Pastor Gary Battle – McDonough Mission

Elder Gary Battle, Sr. was born on August 6, 1950, in Warren County Norwood, Georgia. He married Hazel McCutcheon of Columbus, Ohio, on September 6, 1968. Together, they have been blessed with four children: Gary Jr., Mike Anthony, Cleshia LaVonne, and Aaron Isaac.

Answering the call to serve his country, Elder Battle joined the United States Army in January 1969 and honorably served during the Vietnam War until March 1971. For his distinguished service, he was awarded the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal w/1 Bronze Service Star, Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 Device, and the Army Commendation Medal.

Upon returning home to Columbus, Ohio, Elder Battle pursued theological education at Aenon Bible College. He was ordained as an Elder in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) before uniting with the True Church of God In Christ in July 1979 in Scottdale, Georgia.

Under the leadership of Founding Bishop W.F. Lucas, Elder Battle was ordained as an Elder and served faithfully as an assistant to the Bishop. His dedicated service led to his appointment as Pastor of the Savannah location in 1990 and served that location until 2001. His leadership qualities were further recognized when Bishop B.J. Lawson named him Chairman of the Board of Elders in 2007.

In 1994, Elder Battle began assisting Bishop Lucas and Elder J.Z. Lucas with the McDonough mission/outreach program. He was later appointed Pastor of this ministry, where he continues to serve.

While Elder Battle cherished the in-person Bible studies held in the English Family’s home in McDonough, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a transition to virtual gatherings. Embracing this change, the Bible study now meets online every Tuesday at 7:00 PM via Zoom. This unexpected shift to a digital platform has proven to be a blessing, allowing the ministry to reach more people than ever before.

Elder Battle remains enthusiastic about God’s continuing work through him in this ministry and looks forward to using this digital medium to further spread the Gospel.