Pastor

Dr. Mark Gaskins, Pastor

Mark Gaskins began serving as pastor of Murfreesboro Baptist Church on October 1, 2023. He came to MBC from Temple Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC, where he was pastor for almost seven years.

He has served in ordained ministry since 1980 as pastor or senior pastor of churches in North Carolina and Tennessee, and as University Chaplain at Wingate University in Wingate, NC.

Mark is married to his high school sweetheart, JoAnn. They are both natives of Tabor City, NC. They have adult twin sons, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter. Mark and JoAnn enjoy exploring the natural beauty and the historical sites of coastal North Carolina and Virginia. Mark also enjoys reading and playing golf (he’s a lot better at reading!).

Mark’s ministry as our pastor is grounded in the conviction that pastoral ministry must be guided by two primary concerns: the word of the Lord and the welfare of His people. Mark focuses on these concerns through his preaching and teaching, by providing pastoral care and spiritual guidance, and by leading the church to be on mission with Christ in the world.

Through the years, Mark has been involved in Baptist life beyond the local church, especially in the area of Christian higher education. He has served as an adjunct professor of religion at Campbell University and has taught in the Baptist Bible School of Belize. He earned degrees from Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC (Bachelor of Arts in Religion), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC (Master of Divinity), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC (Master of Arts in Religion), and Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity, Boiling Springs, NC (Doctor of Ministry).