A native of Zebulon, NC, Nathan attended Wake Forest University as an undergraduate from 1981-1985, graduating with a BA in philosophy.   He attended seminary at Southeastern Baptist Theological from 1985-1988, graduating with a Master of Divinity. In December, 1989, Nathan completed a Master of Arts in Religion at Wake Forest University.  Nathan became pastor of Peace Haven Baptist in December 2002 following an 11 year pastorate at Unity Baptist Church of WS (January, 1992 - November, 2002).

Ray Benfield served as the first pastor of Peace Haven Baptist Church from 1957 until 1969.  Ray and his wife, Evelyn, returned as members here in 2007.  We are thankful for their place in the heart and life of our congregation.

Jonathan Redding is a native of Hudson, North Carolina. He is a 2009 honors graduate of Wingate University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Psychology. He has received a number of academic achievement awards as a student at Wingate.

During his undergraduate years at Wingate, he also was very active in a number of leadership roles in campus, student government, and community organizations. For about three years he assisted the campus minister at the school in organizing the weekly chapel services. In addition, he has received some preaching experience from conducting contemporary worship services for youth at Wingate Baptist Church in the Spring of 2007 and 2008. He also has served most recently for about 16 months as the interim youth minister at First Baptist Church in Pageland, SC. There, he led the Sunday school class for the youth and had the opportunity to preach at weekly youth worship services.

Jonathan and his wife, Angela, are now living in Winston Salem. He is enrolled as a third year student in the Wake Forest School of Divinity.

You can follow Jonathan's blog by clicking on the link below:
Blog

Kim Sturgill grew up in the foothills of Colorado Springs, Colorado, where her parents and younger sister still live. She moved to Lynchburg, VA, to attend Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (now Randolph College).  There, she majored in Russian Studies with hopes of some day working with Russian orphans who experience neglect and abuse and who live without knowing how to love and be loved.  Kim's passion for Russia and working with Russian orphans began when she was only 15 years old and went on a youth mission trip to Novgorod, Russia.  There, she fell in love with the Russian people and culture!  After that she became a member of a coalition of United Methodist Churches called The Rocky Mountain Russia Initiative.  She returned with two more mission groups while she was in high school; studied in Moscow for five weeks in college; and lived in the northwestern city of Arkhangelsk with Russian UMC families for two months in the summer of 2010.  

John Carroll is originally from Waynesboro, Georgia and graduated from Mercer University in 2005.  During college John served as an interim youth minister at Vineville Baptist Church in Macon, GA, started a homeless ministry, and held leadership positions in various campus ministries and organizations.  He was also afforded the opportunity to engage in tsunami relief work in Indonesia after the 2004 Southeast Asia Tsunami.  After college, John took a year to learn carpentry and then worked as the assistant building coordinator for Macon Area Habitat for Humanity.  A year after marrying Casey in 2006, they both served as field personnel with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Southeast Asia working with a clean water project.

LeAnn has been our organist since 1987 and during this time also became our Choir Master.  We appreciate her musical talent, ability and dedication!