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About Gary
Gary is a native of Chesapeake, VA. Gary grew up in the church, and is the son of Pastor. This is important to Gary's story as he was no stranger to church, but he grew up a stranger to Jesus Christ due to a rough relationship with his father. Gary's father passed away several years ago, but he was able to reconcile with his father and see grace and mercy exhibited through it.
Through gifting from God in sports, Gary was able to attend East Carolina University in Greenville, NC on a full football scholarship. Gary graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Family and Community Services. Gary also obtained a Master of Arts degree in Christian Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Gary also enjoyed success on the football field. He played as a true freshmen, and finished a 4 year career there as a 4 year Letterwinner and captain his junior and senior years. Gary had NFL hopes and dreams, but that wasn't the plan God had in store. Gary played 2 years of Arena Football in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Fayetteville, NC before hanging up his cleats. Gary settled in Raleigh, NC where he married his beautiful wife Vinniece. They have been married for 12 years, and they have 2 beautiful daughters Sariah and Jordyn. Once back in Raleigh, Gary started putting his degree in Child Development and Family and Community Studies to use, working in the mental health field with at-risk youth and families. God then called Gary into the pregnancy center ministry, working with a similar population, but with fathers and families in particular. Gary worked in a Pregnancy Center starting part-time, and through demands of the position, moved to full-time, for over 2 years. The opportunity to serve in the role of Fatherhood Outreach Coordinator at the pregnancy center was a God ordained time, and the center was able to serve the community in tremendous way. This was recognized as the center was awarded the Fatherhood Outreach award at the annual Care Net National conference in Dallas, Texas in 2014. With great passion to see Fatherhood in the Pro-life movement, Gary has used his experience to serve many young men dealing with different mental, emotional, and spiritual issues. Gary looks to invest in pregnancy centers, churches, communities, and individuals to ignite purpose in men to be who God has called them to be. |
What Gary is up to now...
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Gary is now the Fatherhood and Family Program Manager for Care Net National. Care Net serves over 1,100 pregnancy centers across the country and in Canada, and Gary gets to connect with Fatherhood Practitioners looking to serve men in dealing with crisis pregnancies.
Gary is also the Founder of Major League Dad, an organization that raises awareness in men striving to be the best dad that they can be, knowing that everyone has different circumstances, but every man can strive to be the best dad they can be no matter what has happened or going on, we can strive to be great. Major League Dad supports all ages of young men. Major League Dad seeks to walk with men, and meet them where they are, to help them achieve where they want to be. Gary speaks at Pregnancy center Banquets, church events, fatherhood events, and trains pregnancy centers on starting, renewing, and sustaining fatherhood initiatives wherever that might be. Gary has a wealth of knowledge in consulting in many different areas of fatherhood and men's services, and is able to produce results based on what is needed. Below are several places Gary has been able to train, and speak: Life Alternatives Fundraising Banquet, Heartbeat International Conference Workshop, -Carolina Family Planning Centers Hartsville, SC; -Carolina Pregnancy Fellowship Weekend, Black Mountain, -NC State University FCA/AIA Raleigh, NC; -Resurrection Lutheran Church Cary, NC; -FCA Triangle area -The Point Church Raleigh, NC -Wilkes Pregnancy Center, Wilkesboro, NC -Roanoke Rapids Pregnancy Center, Roanoke Rapids, NC -Bayleaf Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC -Lighthouse Baptist Church, Waldorf, MD -Better Life COGIC, Chesapeake, VA; -Church of the Apostles, Raleigh, NC -Cabarrus Women's Center, Charlotte, NC -Victory Temple Ministries, Holly Springs, NC, -ICU Talks (Mosaic Church), Charlotte, NC, |