Senior Minister, Terry McGarrity
Can you remember a significant life-changing event in your life? It may have been the first time you sat behind the wheel of your parent’s car to drive alone. It may have been that first glance of Mr. or Miss. Right. How you remember the time and day and place and that your heart began doing somersaults. Your life-changing event may have been the arrival into the world of a newborn baby, a miracle of creation. It could have been a promotion for a job well done or encouraging words from someone you admire. The fabrics of our lives are woven together by the threads of these significant events.

The greatest life-changing event that could ever happen to you, if it has not already taken place, is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Jesus loves you and has a fantastic plan for your life. We believe, following your acceptance of Christ, it’s important to become involved in a church that is firmly rooted in God’s Word.

Being involved in a church that shares God’s love and reaches out to the world around it is a crucial component in living out our faith. At Morganton First Church of God, our purpose is to expand God’s Kingdom as we reach, teach, disciple, and activate people for our Lord Jesus Christ. We, as Christians and as a church body are to demonstrate the love that Christ has for each of us.

We would like to welcome you to come and visit us if you are looking for a friendly fellowship that believes that God loves all people. If you are already actively involved in another church then please continue to serve where God has placed you and let us lift one another up in prayer.

May God bless you in all you do!

Minister of Children and
Christian Education, Karen McGarrity
We would like to welcome your child and your entire family to our “Church Family.” As a ministry of the Morganton First Church of God, we provide a wide range of children’s ministries.

Our youngest children are cared for in our Nursery/Toddler ministry by loving volunteers. Preschool and Elementary children learn about God and Jesus in age-appropriate classes. We also offer Sunday School, KidsPlace, Sonbeams, Children’s Choir, Children’s Worship and Vacation Bible School.

Our goal is to provide your child with a safe environment in which they can feel secure and grow. Kids are loved, valued, equipped and encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

My door is always open to you. It’s my hope that you will feel free to come in, ask questions and share ideas. Thank you for the opportunity to be a significant part of your child’s life. We understand the responsibility we have and pray continually that God will give us guidance and wisdom.

“Jesus said, ‘let the little children come to me, and don’t prevent them. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.’” Matt. 19:14 (LB)

Minister of Youth. This position is currently vacant.

Minister of Music , Kris Icard
Kris has long been a part of this church fellowship, having attended Morganton First Church of God since its beginning. She grew up in the Drexel community and attended the local schools. She spent much of her young life studying music – piano, voice and violin – but after graduation, decided to pursue a career in Physical Therapy, a field she eventually worked in over eighteen years. However in August of 2001, when the previous Music Minister vacated the position, she felt the call to fill in temporarily. During the next five months, God dealt very personally with her and in January 2002, she decided to enter this ministry on a full time basis. She and her husband Randy have two sons – Tim (age 21) and Sam (age 8) – and live in the Rutherford College community.

“My world revolves around my faith in God – a God that I know is all loving and is ever present. I believe that worship does not begin and end with a church service, but that it becomes a way of life for God’s people. We worship in our private heart songs, in our whispered prayers, and in our acts of service to others. And when we come together in corporate worship, if we set our hearts and minds on God, it becomes an exciting and joyous experience to praise God beside fellow believers.”

Pastors Emeritus, Donald J. & Ruth Smith
Born during the same year, Ruth in Michigan and Don in Ohio, these two were called early to a life of ministry and service. They met in Greek class at Anderson University in Indiana. They were married at 21 and both went on to graduate. After Don's graduation and ordination, they served as youth ministers in Grand Rapids, Michigan for two years. They then returned to Anderson for Don to earn his Master of Divinity Degree from Anderson School of Theology.

The next 43 years were spent in long-term Church of God pastorates in Alpena, Michigan; Drexel and Morganton, North Carolina. Ruth was ordained at the time of their retirement in 1996. Don served in three Interim Pastorates, while Ruth found ministry in teaching and writing. Both have written Sunday School curriculum published by Warner Press. By attending World Conferences of the Church of God, they have been blessed to travel in, or visit, 32 foreign countries on five of the seven continents. They are intensely interested in missions, and have participated in four major overseas work camps. They also spent five months in Africa as short-term missionaries.

The Smiths have two sons, Joe and Tom, born during their Anderson years, and two daughters, Donita Deal and Kris Icard, born during their Alpena years. The Smiths say, "We have been so blessed with good health, long lives of service, and loving relationships. Our lives currently center around Don's mentoring young pastors and preaching, while Ruth's centers around writing, including a weekly column 'Reflections' for our church newsletter."

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