brand new Bible College founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell and Dr. Elmer Towns in Lynchburg, VA. Today it is better known as Liberty University. He graduated from Liberty University in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in Pastoral Studies and Theology.
In June of 1973, along with two other LBC students, he traveled to Winchester Virginia to help plant a new church, Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church. Upon graduating in 1975 he became Senior Pastor of SVBC and was there until 1988. He then pastored in Holland, Michigan, at Calvary Baptist Church from 1988 until 1996. Pastor Mike became senior pastor of Rainbow Forest Baptist Church July 1996. After ministering there for twenty-five years, in August 2021 he left this position to begin a new season of life and ministry. Today he continues to serve the Lord with Pastor Mike Impact Ministries. He and his wife, Edith, currently live in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina.
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Upon coming to RFBC, he was asked to lead the church into missions. He loves to say that Rainbow is a church with a local touch and a global reach. In 2003, he co-founded Global Partners in Peace and Development along with his son, Jonathan. The mission of GPPD is to bring help and hope to people in desperate need. GPPD seeks to bridge the gap between those passionate about making a difference and those in situations of great need. GPPD strategically goes to the places most in need and works with nationals who love and serve their own people. Pastor Mike travels overseas several times a year with teams and attempts to connect every member of RFBC to missions in a personal way.
In September 2002, Pastor Mike co-founded Blue Ridge Autism Center with RFBC member, Angie Leonard. Over the years this Roanoke area organization has ministered to hundreds of families with children who have special needs.
Pastor Mike believes his main ministry is leading the church to be “in the Word” and be engaged in daily prayer. He attempts to do this by example. He has a passion to “equip the saint” for the work of the ministry so that the church can build itself up in love and unity. He believes his main spiritual gift is exhortation and enjoys fulfilling the role of being a pastor-shepherd to everyone in the fellowship. In June 2022, Pastor Mike became the interim pastor for Friendly Community Baptist Church in Burgaw, North Carolina.
Pastor Mike married his wife, Edith in1972. They have five children and fifteen grandchildren. He loves to spend time with his family by hiking, camping, walking, fishing, kayaking and “just riding around with Edith.”
His life’s verse is Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
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