Pastor Courtney’s Testimony

“Little did I know at the age of nine (1972) that when my parents attended Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas, it would be a watershed moment for our entire family. After attending a mainline Protestant church for many years, we had decided to attend a Baptist church, more out of a sense of obligation to a friend who had invited us many times than anything else. The church was in a state of great religious zeal, having recently called a new pastor, still in his early twenties, by the name of Glenn Riggs. He and his associate pastor, Glenn Lewis, were a dynamic team. We were so overwhelmed by the joy of the congregation and the biblical clarity in the messages and music that we returned for more. 

A few weeks later Brother Riggs and Brother Lewis paid us a visit and led my parents to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Three years later, at the age of twelve, I recognized my desperate need for Jesus Christ as Saviour and was gloriously born again. I was baptized and thus began my journey as a Christian. At fifteen years of age I began to experience a tremendous burden to become a preacher of the Gospel. After a period of wrestling with God (initially I did not want to be a preacher) I surrendered to the ministry on April 15, 1979. I immediately began to pursue my calling and the Lord allowed me opportunities to preach in my church, Hot Springs Baptist Temple, as well as youth meetings and revivals. 

My next step in preparation was attending seminary, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral theology. Since that time the Lord has allowed me to serve in several ministry positions.  I began in full-time ministry as the associate pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Benton, AR. Since then I have been privileged to serve as the senior pastor of churches in Illinois, Arkansas, Florida, and Texas. In January of 2017 our family moved to Statesville, NC to begin our ministry at what is now the Charity Baptist Church. We love the saints at Charity and are thrilled to live in North Carolina. It is our prayer that our labor for the Lord here will be fruitful and bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.”