A Day of Worship
Sunday
Sunday School
Morning Worship
Evening Worship
Our Pastor
Background
Rev. Michael E. Cannon, Jr.
After finishing high school Rev. Cannon joined the Air Force and served for 4 years. Upon his discharge, he remained in the National Guard and began attending college pursuant to a BA in History from Newberry College, SC. While there, he was confronted with the doctrines of grace, particularly the sovereignty of God. Concurrently, he taught adult Sunday school, youth, and a 5th grade Pioneers group. Rev. Cannon's calling was at first apparent to others in the church who began to mention that he seemed to have a gift for teaching. After being elected as a deacon he considered seminary and upon his acceptance he enrolled and completed an MDIV degree in 1994. Since then he has ministered as an assistant pastor in a larger church in Irmo, SC, a church revitilization pastor in Columbia, NJ, and a church planter in Savannah, GA and now in Augusta, GA. He has served as an Army chaplain on Active duty and in the Reserves. Rev. Cannon was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and has served as a Chaplain trainer at Ft. Jackson, SC since 2004. He has never been as satisfied in life as he is serving the Lord as a minister of the Gospel. Rev. Cannon is utterly convinced and committed to a lifetime of service in this capacity, as the Lord allows and until He calls him home.
Conversion
Rev. Cannon became a Christian under the ministry of Rev. Jack Hames, Boiling Springs First Baptist Church around 1973. There was no remarkable progress in his discipleship or biblical worldview until 1988 when his wife urged him to take the spiritual lead in his home and become a man of God rather than a religious man. There is no doubt in his mind that he is justified by faith in Christ and is now a work in progress as he seeks to imitate God (Gal. 5:1) and to aquire the very mind of Christ (Phil. 2) in all things.
Ministry Experience
After graduation from Seminary, he was called to remain at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church where he had been working as a part time lay Christian Education coordinator. He became Assistant Pastor of Adult Ministries and continued to labor there until 1996 when he re-entered Active Duty military service as an Army Chaplain. In 2001, Rev. Cannon sensed the Lord's call to transition to pastoral ministry rural New Jersey. There, he embarked on a church revitalization program in a historic church caught in a downward spiral of growth. After some ambitious officer training and resurrecting the children's and women's programs, the church began to grow again and seemed set to minister to the community. In January of 2003, he was recalled to active duty service in Iraq. While there, he resigned the pastorate in NJ to allow them to seek new pastoral leadership and stability in his absence. Shortly after resigning, he received an e-mail from Central Georgia Presbytery inquiring about his return to the states and his interest in church planting. After some discussion and much prayer, Rev. Cannon determined that the Lord was indeed calling him to the ministry in Pooler, GA. He began ministry in Pooler in July 2003 where they moved quickly from meeting in the fellowship hall of a local Adventist Church with 12 people in worship to their own rented facility with 44 people in worship by November 2003. In October 2004 he was once again recalled to active duty for service at Ft. Jackson. In November 2005 he answered the call of Cliffwood Presbyterian Church to come and minister in Augusta, GA. We are committed to try and build a reformed worship and discipleship presence in the region. He is excited to see the Lord working with this church and gathering His servants here to do ministry.
Family
Bevalie and Michael were married in September 1983 and their first of four children was born in November 1984. They have three daughters, ages 24, 12, and 9, and one son, age 19. They have home schooled their children while stationed overseas and while living in NJ. Since arriving in Spartanburg, their oldest girl has moved to Covenant college, their son attended public High school until his Junior year when he decided that he would prefer to finish his school by homeschooling as well, and they are continuing to homeschool their two youngest daughters.
