Our History
1973 – 2020
In February of 1973, 19 earnest Christians met in the home of H. W. Rider to discuss the establishing of a new work for our Lord in the Southwest Community. The Southwest Community Building was rented as a place to hold worship services and official establishment of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church was held there on July 15, 1973 with 17 charter members. The church called Rev. Ted Williams as the first pastor. Sunday school classes were immediately organized under the direction of Mrs. H. W. Rider. Mr. Franklin B. Cowen was appointed as deacon, already having been ordained. The newly organized body petitioned the State Baptist Convention for membership and was accepted into the organization. As the church saw need in August of 1973, it ordained a second deacon, Mr. H. W. Rider.
April of 1974 saw the calling of our second pastor, Rev. Roy Hancock. Acceptance of our membership into the New River Baptist Association was in October of 1974, after a year of being under the watch-care of the Association.
Seeking a permanent site for the location of a church building, the church voted to purchase six and seven-tenths acres of property in the Southwest community in March of 1975. In August of 1975 the community building was no longer available to the church as a meeting place, forcing the body to locate a new meeting place. We moved our worship services to an unused church building on Bailey Drive, off Hwy. 17 South. The necessary legalities for the purchase of the building were completed in December of 1975 with financial backing from Franklin B. Cowan, Houston W. Rider, Rondoland Oakley, Buren Samuels and Roy Hancock.
In January of 1977 the church called its third pastor, Rev. Don Hunnings. Also, in January of 1977 Deacon H. W. Rider approached the church with the request to be licensed to preach the gospel. After much prayer and leading of the Holy Spirit, the church did agree to license H. W. Rider. He traveled to Hendersonville, NC to attend Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute. With the loss of a deacon and the growth of the church body, it became a necessity to ordain two new deacons in June of 1977. They were Rondoland “Buck” Oakley and Sammy J. Martin.
In January of 1980 the church called its fourth pastor, Rev. Tom Taylor. In April of 1980 the church made the final payment on the property in the Southwest Community. Looking forward to the final payment of the building on Bailey Drive in December of 1980, plans began to take shape for the building of a new and permanent structure for Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.
The next few years were active and busy as the church fell into a building program. The New River Baptist Association loaned the church its double-wide mobile home unit to use as meeting house on the building site. Returning to pastor the church for a short period of time, Rev. Ted Williams saw the building on Bailey Drive sold and the proceeds placed in the church building fund.
Rev. William Rice came to serve as pastor in 1984 with the building program in full swing. With the concrete slab poured and the shell of the building erected, church members began to work diligently toward the completion of the building. In May of 1986, a building dedication service was held, even though there were many things yet to complete.
In November of 1986, the church called its seventh pastor, Rev. Charles A. McKinney. With great vigor and motivation, the body rallied behind his efforts and saw the finished product of the building in which we met to worship for almost 20 years. The potential for growth was quite evident as we continued to add members and as the members, new and old, grew in the Spirit of the Lord.
In September 2002, the church called its eighth pastor, Rev. David Adams.
In 2005 God blessed us with property on Burgaw Highway, next to Southwest High School. Our new facility was erected, and funds allowed completion of all except the worship center. We worship in the fellowship hall. Our parking area was paved in 2011.
July 2011 brought the first Vacation Bible School. Our director, Joyce Blocker, and able assistance from Joe Blocker led 17 adults and 32 students in a wonderful journey through the gifts of the Spirit. Two prayed for salvation on Friday.
Rev. David Adams announced his resignation in March 2012, ending 9.5 years at Galilee.
August 5, 2012, Rev. Joe Blocker began serving as Interim Pastor.
On January 20, 2013, our church called Pastor. Mike Shivar as pastor. He served as Pastor from February 3, 2013 to November 2021.
Our Pastors
1973-1974 Rev. Ted Williams (7/73)
1974-1976 Rev. Roy Hancock (4/74)
1977-1979 Rev. Don Hunnings (1/77)
1980-1981 Rev. Tom Taylor (1/80)
1981-1984 Rev. Ted Williams
1984-1986 Rev. William Rice
1986-2002 Rev. Charles A. McKinney (11/86)
2002-2012 Rev. David Adams (9/02)
2012-2013 Rev. Joe Blocker (8/12), Interim
2013 - 2021 Pr. Mike Shivar (2/13)
2022 - 2024 Pr. John Allegri (6/22), Interim
2024 - Present Pr. Bo Osborne (8/24)