Our History...

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It all began when a young minister had a hunger to pastor.  He desired to start a new work on 321 in Dallas under WNC State office way makers. In a cement block building, after much cleaning and a few curtains, the first Sunday was set for January 28, 1979. The first service was on a Sunday afternoon with family and friends.  A total of forty people shared in this vision. In attendance in the next service were only Pastor Thurman Jenkins, his wife Jackie, and their two children. Well, it was a start. A few Sundays later a lady named Ruby Propst and her daughter Linda walked into the door on a rainy Sunday. Ruby has gone on to be with the Lord now, but her daughter Linda and her family are to this day worshiping at North Gaston.  What a light of encouragement they were! The church was at that location for eight months. A.B. Dawsey organized the church on June 5, 1979 with nine members which included: Pastor Jenkins, wife Jackie, two children Henry and Dee Dee, R.C. & Penny Bentley, Harvey (Ducky) Tiday, his sister Libby Tiday, and Merrie Hildreth. Brother Dawsey also appointed Jackie Jenkins as temporary clerk. That building was only leased for six months, but the owner was kind enough to allow them a few months longer when the six months was almost up.  Then the property that the current fellowship hall is on had a For Sale sign go up. The previous owners were relocating to Florida. The loan was approved and the land was purchased with a mobile home and a small barn red building on the property. How exciting, God had opened a giant door! The building was eventually painted white and a wall was taken out to make room for more people. The church continued to grow and about five years later the church plans were drawn for a new church building.  A price was quoted by the building contractor to build the church for $50,000. Another dream was becoming reality. My God Can Do Anything was the church theme! He provided people and finances in those early days and a clerk to replace Sister Jenkins. Ruby Scott was church clerk for more than thirty two years. Sister Scott and her family are still faithful to the North Gaston Church. (The fellowship hall was later named Scott Hall in Sister Scott’s and her late husband’s, Robert Harrison Scott’s honor for all their hard work and dedication to the church).  The trailer that was on the property was the first parsonage, until later the church was able to purchase a beautiful brick home on Havenwood Drive. After the privilege to pastor these wonderful people for eleven years, Pastor Jenkins resigned under the direction of God letting him know his work was done at North Gaston, but God had a wonderful man waiting in the wings, Rev. Ted Smith. Brother Jenkins saw Brother Smith at Gaston Memorial Hospital and felt from God that he was the next man to step in. Brother Jenkins called Brother Mecum, the pastor at the East Gastonia church at the time, to inquire if Brother Smith might be interested. Pastor Smith had been praying about a new door for ministry in this area.  God definitely had a plan for Rev. Ted & Sister Peggy Smith.  What a mighty work God allowed them to do!

Brother and Sister Smith had been pastoring at the Norwood Church of God for nearly six years.  They had built a new sanctuary and fellowship hall there and were able to stay one and a half years to enjoy it and pay the church debt off.  They felt that it was time for them to take on a new challenge.  Brother Smith put in for a church change with the Church of God State Office.  Brother Mecum informed Brother Smith about Brother Jenkins inquiry concerning him coming to North Gaston.  The Lord had already been dealing with Brother Smith about coming to this area, so he called the overseer and asked for North Gaston.  Brother and Sister Smith became the pastor in March of 1990 and was Senior Pastor here for twenty two years.  He has been the Associate Pastor for nearly eight years.  During the Smith’s pastorate, the Lord helped the church purchase the adjacent lot in order to build the current sanctuary.  The old church was remodeled and transformed into the fellowship hall after the new church was completed in January 2005. The church has been blessed to have the Smith’s here ministering for nearly thirty years! The Smith’s met the Nicholson’s when Brother Nicholson contacted Brother Smith about taking his Ministerial Internship at North Gaston in 1995.  Brother Smith agreed.  The Nicholson’s, upon completion of the Ministerial Internship Program (MIP), remained at North Gaston to work with the youth while also evangelizing.  He later took a full time position at another church and eventually went to pastor in Louisiana.  In 2009, Brother Smith felt led of the Lord to see if Brother Nicholson would like to come back to be the Associate Pastor at North Gaston and Brother Nicholson, feeling the leadership of the Lord, said yes.  Brother and Sister Nicholson and his family came to be the Associate Pastor in August 2009.  The Smith’s and Nicholson’s always worked well together from the beginning and a beautiful relationship continued.  After two and a half years, Brother Smith and Brother Nicholson, with the support of the church and the state office, switched roles.  Brother Smith became the Associate Pastor and Brother Nicholson became the Senior Pastor. 

Brother Nicholson’s story at North Gaston actually began many years ago when he was a child. His mother decided to become part of the North Gaston family while they were living in Belmont, NC.  Brother Nicholson was very young at the time. Brother & Sister Jenkins was their pastor and the church was young and in its humble beginnings. Brother Nicholson remembers his dad giving his drums to the church so that the church would have a set of drums. Fast forward, after receiving Christ at the age of eighteen and being called to preach at nineteen, Brother Nicholson entered the Church of God Ministerial Internship Program.  He desired to serve his MIP at North Gaston because of his ties to the church from his youth, his admiration for Brother Jenkins and because of Brother Smith’s great integrity and reputation in the ministry. In 2009, after Brother Nicholson had been pastoring the DUNN COG in Louisiana for nearly five years and had seen God do amazing things, God had revealed to Brother Nicholson that his work there was coming to a close.  While praying about his next appointment, Brother Smith contacted him about coming to serve as his Associate at North Gaston. Brother Nicholson had the privilege to learn from him as his Associate for two and a half years from August of 2009 until February 2012. The transition to Senior Pastor became official when he would receive a 100% vote from the congregation. Brother Nicholson has been the senior pastor for almost eight years.  He, along with Brother Smith, appreciates and values the congregation.  Brother and Sister Nicholson value the Smith’s for their love and support to them and their faithfulness to the church. Brother and Sister Smith have always been more than friends, colleagues and pastor, but a dad and mom to Brother Nicholson and his wife and “Maw Maw & Paw Paw,” to their children.  The Jenkins Family are choice people of God and remain a vital part of our church.  They too are like family to the Nicholson’s.  It truly is amazing how God has so tightly knit these three pastors and their families together.

This year, as a church, we have witnessed God do great things and bless us in so many ways. Together we were able to pay off the church mortgage, re-surface the parking lot and install a new, digital church sign all while participating in various mission projects including India, Israel, and South Dakota. We have seen many new people become part of our ever growing family. MY GOD CAN DO ANYTHING is still our theme!

In closing, as we look around our church, we would be remiss not to mention our thankfulness for the many people who have now made their eternal transition to Heaven through the years who supported the church, the pastors, the Church of God, and most of all trusted in Jesus Christ, including Rev. Thurman H. Jenkins who had the vision and willingness to start the work that is now known as the North Gaston Church of God.  We are what we are today because of many, many, many people. If there is one thing that we are most proud of here at our church, it’s that we are ONE. We are a unified congregation.  The Lord has blessed our church from the beginning and continues to bless us today.

To God Be the Glory for it all!  THIS IS NOT THE END!