Name: Jeff Neal
Role: Pastor
Background:
Born and raised in Prosperity, WV (Beckley). Moved to Maple Fork in 1985. Entered the U.S. Army in 1996. I served 28 years and retired as a Command Sergeant Major in January 2024. I deployed numerous times in combat zones and training rotations in my time in service. My parents began attending church at Cranberry Community Church and I gave my life to the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 14 years old. I met my wife in the Youth Group of Cranberry Community Church. We began dating when I was 15 years old and we have been together since. We were married in 1998 and have raised three sons (Hunter, Dustin & Vance) in our life together.
My wife and I started attending Maple Fork Baptist Church in 2000 after our middle son, Dustin was born. We began assisting with the youth in both Youth Group and Sunday school. Over the years, we eventually began running the Youth Group and HS Sunday School class. We also led a Young Couple’s class for several years.
In 2020, the Lord called me to leave Maple Fork Baptist and help establish a church in Midway, WV. During that time, I began serving as the Assistant Pastor while we continued to serve as Youth Group leaders as well. In 2025, the Lord brought me back home to Maple Fork Baptist.
Ministry Philosophy/Values:
During my time with the Lord’s guidance, He has helped me to understand the importance of building a relationship with Him. Growing up, I can recall being taught all the “rules” to serving the Lord. I can certainly agree that rules are important and necessary but focusing on a relationship with the Lord makes a great deal of the rules inherent to a daily life with Him! I believe to have a relationship with Him; you must first believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God and that He came here to sacrifice Himself in our place. Because we are sinners, born into sin, we cannot do any work to save ourselves and satisfy God’s righteousness. We require a Savior! Jesus Christ came to bear our sins, to pay the price, and allow us the opportunity to unite with God again. It is FAITH in that grace and mercy that allows us to be Saved from our sins. Our only requirement is to believe, receive, and repent in the work of Christ!
Once you have been saved, it is the Christian’s duty to live a life for Christ. Not for our own benefit, but for the glory of Christ. We are to represent his salvation to us each and every day. This is not a work to get you to heaven; this work is a desire to show the world who Christ is and what he has done for us. It should be every Christian’s desire for others to see who Christ is for themselves. This requires us to “die out” to ourselves daily. For Christ to increase, we must decrease! Service to the Lord is putting our own selves aside and listening to the all-knowing, all-present Lord.
Closing:
If you are looking for a home church, we would welcome you to come and be right at home here. This is a warm and loving Christian family who prays and supports one another. If you are looking for a place to belong and serve, I believe in reaching out to the community, partnering with other churches and supporting one another, as well as supporting the work of the Lord around the world.
