Email: drmichaelcurry@gmail.com 
Bio:
Below is the story of how Jesus has been working in and through the life of Michael Curry.
FAMILY AND INTERESTS
Debbie, my wife, and I are natives of Roanoke, Virginia. Each week we celebrate our love, that first developed during a four and one-half year courtship, over dinner and a date. She has served as the teacher of an adult Sunday school class, leader of a Christian women’s support group and director of mission projects with teens. Debbie works in the areas of human resources, finances and planning, in her role as VP-Administration at a Richmond-based company. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of the Executive Mansion in Richmond, Virginia.
Of utmost importance to us is the spiritual, emotional, educational, physical and relational growth of Bryan, our adult son. Bryan is my hero. One day I aspire to express the faith he has in Jesus Christ. Although he is truly God’s son, we have immensely enjoyed serving as Bryan’s hosts.
Personally, my hobbies include travel and sports. I have been privileged to travel throughout the world. On several of these occasions, I have been able to combine my love for travel with mission, revival and teaching opportunities. Sports such as golf, skiing and boating have afforded our family with numerous memorable events, lasting friendships and teachable moments to share our Christian faith. Sometime in the future, I plan to build a wooden boat and publish a book on “How to Love by Learning to Manage Your Anger.”
CHRISTIAN CONVERSION
If you will, picture the inner workings of a fine Swiss watch, which operates by several interconnected wheels with teeth. Now, picture the one wheel in the center of the watch that turns all the other wheels.
As a teenager, I invited Jesus Christ to become the center wheel (Lord) of my life. Up until that crucial moment, Jesus had been an important wheel in my life, yet He was not the center wheel. There had never been a time in my life that I had not loved Him or known that He loved me. The central issue was that I loved sports more than Him. However, it was through sports that I was introduced to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Witnessing a significant change in the lives of my athlete-friends made me realize that I did not need to change my life before coming to Jesus, but that I should come to Him, just the way I was, and allow Him to change my life from the inside…out. Understanding the personal impact of John 3:16: “For God so loved Michael that He gave His only begotten son…” I told the Lord, through prayer, that from that moment I would love Him more than anyone and anything, including sports. This defining point filled my life with that which was missing: a relationship with God’s Son that would bring about a complete transformation in my life. I have never been the same! Immediately, I began to tell the story of what Jesus had done for me, and everyone, to anyone who would listen.
Let me ask, “Has anything like that ever happened to you?”
CALLING TO CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
Two weeks following my Christian conversion experience, I answered a definite call to Christian ministry. This call from God was just as personal and powerful as before. At a very early age, I knew what God wanted me to do with my life, and I began to prepare for that service through practical experience and formal education. Converted on a Sunday night, my home church took me visiting Monday evening, giving me every opportunity to share my faith experience. Right away they involved me in worship twice on Sunday, outreach visitation, prayer service, sanctuary choir, Sunday school, and discipleship training. I never knew that these were optional for a Christian. Also, every fifth Sunday of the year, the entire offering for that day was a love gift for my education at Bluefield College. What a wonderful treasure my home church gave to me — not money, but faith. It was this faith that allowed me to be a Youth Pastor at age seventeen and a Pastor at age nineteen. The rest is His-story!
EDUCATION
I attended William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Virginia; Bluefield College in Bluefield, Virginia; Averett University in Danville, Virginia; Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina; North Carolina Baptist Hospital: School of Pastoral Care in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Saint Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. This education has led to the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts, with a Major in Religion and Philosophy; Master of Divinity; and Doctorate of Ministry, with a focus on “Leadership,” and “How To Manage Your Anger.” Furthermore, I have certification in the “Success Style Profile,” “Transitional Pastor Ministry” for the Southern Baptist Convention, and “Continuing Witness Training.”
MINISTRY SERVICE
Since serving as a Youth Pastor at age seventeen and a Pastor around age nineteen, my God-given ministry experience includes:
• “Leader, “Amazing Grace Global Impact Ministry, Waynesboro, Virginia, present.
