E-mail: bryan_griffith@bellsouth.net
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Married: Rebecca Brown Griffith, Avery County High Social Studies Teacher and Department Chair. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards AYA Social Studies/History Certified Teacher and NC State Council for the Social Studies President 2011-2013. 20 Years Tenure
Children: Zebulon James, 30: Daniel Austin, 28: Stephen Lemuel, 26
Zebulon: Full-time student, AB Tech. Renaissance/Marriott Hotel, Ashville, NC
Daniel: USAF, Charleston, SC/ Afghanistan
Stephen: Wilmington Police Department/ Patrol and SWAT Wilmington, NC
ACTIVITIES and HOBBIES:
School Bus Driver for Avery County School System
Motorcycle Riding
Chaplain of Avery County High Football Team, 15years
PUBLIC EDUCATION:
High School: Avery County High, 1972-1976
College: Mayland Community College, 1976-1978
MINISTRY EDUCATION:
Source of Light Bible School, GA. Doctrines of the Faith, (correspondence)
Institute of Biblical Studies-Liberty Home Bible Institute, Lynchburg, VA. Old Testament Survey (correspondence)
Stephen Olford Institute of Biblical Preaching, Memphis, TN. (Essentials of Expository Preaching) (on campus)
Charles Stanley Institute (correspondence) 2years
Minneapolis Bible Institute, (SBC) Seminary Extension, (Pastoral Ministry) Present
Thirty One Years Preaching Experience, with 28 years Pastoral Experience
MINISTRY EXPERIENCE:
1980 Surrendered to the call of God to Preach
1981 Licensed to preach by Minneapolis Baptist Church
1983 Ordained to the pastoral ministry by Minneapolis Baptist Church
1983-1996 Pastor of Green Valley Baptist Church,(SBC) Spruce Pine, NC
1991-1996 Pastor of Open Door Baptist Church, Elk Park, NC
1996-2011 Pastor of Minneapolis Baptist Church,(SBC) Minneapolis, NC www.minneapolisbaptist.org
2000-2011 Director, Visionary and Initiator of the Candlestick Retreat and Enrichment Center, a Ministry of Minneapolis Baptist Church, www.candlestickretreat.com
2007-2011 Director and Founder of Minneapolis Bible Institute
PERSONAL TESTAMONY:
I was reared in the small community of Minneapolis, North Carolina where I attended the Minneapolis Baptist Church. There, at the age of ten I came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit of my need to be saved. It was then I received Christ as my Lord and Savior and was scripturally baptized. Since 1980, after answering the call of God to preach the Gospel, I have, by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, done my best to preach the Gospel in sincerity and truth. My heart’s goal is one thing—that is to hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.” To hear those words, will be worth it all.
GOALS AS A PASTOR:
My desire is to see people come into a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and then equip them through the preaching and teaching ministries of the Word for the work of the Kingdom of God. I want God’s children to be confident and secure in their relationship with Christ, confident in Him, not in themselves, Philippians 1:6.
My heart goes out to our youth, for they are being robbed of their souls by the teachings of modern society. We must once again let our youth know that Jesus is relevant for them in today’s society.
My desire is that the church would grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus and begin to live a Christ centered mission lifestyle, for we have become a self-serving generation church.
DOCTRINAL BELIEFS STATEMENT:
1. The Word of God:
The Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God. (Psalms 119:160)
2. The Son of God, Jesus Christ:
Virgin Born (Isaiah 7:14)
Sinless Life (II Corinthians 5:21)
Sacrificial Death for Sinners (John 3:16)
Resurrected the Third Day (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
Now Seated at the Right Hand of God interceding for Believers (Hebrews 1:13; 7:25)
Literal Return in Glory for His Bride (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
3. Man’s Condition:
Lost Sinner (Romans 3:23)
Condemned (John 3:18-19)
Redeemable only through Jesus Christ and the New Birth (John 3:3, 14-17, 36)
Sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
4. Judgments:
Judgment Seat of Christ, Saved judged for their lives for Christ (II Corinthians 5:9-10)
White Throne Judgment, Lost condemned and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelations 20:14-15)
5. Sin:
What was sin in Jesus’ day is still sin today (Romans 1:29-32)
Examples:
Adultery (Matthew 5:31-32; Hebrews 13:4)
Fornicators, Drunkards, Revilers, etc. (I Corinthians 6: 9-10)
Homosexuality (Romans 1:25-27)
6. Church Leadership:
Pastor: A man that must be the husband of one wife and meet all the qualifications of I Timothy 3
Deacon: Also, a man with the same qualifications as the Pastor according to I Timothy 3
Teachers and Evangelists: (Ephesians 4:11-12) I do not believe that a woman can Biblically hold any position that would be in the authority over a man within the Church (I Timothy 2:11-12)
7. Church Ordinances: Baptism (Matthew 28:19-20); Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:15-20)
8. Marriage: Between one man and one woman until death (Gen.2:22-24; Romans 7:2; 1Cor.7:10, 11)
I reserve the right to not perform any marriage that I feel is unbiblical, including but not limited to remarriage after divorce or homosexuality.
The Family is the foundation of any society. Society as well as “the Church” has allowed marriage to become a mockery of what God had intended. The divorce rate has become a cancer to our country and the children are the casualties of this dilemma. The joining of same-sex partners is according to Scripture, an abomination. We must once again take a stand for the sacredness and sanctity of marriage in our Country and Church.
