Church Planting Pastor

Church Planting Pastor

My name is Greg and I feel called to be a church planting pastor. I currently live near Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States of America. This is a fairly Christian nation. This state is much more Christian than my home state of California. People are more open to talking about Jesus and scripture. This area is considered part of the “Bible belt”, a religious region of the United States. There are many churches in this area from many different denominations.

I came to know the Lord through my wife, Megan. I did not consider myself to be a Christian before I met her. Her love for Jesus and the prayers and influence of her family helped me to understand the reality of who Jesus is. I was somewhat opposed to the idea of Christ prior to meeting Megan. I just didn’t understand. My own misconceptions blinded me to the ways Christ was already affecting my life.

My ministry dream is to start a church in this area. The county I live in has a great number of churches, but still has a great number of people that do not attend a church. I believe that these people are waiting for a church that will help them to feel loved and accepted by Christ. They’ve been judged and feel cast out. They need to know the truth, just like I did.

This class at Christian Leaders Institute has had a remarkable influence on my walk with God. It has renewed my determination to know Him more and share His love with those around me. I think I would most likely identify myself as a Church Planting Pastor at this time. My goal is to plant a church, but I don’t see myself planting more after this one is established.

After I finished serving in the United States Navy, my wife and I felt called to leave California and move to North Carolina. We sold everything to follow His call. We weren’t sure what we were going to do here, but we trusted that it was big. As we settled into life out here, I began drawing closer to God. I felt a clear calling to start a church. It was difficult to leave our church in California. We love the Pastor and his family. We love his message of honest grace. A message of hope, life, and truth. I believe that spreading this message is why God sent me and my family to North Carolina.

Even though this is a Christian region of the United States, there are still challenges to starting a church. There are a lot of churches in this area. I don’t anticipate this being a competition. We are all a part of the body of Christ. Beyond that, the people I am trying to reach aren’t going to those churches anyway. This area does have problems with drug use and poverty. It’s not as bad as it is in other parts of the state, but it is happening here. The people will need a lot of help, guidance, and care to follow Christ and leave those issues behind.

Connecting to the Bible has transformed my life and ministry immensely. The more I dig into the word, the more clearly I see His grace. It’s everywhere. I can’t keep myself from sharing this truth. My local church has been a great help. I am currently involved with a solid group of men to help others with addictions. This church understands that there are men and women who need help and need to know who they are in Christ.

My family will be a huge part of this church planting pastor ministry dream. They will be uniquely involved. My wife is ready to be a co-pastor. My children will show others the grace they know. They will also face the scrutiny that comes with being a part of the pastor’s family. I believe they will do well.

This training is incredibly valuable for my ministry dream. Without CLI, I doubt I would be able to attend any form of seminary training. My dream would probably die. Please pray for this dream of mine. Pray that I stay focused on completing this training. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of the men and women He sent me to reach. Pray that He would open doors to planting this church.

Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.