Our Senior Pastor
Ordained in ‘73 at the First Church of God in Hickory, NC. Rev. Dr. Donald A. Blankenship has accepted the pastorate, on an interim basis, at Morganton First Church of God, effective October 1, 2008.
Born in Ridgecrest, NC, Don (one of twins) grew up in a family of 10 siblings. Two grandfathers were circuit-riding preachers in the early-to-mid 20th century. Married to Barbara in ‘67, they have been married 41 years and have four adult children. Their children are all married; the Blankenship’s have 13 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Barbara is a Registered Nurse and has a varied nursing experience ranging from geriatrics to OB/GYN and lots in between. She is currently a part-time employee at Mission Hospitals in Asheville, recovering children who have had dental surgery.
Don was raised in the Church of God, Black Mountain, NC. He attended UNC-CH for a while after high school. Don graduated from Warner Southern College (the first graduate) in ‘72 (B.A. majoring in Sociology); earned his M.A.Ed. degree from Western Carolina University (major: Counseling); and was honored with a doctorate degree (D.R.E.) from Warner Southern College in ‘02. Don is a U.S. Navy veteran, having served on board the USS Sabine in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Viet Nam era.
The Lord has directed Don in a variety of employment opportunities over the last 45 years. He has pastored three churches (12 years), directed a Christian residential drug program (2 years), directed a county mental health clinic (11 years), directed a Christian retreat center (11 years), served as President of West Indies Theological College (Trinidad and Tobago - 1 year), operated a restaurant (Mount Mitchell - 3 years), and developed and owns two car washes (Statesville and Hickory - 4 years). He has been a counselor for 40 years.
During those same years Don has been a missionary to churches in Haiti, Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia (convention speaker to 7,000 Inca Indian descendants), Trinidad and Tobago (president of WITC), Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica (serving as adjunct faculty at Caribbean Graduate School of Theology - 2 years), Nevis, St. Kitts, Caymans, and other places.
One of his great joys is in leading people to Christ; another is in discipling Christians. Don enjoys preaching the Word, teaching and counseling. He has administrative experience as Executive Director of several agencies. His book, The Conflict: Truth vs. Lies, was published in ‘98. He has been involved in prison ministry, teaching the Bible in public school, and community service to people in need. Don and Barbara have hosted in their homes people from more than a dozen countries of the world.
The Blankenships enjoy their family, playing on and in the water, travel, providing hospitality, and being with people. They live on beautiful Lake James, where they host lots of folks who also like the water. Don and Barbara are in good health and enjoy an active and healthful lifestyle.
“I am looking forward to many wonderful, growing experiences for the congregation at Morganton. With God’s direction we will together win people to the Lord, help people to mature in their Christian walk, and serve wherever He leads. There are already so many wonderful things going on in this church and so many Godly people who want to be all that God wants for them. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you,”
Sincerely, Pastor Don Blankenship