Central Baptist Church

Paul has 20+ years of ministry experience in the areas of youth/ evangelism and 19 years of pastoring. Before he answered the call at Central Baptist, he pastored New Hope Baptist in Pell City, Al., and before that he was a director/evangelist at First Priority Ministries of Alabama for 3 years. He taught over 150 churches of various denominations to evangelize their schools with Gospel of Jesus Christ by forming First Priority Clubs in the local schools. His last 2 years at First Priority was spent primarily in the inner city of Birmingham.

Paul started ministering at age 18. He spent 3 summers working on the ministry staff for high school ages at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, Al. He has also spent some time serving God at the Alabama Youth Correctional Facilities, in Chalkville, Al., the Alabama Youth Services Division, on a volunteer basis (at that time it was a boys and girls correctional facility). After His college years, Paul was a volunteer Sunday School teacher, part-time youth minister, and committee leader in his home church for 8 years. After marrying Laurie in 1988, He became a bi-vocational youth pastor/associate pastor for 8 years at Moody United Methodist.

Paul is a Leeds High School in ’78 graduate, and from Birmingham Southern College in ‘82 with a BA degree in Accounting. After answering the call to full-time ministry in ‘96, he left his secular job at BellSouth after 14 years of service. He enrolled at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary received his Masters of Divinity Degree in 2003. Bethel Baptist Church, in Moody, Al., licensed Paul on March 1st, 1998, and ordained him on December 27th, 1998.

Paul and Laurie have 3 children. Seth (son) graduated from the University of Mobile (’14), married his wife Katie. Seth is the Worship Pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga, and Katie is the Ladies High School Soccer coach at Sherwood Christian Academy. Seth and Katie have a son who is a toddler named Gray and an infant daughter named Lynnie. Anna (daughter) has graduated college from the University of Mobile (’17), and is pursuing teaching in elementary education in Odenville, Al. She also is pursuing a career in singing and song writing. Luke (son) is at the University of Alabama in Birmingham on a football scholarship, majored in kinesiology, and will now receive his doctorate degree of Physical Therapy in December of 2023. Paul and Laurie love their children and are very proud of how God is leading them in their communities!