Staff at Emmanuel

Dr. Charles Surrett – Senior pastor

Charles Surrett holds the B. A. degree from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College and the M.R.E., M.Div., and D.Min. degrees from Central Baptist Theological Seminary. He entered the ministry full-time in 1967, and has served only in Independent Baptist Churches for his entire ministry. He was a youth pastor for ten years, and has spent thirty-four years as a senior pastor. Since 1991, he has served full-time on the faculty of Ambassador Baptist College, where he is currently the Academic Dean, and he has also pastored here at Emmanuel Baptist Church of Kings Mountain, NC since 1992. He is the author of the book, Which Greek Text?, which is a layman-oriented defense of the Textus Receptus, the Greek text from which the Kings James Version was translated. He and his wife, Rosanne, have five children and nineteen grandchildren. Rosanne Surrett holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, and has served alongside her husband in ministry since their marriage in 1965. She has been used as a special speaker for ladies banquets and retreats, and has taught part-time for over twenty years at Ambassador Baptist College, teaching Speech and a class called “Help Meet.” She has taught ladies for years in Bible studies and Sunday School, and has developed some excellent materials that would be a help to others.

Dr. Larry Brubaker – Music pastor

Larry Brubaker is a native of Freeport, IL, and was saved there as a child. He preached his first sermon at the age of 14 in 1954. He entered Bob Jones University in the fall of 1958, where he studied for three years. He graduated from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, Owatonna, MN, where he met his wife, LaVanda Oyloe. They were married in 1963 in West Union, IA. Upon graduation, he served seven years as Music and Youth Director at First Baptist Church in Rockford, IL, and six years as Music Director at Eagledale Baptist Church, Indpls., IN. The Brubakers joined the Ron Comfort Evangelistic Team in May, 1976. His responsibilities for the team include leading the congregational singing and directing the Crusade Choir in singing his arrangements. He also excels on various musical instruments including the piano, organ, trombone, euphonium and the accordio-organ. In May, 1986, Mr. Brubaker received the honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Watertown, WI. In May, 2008, he received the honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Indiana Baptist College, Indianapolis, IN. The Brubakers moved here to Kings Mountain, NC in August 1993 and joined Emmanuel Baptist Church where Pastor Brubaker has faithfully served as Music Pastor when not in Revival Crusades.

Pastor Jim Ogle – Youth Pastor

Jim Ogle holds a Graduate of Theology degree from Ambassador Baptist College. He is currently working on advanced degrees. Pastor Ogle became Youth Pastor at Emmanuel in the fall of 1994. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married since 1986 and have worked with teenagers since 1987. They have a passion for teens and also a passion to help marriages. They have 4 children: two married daughters, one daughter in college, and a son at home. They also have two grandchildren – a girl and a boy. Along with the youth ministry, Pastor Ogle is an assistant to the Pastor in much of the administrative work and counseling and Mrs. Ogle is her husband’s secretary and actively serves by his side in his ministry aspects. He also has been on Faculty at Ambassador Baptist College since 1997. He teaches Youth Ministries I and 2, an Assistant to the Pastor class, and Fundamentals of Christian Camping.

Mr. Steve and Diane Hefner

Steve and Diane Hefner came to Emmanuel in 1999. Steve became Assistant Music Director in 2003, filling in when Pastor Brubaker travels to evangelistic meetings with Dr. Comfort. Steve also teaches the Young Married Couple’s Sunday school class, and serves as a deacon.  Steve has a desire to share his heartbeat for proper Christian music, as well as having a burden for young couples to have a happy and fulfilling marriage. Diane has been Church secretary at Emmanuel since 2007. She also serves as the church organist, and home-schools their twins, Alyssa and Jordan. Steve and Diane have five children: Nick, Dan, Bethany, Jordan, and Alyssa. Nick is Music Director at Temple Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. He and his wife Amanda have three children. Dan works with the youth at Emmanuel, and leads the youth and children’s choirs. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children. Bethany is married to Evangelist Jonathan Beazley, who is staff evangelist at Grace Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. Jordan and Alyssa will both graduate from high school in the spring of 2012, and hope to attend Ambassador Baptist College that fall. Steve and Diane love being grandparents to their five precious grandchildren: Emma, Kayla, Nathaniel, Judson, and Patrick.

Mr. and Mrs. Ken Howard – CHurch Groundskeepers

Mr. and Mrs. Howard faithfull keep the grounds looking neat and clean; we appreciate their faithfulness in this important ministry.