• “Transitional Pastor,” Red Lane Baptist Church (Powhatan, Virginia), Bethany Place Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia), and West Salem Baptist Church (Salem, Virginia), for six years.
• “Senior Pastor,” Stuarts Draft Baptist Church (Stuarts Draft, Virginia), for six years.
• “Senior Pastor,” Deep Run Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia), for five years.
• “Senior Pastor,” Fairmount Memorial Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia), for eight years.
• “Associate Pastor,” First Baptist Church (Galax, Virginia), for five years.
• Ministry assignments as Youth Pastor, Church Planter, Interim Pastor and Youth Revival Speaker round out my Christian service.
DENOMINATIONAL ACTIVITIES
The most important service that I have offered Southern Baptist has been to give my best effort to my local church. Although I have served on countless committees beyond my local church, here are a few assignments of which I have been most proud:
• Pastor/Leader, “Continuing Witness Training,” for The International Mission Board in South Africa and The North American Mission Board in New England and Virginia.
• Teacher, “Schools of Russia,” for The California Baptist Convention, in Russia.
• Leader, “Amazing Grace Global Impact Ministry,” involved in Transitional Pastor Ministry, Partnership Missions, encouraging Pastors/Leaders, Prayer Ministry, Church Planting, etc.
• Leader, “Partnership Missions,” in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Hawaii, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Vietnam, Israel, Venezuela, Virginia, and even on a cruise ship.
• Chairman, “Missions Committee,” for The Richmond Baptist Association.
• Participant, “Church Planting Probe,” for The North American Mission Board, in Hawaii and Virginia.
• President, “Richmond Area Pastor’s Conference.”
• Chairman, “Director of Missions Search Committee,” for The Augusta Baptist Association.
THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT
I am simply a Christian. From my Baptist background, passed on to me by my grandfather, I take the Bible seriously. To me, it makes no mistakes. It is inerrant. It is infallible. My calling is to live and proclaim His inspired Word. When others differ with me on the interpretation of a specific passage, I project humility and love. I never use my interpretation to embarrass, manipulate or punish. My responsibility is to teach and preach the Good News with passion. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict and convince.
Let me be perfectly clear: I believe with all my heart that Jesus is the only way to heaven and an abundant life here on earth. And I believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, and is sufficient as our only infallible rule of faith and practice. I deny that other books or sources of authority are inspired the same way as the Bible.
PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
My God-given mission is to partner with God, and His people, in building dreams and healing wounds in the lives of those who are investigating the truth about Jesus Christ from a distance, through making, marking, maturing and mobilizing disciples, thus impacting this generation of rapid change with the person and message of Jesus Christ.
LEADERSHIP STATEMENT
God has called and gifted me to be a bold and visionary leader.
Yes, I am capable and willing to yell “fire,” when there is a fire. But primarily God has made me into a leader who, like Barnabas, encourages others just to be faithful to Jesus. As a Leader, it is my joyful responsibility to remind the people that Kingdom work is God’s work, inform folks of the needs of the immediate community and the world, equip them to meet those challenges, help them evaluate their progress and learn from their successes and failures, and by example set a high standard. It is true that no church/ministry will rise above the vision and boldness of the Leader. And God’s word to Leaders today is the same as it was in Moses’ generation: “Let My people go!” We are not to deny God’s people the opportunity to sacrifice for their Lord. We are to be bold; we are to be visionary.
Beyond bold and visionary, others tell me that God has made me into a Leader who: is mentally tough, emotionally secure, morally strong and spiritually humble; is able to work with powerful personalities and those who are powerless; is good at making complex issues easy to understand; is driven by excellence, calling and compassion, not competition; can remain objective in the middle of heated debate; likes people; and is both a team player and capable of standing alone, when I am convicted that doing so is God’s will.
