Meet Pastor
Dr. Michael B. Wheeler
My name is Mike Wheeler, Canton is my hometown, however, I have been away from Canton for many years. Growing up in Haywood County, as a young man, I was exposed continuously to preaching about how we would spend eternity somewhere, and it weighed heavy on my heart. When I was around the age of fifteen, my grandfather was preaching at a family gathering, and I remember, as if it were just now, something saying to me, “If you don’t get saved today you will go to hell!” I do not think God spoke to me audibly, but He spoke to my spirit and dealt with me about my salvation. When my grandfather finished preaching, I approached him and said, “I need to be saved”. I dropped right there on my knees and prayed to God, and at that moment I trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. After salvation, I had no one to lead me in the bible, and I was very confused about some of the things I was taught as a young man. We grew up going to church, and at least we acted like a Christian family, but there was no spiritual influence in my life, So I struggled with what to do next.
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In 1984 I married Karen Allen, and we moved away from Haywood County due to my job. Karen was saved at the age of eight after being led to the Lord by her grandmother. Shortly after marrying, we ended up in Fort Payne, Alabama. We were not living right there, not going to church, nor even thinking about God in our lives. While living in Alabama we were invited to church and decided to go. We sat under Bro. Dennis Phillip’s ministry for three years, and he taught us the Bible. It was amazing to find out there was something else in the Bible besides your eternity. I remember one service he said we should read our Bibles, and that is the first time I ever remember someone telling me I needed to read that book. So, I went home that night and began to fall in love with the bible. I was ordained to be a deacon in that church, and I was called to preach in that church.
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We moved from Ft. Payne Al. to Pensacola Florida, to attend the Pensacola Bible Institute. My wife and I graduated in 1993, and I received my bachelor’s degree in divinity. From there we went to Erie, Kansas, where I pastored the First Baptist Church of Erie, for four years. We moved back to North Carolina in 1998 to help Dr. James A. Lince, the Pastor of Bridgeport Baptist Church, and Founder of the Blue Ridge Bible Institute, where I received my Master of Theology degree in 1999. We stayed with him until his homegoing in 2005, and after I pastored the Bridgeport Baptist Church for the next eleven years, for a total of eighteen years at Bridgeport.
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Our oldest daughter Jordan went home to be with the Lord in 2014, after the birth of her son. This event in our lives proved to be very trying. I was trying to minister to the people but quickly realized I needed help as well. After much prayer and counsel, we left Bridgeport in 2016. After, we attended Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church in Lawndale, N.C., and sat under Pastor, Bro. Billy Boone for 3 years, and found much rest and help at that church. The Lord began dealing with me about starting a church in Haywood County in September of 2018 and had already started to open doors for us.
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Our first church service was in March of 2019. We have taken every step one at a time, always keeping our focus on Jesus and His word. I currently hold the position of Vice President of The Bible Doctrine Institute (TBDI) Formally The Blue Ridge Bible Institute, where I received my Doctor of Theology in 2020. The Lord has continued to open doors and bless us in this ministry, and we are so thankful to him for allowing us to continue to help the people of Haywood County.
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Please join us for any of our services. It would be our honor to have you!
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Pastor Wheeler