Rev. Christopher M. Coates
Rev. Christopher M. Coates is a native of Reidsville NC. Christopher received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Johnson C. Smith University in Political Science and a minor in Religion. Christopher earned his Master of Divinity degree from Wake Forest University.
Chris accepted Christ at an early age and joined the Elm Grove Baptist Church in Reidsville NC. It was during his freshman year in college that he received the call to ministry. With leadership and guidance from his pastor, Dr. Clarence Johnson, Christopher preached his initial sermon on July 14, 2013. Chris was ordained by the Guilford Educational Missionary Baptist Association in 2015.
The Lord has richly blessed Christopher to serve in a number of places, as Chris has had the opportunity to serve an assortment of congregations of different numerical sizes, racial, ethnic and social makeup. Churches he has served are Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. The Park Church (formerly University Park Baptist Church) in Charlotte, NC, and Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, MS. These assignments have afforded Christopher the opportunity to reach a wide range of people for all for the glory of God. Among various other accomplishments, Christopher is a 2014 Inductee of the Academy of Preachers.
In November 2017, the First Baptist Church of Rocky Mount, VA called Christopher to be their 16th pastor in an illustrious 139-year history.
On July 5, 2015, Christopher was joined in the sacred union of marriage with the former Ms. Andrea A. Campbell. She is the love of his life, as the two are teammates in life.
While Christopher enjoys various extracurricular interests and activities such as Basketball and Golf, at his core, community engagement and social justice are essential to him. He believes that it is the responsibility of the church to serve the community and to be engineers of social change and reconciliation.
Chris accepted Christ at an early age and joined the Elm Grove Baptist Church in Reidsville NC. It was during his freshman year in college that he received the call to ministry. With leadership and guidance from his pastor, Dr. Clarence Johnson, Christopher preached his initial sermon on July 14, 2013. Chris was ordained by the Guilford Educational Missionary Baptist Association in 2015.
The Lord has richly blessed Christopher to serve in a number of places, as Chris has had the opportunity to serve an assortment of congregations of different numerical sizes, racial, ethnic and social makeup. Churches he has served are Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. The Park Church (formerly University Park Baptist Church) in Charlotte, NC, and Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, MS. These assignments have afforded Christopher the opportunity to reach a wide range of people for all for the glory of God. Among various other accomplishments, Christopher is a 2014 Inductee of the Academy of Preachers.
In November 2017, the First Baptist Church of Rocky Mount, VA called Christopher to be their 16th pastor in an illustrious 139-year history.
On July 5, 2015, Christopher was joined in the sacred union of marriage with the former Ms. Andrea A. Campbell. She is the love of his life, as the two are teammates in life.
While Christopher enjoys various extracurricular interests and activities such as Basketball and Golf, at his core, community engagement and social justice are essential to him. He believes that it is the responsibility of the church to serve the community and to be engineers of social change and reconciliation.
