Senior Pastor Michael Spain was born and raised in Milan, TN. He was saved at the age of eight when his parents led him to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was baptized and a member at the First Baptist Church in Milan, TN. At the age of 15 God called Michael to preach the gospel. He was licensed in 2000 and ordained in 2002. Michael earned his B.A. in Biblical Studies at Union University in Jackson, TN and his Masters of Divinity degree in Evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Michael has now been accepted into the PhD program at Southeastern and is working on a PhD in preaching.
Michael pastored the Avondale Baptist Church in Humboldt, TN for three years before coming to North Carolina. He has been Senior Pastor at Bunn Baptist Church since May 2006. He has preached revivals, a tent crusade, and has had a radio and tape ministry in addition to his pastorates.
Michael and his wife Pettra were married on October 17, 1998. They have four children: Landon Matthew, Abigail Hatley, Hannah Beth, and Adrian Michael. Michael enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, and playing golf.
Preaching Vision Statement
“I believe that preaching is when God calls a qualified man worthy of imitation, to shepherd and feed his church, by preaching the whole counsel of God’s inspired Word, through much prayer, study, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to bring salvation to the sinner, sanctification to the saint, and to lead the entire body of Christ into Christlike transformation and onto God’s kingdom agenda.”
Music and Youth Pastor Chris Straits was born in North Miami, FL on October 27 1978. A Florida resident for 26 years, he grew up in Dade County before moving to Broward County as a teenager. He attended McArthur High School in Hollywood, FL. As a junior in high school, Chris was diagnosed with leukemia. He received a bone marrow transplant in December of 1995 at the University of Minnesota and has been cancer free since. Chris went on to attend Cedarville University where he obtained his BA in Bible with a Christian Education for Youth emphasis. Chris accepted Christ as his Savior when he was 12. Since that time, he has been active in church as a youth member, youth leader, a choir member, a worship leader, and a dutiful servant of the Savior. He has been on several mission trips, including to Jamaica and Paris. His passion for music led him to North Carolina 2 years ago, where he began his pursuit of a Masters degree in Church Music at Southeastern Seminary.
Chris was married to his wife, Mary, on November 29, 2003. She is a teacher at the Franklin Academy in Wake Forest. Chris and Mary were blessed with their first child, Noah Michael, on February 4, 2007. They are looking forward to more children in the near future.
Vision Statement
“Worship is the essence of what every believer has been called to do. The job of a worship leader is to lead God’s people to a place where they can meet with God and respond accordingly, in reverence to the Almighty, All Sufficient, and All Powerful Savior of the World”