Meet The Pastor
Senior Pastor Harold Long
Pastor Harold grew up in Missouri and attended Fox C-6 in Arnold, MO and Kirksville High School, in Kirksville, MO. (a rebel without a cause!). As a young man he studied and played drums, and had the privilege to play with many bands all over Missouri. Starting in his early teens he took a trip into the dark side of life, which lead to a battle for his heart, mind, soul, with alcoholism and drug addiction. At the age of 21 he finally bottomed out and was blessed to have survived. From there he turned his will and life over to the care of a loving God, and has never looked back from that day until now, he has truly lived a storybook life. He went on to graduate from Missouri Baptist University with both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree. During this time, he also achieved 7 professional designations in the field of insurance and financial services, putting the wrap on 17 years of university and professional education. Harold is currently finishing his Master's of Divinity Degree at Eden Theological Seminary, located in Webster Groves, MO.
In in 1987 Harold committed his life to Jesus Christ. After serving in lay ministry in a number of churches over the past three decades, he finally answered the call into full-time ministry. Over the last 20 years Harold has also been committed to a weekly prison ministry as a Volunteer in Corrections, primarily inside Maximum Security Institutions, he currently serves in the Northeast Correctional Center, located in Bowling Green, MO. In 2012 he joined Pastor Keith Scarborough to help serve a church plant The Word at Shaw, in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the past few years he has been part of a vibrant team behind the restoration of the old church building and assisting in the architect of the multicultural congregation that has been serving the St. Louis community. In 2016 he accepted the appointment as the Lead Pastor for the Mt. Olivet Charge in Northeast, MO.
Harold is married to Suzie, and together they have five grown kids (4 girls and 1 boy) one (tall and handsome) son-in-law, and some questionable boyfriends trying to work their way into the family.