-About Us-
Dear Friend,
We invite you to worship and to study the Bible with us. We are always encouraged by having visitors at Olive Branch. We know that your time is important and we are glad you are considering joining us at OBBC. It is our belief that Jesus Christ is the answer to our world’s problems and pressures. God has also directed us to become apart of a body of believers, the local church, to worship together, to study together, to fellowship together, to encourage one another, to pray for one another, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus. You will find at Olive Branch Baptist Church, a group of loving people who genuinely care about you and have a heart to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
-What we Believe-
We believe:
That the Bible is the whole, verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible and authoritative Word of God.
In the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
He is born of a virgin
He was sinless in His life
He performed miracles
He died on a Cross
He rose again the third day
He ascended into Heaven
He is Coming Again
That there is one God, eternally present in three persons:
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
That all men are sinful by nature and as such at enmity with God; therefore, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary to their salvation.
That only by the grace of God and through faith alone are we saved.
In the eternal security of the believer and that once a person is saved, they are forevermore sealed and kept by the power of God.
That satan is a literal person and that Hell is a literal place of eternal conscious punishment of all unsaved persons.
That the Holy Spirit convicts mankind of sin and by His indwelling enables Christians to live a Godly life.
That the local church is composed of regenerated, born-again believers who have been baptized by immersion.
-Staff-
Gary Taylor - Senior Pastor
Bro. Gary Taylor is a native of Muhlenberg County where he was pastor of New Hope for 15 years. In February of 2004 Gary become the pastor of OBBC. He is a graduate of Murray State University with a Bachelors in Agriculture and earned his Masters of Arts degree in Christian Studies from The University of The Cumberlands.
Gary has been married to his high school sweetheart, Lori Taylor, for 37 years and they have two children. Their son Chris is a graduate of Campbellsville University and Southeastern Seminary. He is a Southern Baptist pastor and is married to Mandy. They have two children: Madyson Grace who was born on April 2, 2013, Caden Lane who was born on May 23, 2016, and Caleb David who was born on November 2, 2022. Gary’s daughter Nicole is a graduate of Murray State University and has graduated with her masters from The University of The Cumberlands. She is presently teaching at Grapevine Elementary in Madisonville, KY. She is married to Derek Schwartz and they have one child: Lincoln Robert Allen Schwartz who was born on November 9, 2021
Gary loves the church, and he loves people. Gary loves his family they are extremely important to his life and ministry. His hobbies include: Duck, Turkey, and Deer hunting with his son, Chris; traveling with his wife, Lori; and shopping with his daughter Nicole. Gary also loves spending time with his grandkids: “they rock my world!”
Bro. Jonathan Harrelson was born and raised in Hopkins County, KY. He has been married to his wife Mandy for 20+ years and they have two children – Jacob and Carlie. Jonathan was saved in December, 2002 at age 23. He surrendered to the ministry in May, 2004. Jonathan served as Interim Youth Minister at Grapevine Baptist Church in Madisonville from 2008-2011, where he was licensed and ordained into the Gospel Ministry. From 2011 until 2016 he served as Pastor of Johnson Island Baptist Church in Nebo. Jonathan accepted God’s call to be the Youth Pastor at Olive Branch Baptist Church in April, 2016.
Jonathan is also employed at AT&T where he has worked for over 22 years and has been a maintenance technician, a construction supervisor, and is currently an AT&T manager. Bro. Jonathan is currently taking classes at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. He is a Sophomore and is in the BA Ministry Program.
Jonathan loves his family and they are very important to his life and ministry. Jonathan’s hobbies include reading, watching movies, and spending time with his family.
Jonathan Harrelson - Student Pastor
Justin Cardwell - Children's Pastor
Bro. Justin Cardwell has spent his whole life in Hopkins County, KY minus the short time his father was a missionary in Browning, MT on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Justin was saved in the winter of 1993 as a 10-year-old boy on the mission field. He married his wife Tara in 2005 and they have two children – Jase and Emma. Justin accepted the call to the ministry in October 2005 and has been serving in some type of church leadership role ever since. Justin and his family first visited OBBC in the Spring of 2016. Justin accepted the call as the Children’s Pastor December 2017.
Justin is also employed by Medical Center Ambulance Service where he has worked as an EMT/Paramedic since 2002, and he currently fills the role as the Supervisor of Operations. He also is an instructor at Madisonville Community College in the Emergency Medical Service Program.
Justin loves spending time with his family and church family. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, camping, and shooting sports.
Bro. Chris is a native of Hopkins Co. and grew up in Madisonville. He accepted Christ at the age of 7 and has been involved in music even as a child. He sang in the children’s and youth choir growing up at Second Baptist Church, Madisonville.
He was in band in Middle and High School and Choir in High School. He is a graduate of Madisonville North Hopkins (’86) and Murray State University (’96) and hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.
After meeting his wife Lori, Bro. Chris felt the call and in October of 1994 he surrendered to ministry in the area of music. In September of 1997 Bro. Chris was licensed into the Gospel Ministry.
He and his beautiful wife were married on September 2nd, 1995 and have been blessed with two amazing boys, Lucas born in October of 2001 and Alex born in June of 2004.
Chris Pendley - Minister of Music & Discipleship
