Our Pastor

Pastor Johnathon Bates is a native of Jacksonville, FL. He is the fifth of nine children born into a family ravished by poverty and abuse. As a teenager he discovered church was his refuge: a place where he could enter into the presence of God and escape the troubles of home. At 14 he received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and at 16 he knew the Lord had called him into the ministry. However, he did not immediately follow his calling. After graduating high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served for eight years. While serving, he was stationed in South Carolina and met his future wife, Gwendolyn. 

After many years of running from God's call, he accepted and surrendered to the Lord's plan for his life and family. He began by teaching Bible studies and preaching. Shortly after that, he became a youth pastor, then an assistant pastor.  

Pastor Bates is Ordained with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). He has served in an array of ministry positions, both in the local church and with the UPCI. In addition to being a youth pastor, he was a sectional youth coordinator, district secretary of youth ministries, and a member of the district's Children's Ministry team. In March 2014 the Bates family was invited to come to Walterboro and serve this congregation as Pastor. 

Pastor Bates has earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Religion, and a Master of Art in Theological Studies, both from Liberty University. He and Gwendolyn have three daughters: Jordan (married to Juan), Bailey, and Reagan, and two grandchildren, Mila and John Marcus (not pictured).