A dead church is resurrected. On a stretch of road in North Carolina’s Sandhills region, the Rev. Gil Wise’s entrepreneurial leadership and clear vision have helped create a thriving community.
by Sally Hicks
May 26, 2009 | One day in 2000, not long after arriving, the Rev. Gil Wise stood in his dark, dirty storefront church. The concrete walls were crumbling. The previous pastor had taken a leave of absence, and the congregation was split into factions. Week to week, Wise didn’t know if the offerings would be enough to keep going.
In a moment of despair, Wise felt God speak to him: “I came here with nothing and if I leave here with nothing, I’ve not lost anything. But if I don’t follow what God is doing, I will have lost everything.”
