Local gospel singer/musician becomes full-time pastor

Lighthouse Christian Center, in Mayo, has new pastor, Earl Green, right, along with his wife, Wanda Jean Barrett Green and granddaughter, Sammi Green. -Photo: Submitted

By Tami Stevenson

In 1976, at the age of 15, Earl Green began singing and playing guitar in a group called the Gospelites, in Live Oak, Florida. Little did he know back then, he would be traveling the country for the next 45 years and see many of his hopes and dreams come true. It was the beginning of a life-long passion for God, people and music. He also became a licensed minister in 1982, preaching and evangelizing everywhere he could.

Lighthouse Christian Center, in Mayo, needed an interim pastor to fill in for them while they found a new permanent pastor in the fall of last year. Green told them he would be glad to fill in but was not interested in becoming a full-time pastor. After months of fulfilling his duties, he noticed something, he noticed a change. He was falling in love with the congregation. He was connecting with them in ways he never thought possible. After months of searching, the church still had no pastor, he couldn’t leave them without a shepherd, so decided to take on the role of full-time pastor and fill the void.

Green, throughout his musical career, had the good fortune to appear on the Grand Ole Opry twice. He has rubbed elbows with – played alongside of – or opened for – some of the biggest names in country music, names like Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels, Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt, Crystal Gayle, Wynona Judd, Alan Jackson and Vernon Gosdin, to name a few.

After the Gospelites, he joined a group called New Horizons. Then he spent 11 years with the Singing Reps. After the Singing Reps, he joined the secular group, Granny White Pike Band, for the next six years and it was during that time he said God taught him some of life’s most valuable lessons. Being back-slidden from the church during that time, playing secular country music in bars and other venues, he was given the opportunity to see the pain of life through the eyes of what most call the “real world.”

Even during those six years and throughout his life, he said he has never been drunk a day in his life. He has never been a drinker or was involved in drugs.

He said after being a Christian and a preacher most of his life, when he was playing in bars, he would see the pain in people’s eyes when they walked in.

“I couldn’t even enjoy myself,” he laughed, looking back. “I was sensing pain and disappointment and those kinds of things in people.”

Before he fell away from church he said he could not stand a drunk, because of some family history.

“I had a bad attitude towards people like that. But I believe God allowed me to go there to show me that I was no different than anybody else. I learned to love these people.” He said, “I believe God allowed it because it taught me so much about living and about life. He gave me back my compassion for people that were hurting.” He added, “God didn’t send me where I went, but He still used me.”

Each time before Granny White Pike went out on stage to play, Green would gather the band members and they would pray. The guitar player was an atheist and would say things like he didn’t know why he bothered to pray, there was no one listening. That never stopped him.

“On July 4, 1996, I walked out of the last bar where I played a secular gig.”

Green said after the band broke up they got together a couple years later.

“The guitar player met me half-way across the yard, where we were at, and grabbed me and hugged me.” He had given his life to Jesus, after a near death experience due to health issues.

He told Green that because he always held to his convictions and always prayed before they went on – it was something he never forgot – and that helped him to make the decision to give his life to Christ.
“So even though I wasn’t where I needed to be, God still did His work through me.”

The once atheist guitar player ended up playing in a worship band before he passed away, ten years ago.

Green visited him in hospice just before he died.

“I know why you’re here, Earl,” he said. “Everything is still good. We’re going to play again together one of these days.”
“To me, that was one of the greatest things that ever happened,” Green said.

After Green re-dedicated his life to Christ, his career seemed to really take off.

It was with his next band, Highway 7, a Christian country band where he was on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. It was a televised awards show along with Merle Haggard and Crystal Gayle.

“Merle sat down and talked with us all after his rehearsal that day for about 15 minutes. He talked to us like he knew us twenty years,” said Green.

The next 10 years or so, Green was with the Mercy Mountain Boys.
While he was with Highway 7 and the Mercy Mountain Boys, they opened for a number of big name artists, playing their Christian country music.

“We did what we did. We didn’t change it. We played Christian music like always.” he added.
Green has been on 16 albums throughout his career – one with New Horizons, eight with the Singing Reps, two with Granny White Pike, one with Highway 7 and four with Mercy Mountain Boys.

While with Highway 7, they were invited to play at Fan Fair in Nashville, hosted by the Country Music Association (CMA). Today, Fan Fair is in its 50th year. It was a great experience, he said. They got to hang out with Trace Adkins, Terri Clark and other country artists.

They played Talladega at Nascar one year and saw 186 people come to Christ that night.

“We watched them set their beers down or throw them in the garbage can and come down to receive Christ.” Green added, “We would mix some secular music in with our stuff, but it was always positive music (and it worked).”

The Mercy Mountain Boys were featured on Christian Voice Magazine in 2017,
and had their first number one Christian country song in April of 2018, called “Come On Back.” The Mercy Mountain Boys have all retired since then, but what a great way to end a career.

Today, you will find Earl Green, along with his wife, Wanda Green, pastoring at Lighthouse Christian Center. The non-denominational church was established in 1981, but the original building burned down. They purchased the property where they are currently located and were finished building by 2002. In 2003 they opened a school called Lighthouse Christian Academy. With more than 100 students enrolled today, they will be graduating six seniors this year. The school administrator is Connie Bowie. Their mission is to lift up and encourage students and youth to be the best they can be through a solid education and a message that Jesus is the hope for a better life and a better world.

Green added that the last thing on his list was to ever be a pastor, “Every time I pull up to that church I am so humbled. I cannot believe where God has put me and what I have.”

They have modern worship lead by Ben Ellis on keyboards and are currently looking for a drummer. Green said he sings once in awhile, but it is not about that.

“We’re not about building our kingdom we’re about building the kingdom of God. It’s not about me, just because I’m the the pastor, it’s about the kingdom of God. We are just straight up – plain. There aren’t any frills. What we bring is real and if you like it real, that’s where we’re at,” said Pastor Green.

Services start at 10:30 on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m., with Kids of the King, Army of Fire Youth with Pastor Michelle Howland, and adult Bible study. Lighthouse Christian Center is located at 772 North SR 51 in Mayo. Their phone number is 386-294-3089, or visit them on Facebook.

Lighthouse Christian Center in Mayo. -Photo: Submitted