J. Allen Murray, pastor of Centerville Baptist Church in Kelly, N.C., who recently ascended to the office of president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, will be nominated for a full term in the role at this year’s N.C. Baptist annual meeting.
Michael Cloer, network mission strategist with the Cape Fear Network of Baptist Churches in southeastern North Carolina, announced his intentions to nominate Murray in an email to the Biblical Recorder on Aug. 21.
The formal nomination will take place during the state convention’s annual meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 4-5 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, N.C.
The church Murray pastors is part of the Baptist association that Cloer serves, and Cloer said he has watched Murray lead by example.
“As the Mission Strategist that serves him and other Cape Fear churches, I have watched Allen lead by example,” Cloer wrote in his email. “He has a servant’s heart. He has the vision of a leader with creativity and boldness. He honors the Lord by his servant/leader attitude.”
In addition to pastoring Centerville Baptist since 2018, Murray has been active in Baptist life at the local, state and national levels. He has previously served on the N.C. Baptist board of directors and on a variety of statewide committees.
Last year, Murray was re-elected to a second term as second vice president of the state convention, but over the course of this year has ascended to the office of president due to officer successions.
In March, Murray moved into the role of first vice president when then-president Quintell Hill accepted a position with the International Mission Board, and Jason Miller, pastor of Dutch Cove Baptist Church in Canton, became president. Last week, Miller resigned as president to accept a position on the staff of the state convention, which elevated Murray into the role of president.
“It’s been a tremendous privilege serving N.C. Baptists as an officer since November 2022 when I was elected as second vice president,” Murray told the Biblical Recorder in a statement. “I never would have imagined now in August of 2024 I’d be serving as president. But as [Puritan minister] John Flavel wrote, ‘The providence of God is like Hebrew words, it can only be read backwards.’
“Looking back in His providence, I’m humbled that the Lord has me in this role now. I love the church of the Lord Jesus, especially those who call themselves N.C. Baptists. The opportunity to serve as president of our convention is a call to serve both Jesus and His church.”
According to N.C. Baptist records, Centerville averaged 60 people in weekly worship attendance in 2022. In 2023, the church reported $3,765 in Cooperative Program contributions. The church also reported giving $1,338 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, $2,775 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions and $5,411 to the North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO).
Cloer noted that Centerville ranked among the highest giving churches to the NCMO in the Cape Fear network.
Cloer also praised Murray for being a faithful pastor who knows and understands N.C. Baptists.
“Allen does what most N.C. Baptist pastors do, he pours his heart and soul into pastoring that congregation that God has entrusted to him,” Cloer said. “He leads worship through song and guitar, and then preaches expository messages three times every week. He takes the gospel to the lost not only in his community, but around the world…. Allen may pastor an average size church, but his heart and his passion [are] exceptional.”
In addition to serving in a variety of leadership roles with the state convention, Murray also served as president of the N.C. Baptist Pastors’ Conference in 2022 after previously serving as vice president. Murray also served on the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Committee on Committees in 2023 and has been active in local Baptist associations wherever he has pastored.
A native of Wilmington, N.C., Murray has more than a decade of pastoral ministry experience in churches across the state. Prior to pastoring Centerville, Murray served as senior pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Lake Toxaway, N.C., and at Cheerful Hope Baptist Church in Delco, N.C. Murray has been actively involved with N.C. Baptists on Mission’s disaster response ministry since he was in high school, and he has led or participated in a number of other domestic and international mission trips and partnerships.
Murray is currently pursuing a master of divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He has also studied at the College at Southeastern and at Fruitland Baptist Bible College in Hendersonville, N.C.
Murray and his wife, Hope, have two daughters.
Murray is the first announced candidate for state convention president. If elected, Murray said he desires to see churches of all sizes from all parts of the state work together to fulfill the Great Commission.
“Since serving as an officer I’ve met so many wonderful Baptist brothers and sisters from across North Carolina,” Murray said. “They come from normative-sized churches, megachurches, and everything in between. They act as salt and light in small communities and metropolitan areas. I’ve been able to hear their stories and join them in prayer for their churches and communities. I could go on for hours with deep rooted joy telling you how I’ve seen their partnership in the gospel on display.
“N.C. Baptists serve for Jesus. They long to see the Great Commission obeyed and fulfilled in North Carolina and to the ends of the Earth. If given the opportunity, I’d love to continue to serve, pray and be on mission together alongside North Carolina Baptists as their president. To summarize it simply, I would love to continue serving North Carolina Baptists because I love North Carolina Baptists.”
