Pastor Gary Nicholson: I grew up with a Jehovah's Witness background. My dad was very strong in it; however my mom was not. Dad was disfellowshipped for his inability to quit smoking. During my teen years I had no spiritual guidance. In high school, I met my future wife who also had a Jehovah's Witness background. We were married in August of 1980. We had a desire to attend "church". However, we felt no allegiance to go back to the Kingdom Hall. One night, we prayed that Jehovah would show us the right "church" to attend. Several weeks later, a deacon and the song leader at Page Valley Baptist Church knocked on our door. We "put them in their place" with our Jehovah's Witness literature. Later, Pastor James Cockram and another deacon from Page Valley Baptist Church visited us. We had forgotten about our original prayer, but the gospel was presented to us plainly that night. My wife and I both were saved that night. In March 1981, we joined Page Valley Baptist Church and have faithfully and activley served the Lord since.
In August of 2002, I packed my family up and moved to Shelby, NC to attend Ambassador Baptist College. I graduated in May, 2005 with a degree in Theology. For one year, I traveled to many churches in search of the pastorate that God had in store for me.
In May, 2006, I accepted a call to a small church in central Virginia. I faithfully served there for over three years. Through a series of events, that only God could have arranged, I came back to Page County to help care for aging parents and in-laws. While I was helping care for them and seeking His will about a pastorate, Pastor Don Mallory of my home church resigned. The congregation of Page Valley Baptist Church voted me in as pastor on October 16, 2011. (Page Valley Baptist Church has had only three pastors in 35 years of service to our Lord!) Only God could work it out that I would pastor at my home church. Praise the Lord!
In August of 2002, I packed my family up and moved to Shelby, NC to attend Ambassador Baptist College. I graduated in May, 2005 with a degree in Theology. For one year, I traveled to many churches in search of the pastorate that God had in store for me.
In May, 2006, I accepted a call to a small church in central Virginia. I faithfully served there for over three years. Through a series of events, that only God could have arranged, I came back to Page County to help care for aging parents and in-laws. While I was helping care for them and seeking His will about a pastorate, Pastor Don Mallory of my home church resigned. The congregation of Page Valley Baptist Church voted me in as pastor on October 16, 2011. (Page Valley Baptist Church has had only three pastors in 35 years of service to our Lord!) Only God could work it out that I would pastor at my home church. Praise the Lord!
