Meet the Pastor - graceis.us

Meet the Pastor and His Family

Grace Baptist Church is blessed to have Michael Hammons serving as Senior Pastor. His wife, Holly, is also a great blessing and serves in many areas of the church. Mike and Holly have four children, Hannah, Priscilla, Michael, and Gabriel.

Senior Pastor Mike Hammons

I grew up in a military family traveling to several parts of the USA and the world. In my teen years my father retired from the army and we settled in the Trenton, NJ area. My two sisters still live in this area. My father, mother and sister Michelle were saved after me. Mom and dad have gone to be with the Lord.

I had a dramatic salvation experience. I began to rebel in my early teens years. Although I didn’t do as many drugs as my friends, I got into the life pattern. God used the mother of a girl I was dating to introduce me to Christ. She got us to go to church often, even though I hated it. After two and a half years of going to church, I became deeply convicted of my sins and realized I was going to have to give an answer to the Creator of the world. I still didn’t know what to do. A week later I went despairingly to a Sunday service. When the invitation was given to believe in Christ as Savior, I believed and freely confessed Him as Lord. I was saved at the age of nineteen. I gladly left all my bad habits and began to serve the Lord.

In my second year of Bible College I began to look for a wife who loved God with all her heart and His people. God led me to Holly. We have now served our Lord together for twenty seven years. She is a devoted, loving, and wise mother. Our children have prospered in every area of their lives. She has made home the very best place to be in the entire world for all of us. Her children indeed call her blessed. She is also my dearest friend and loyal companion in the ministry. I have made an unconditional covenant with her.

Education

1976 to 1980: Bachelor of Religious Education, Baptist Bible College, PA

1980 to 1986: Master of Divinity, B. Bible Theological Seminary, PA

1985 to 2005: Authorization Approval, Baptist Mid-Missions

1990: Ordination, First Baptist Church-Hempstead, NY

Holly Hammons

I was raised on Long Island, NY, in a happy little family of six. Dad was a railroad man and mom a wonderful housewife and mother. I was brought up in the Catholic Church and active in our community as well. Copiague, LI was a bustling town of families, little businesses, schools, boat docks and generally a great place to raise a growing family.

When I was fourteen, our family moved to Queens, NY. At that time we were four teenagers moving also to the fast lane of life. Hanging out at parks, street corners, pizzeria’s, schools yards and basements of houses. Life took a major turn in our family. Dad was working as hard as ever and mom began taking part time jobs out of the house. We four kids grew up quick with city kids that were happy to teach us the ropes of street life. In 1974 Dad had a heart attack and survived. My brother Vinny wrecked his car and put himself in the hospital with drunk driving. My grandfather collapsed and died of an aneurism. With all of these death events surrounding us I began to seriously consider my life in view of my Maker.

Long time family friends came to visit us and brought their Bibles. They sat down at our dining room table and clearly explained salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. Had heard these terms and knew these concepts they were telling us about all my life. The plaguing question was, “if you were to die tonight, where would you go?” Well I would hope heaven, but that was only if my good out weighed my bad. I prayed for God to show me in His word the answers to my looming questions. Over the next three days he did. Col. 1 and Rev. 1 stood out like neon signs to me under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the obvious message of God’s Word shown to me by His saints, I surrendered my life and believed on the Lord Jesus as my Savior.

I was directed to First Baptist church of Hempstead with Robert D. Hayden as Pastor baptized by immersion and brought into membership and grew like a weed spiritually.

While a student at Baptist Bible College I met Michael Hammons. I was drawn to notice this godly young man. His sincere desire to serve, his love and study of God's Word and love of the church impressed me. Evidently he noticed me also because he began to talk and walk with me around campus. Out of a respectful friendship grew our love for one another and the Lord. In June of 1980 we put into practice Gen. 3 — Leave, cleave and become one.

In respectful submission I love and serve him as Lord and Master of our marriage and home, 1 Peter 3. Thirty years down the road I love him more each day.

Education

Bachelor of Religious Ed, Baptist Bible College, PA

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