ORLANDO – The Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Shepherd’s Care Ministry, proudly celebrates the 38th Pastoral Love Day, honoring Dr. Rollie and Lady Gloria Murray’s Spiritual Leadership and their immense contributions to the City of Orlando, and world-wide. Celebratory Events kicked off on Sunday, January 15th, with Pastor Julius Wynn, of the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, St. Petersburg, and Pastor Remer Baker, Jr., of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Kissimmee. Services continued on Sunday, January 22nd with Dr. David Harrison, Minister of Education at Bethel and on Tuesday, January 24th with Guest Lecturer, Bishop Julia Whitehurst Wade, New Covenant Perfecting Ministries, Apopka, and Guest Preacher, Pastor Willie C. Barnes, of the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Eatonville.
The Month of February will bring a Month Long Celebration as we are on the Road to 40! On Sunday, February 12th at 9:00am, we will host our Annual Red and White Day. The Preacher will be Minister Fernando Washington, Lead Minister at Bethel. The Official Day Celebration will be held on Sunday, February 19th at 9:00am, with Pastor John A. Evans, Sr., of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, St. Petersburg. This year, we are blessed to have the long time mentor and immediate past President of the Progressive M&E State Convention, Pastor N.S. Sanders, as the Guest Preacher for our Mentor and Black History Sunday on February 26th at 9:00am.
As we are on the road to 40, this Celebration is a Historic Event not only in the life of our Church, but also in the life of our Pastor. Pastor Rollie Murray, Jr., is a native of Chattahoochee, Florida. He matriculated through the Gadsden County School System and is a Magna Cum Laude, Master’s Degree recipient in Education from Florida A&M University. Awarded several Honorary Degrees in the area of Theological Studies, he is aggressively pursuing his Doctoral Degree in Theology. He began preaching at the age of eleven years old. His Pastoral service began at the age of seventeen years old, at the St. Michael Baptist Church, in Jacob City, Florida. He was blessed to serve the Blessed Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Quincy; the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church of Marianna; and the Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church of Jacksonville, before being called to the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in 1984. During his historic tenure at Bethel, the church body has experienced tremendous growth spiritually, numerically, and financially.
With an extended history of experience, in the area of Preaching and Pastoring, Pastor Murray is a well sought after Preacher, Teacher, Evangelist, and Workshop Facilitator. He has developed programs of Evangelism, Mission, and Education, serving on various boards and commissions both in the ecclesiastical and secular fields. He is a highly regarded executive and personal coach, working with Congregations, Church Leaders, Pastors, and Church Staff in building Effective Ministry Teams. He has led workshops across the country on preparing leaders for their next level. He has served as an advisor to Leaders who were seeking to make changes in their organizations and has helped them develop strategies to be successful in their efforts. His warm and affable spirit is matched by his ability to ask deep and probing questions that enable his clients to see directions they might take.
Pastor Murray is a Pastor’s Pastor. He truly has a Pastor’s heart and makes himself available as a mentor and source of strength for other Pastors. When asked, Pastor Murray attributes his success to “God’s Power, Presence, and Perspective in his life.” He does not do this work alone, but by his side stands Lady Gloria Murray, a wise, sincere, genuine, engaging, responsive, and accessible Woman of God. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, and a Master’s Degree recipient in Public Administration from Florida Metropolitan University, Lady Murray is an experienced business owner, worked as a Licensed and Practical Nurse for more than twenty years, a Medical Claims Examiner Supervisor, Medical Policy Writer, and Medical Records Clerk. She retired after more than twenty-five years with Orange County Board of County Commissioners, as a Human Resource Analyst overseeing Recruitment, Employee Benefits and Relations. Having served as the President of the State and National Ministers Wives and Ministers Widows Auxiliary, she is often sought after as a Speaker and Workshop Facilitator dealing specifically in the area of the Ministry of Women and Pastor’s/Ministers Wives. She works closely with husband in area of Program Development, Sisterhood, and Counseling Ministries of the Church. While she works in ministry, she is CEO of “Preacher’s Wife Navigator.” A firm that is committed to “educating clients with information that will assist them in making informed decisions regarding their life needs.” As a Licensed Insurance Agent and Independent Broker, Lady Gloria Murray, provides Life, Health (Medical, Dental, Vision, Supplemental), Annuities, and Final Expense Insurance, in the State of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas. When asked, Lady Murray, is “grateful and in awe that God has chosen her to be the wife of such a great man of God.”
They are the parents of: Richard, Steven, Rollie III, Renita, Nakia, and Fernando. They are the proud grandparents of Josh, Nikki, Prentice, Arianna, Zaria, Allison, Alana, and Alexander, Matthew, and Logan. They are also proud great-grandparents. You are certainly invited to join them for Worship, Sundays at 9:00am at the Sanctuary located at 654 West Anderson Street, Orlando, Florida. For more information you may call 407-843-6612, or follow them on Facebook at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Orlando, or check them out on the web at bethelmbc.net.
