Dr. Gary L. Hall has had the honor of pastoring the Island Ford Baptist Church of Madisonville, KY for nearly 27 years. Dr. Hall was born and raised in the little town of Underwood, Indiana. He attended school there and in 1964 he joined the United States Army. He spent 4 years in the military of which one year was served in Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Upon his return from Vietnam he met his childhood sweetheart Brenda Porter. They soon married and had three children, Lisa, Tammy and Gary Wayne “Ben” Hall. On September 13, 1970 Dr. Hall was gloriously saved at the Grace Baptist Church in Scottsburg, IN where Dr. Bob Stekert was the pastor. Through some struggles and difficulties trying to serve the Lord as best he could, Dr. Hall made his way to the Bible Baptist Church of Sellersburg, IN where Dr. William Nolan was the pastor. Dr. Hall and his family joined and in 1981 he was called by God and set apart for the preaching of the Gospel. He soon found himself in Rumsey, KY where he started Faith Baptist Church. After a year and a half, Dr. Hall felt the need to further his education in the Word of God. After much prayer, Dr. Hall felt led to move his family to Greenville, South Carolina where he would attend the Tabernacle Baptist College under the direction of Dr. Harold Sightler. Upon graduating Bible College, Dr. Hall felt the call to go to Tucson, Arizona and start an Independent Baptist Church. They soon started the Sun & Shield Baptist Church in Marana, Arizona which is still going strong today. In 1987, Dr. Hall received a phone call that ultimately led him to the Island Ford Baptist Church in Madisonville, KY. He took the Pastorate in December of that year and has been Pastor now for nearly 27 years. Along with the pastorate, he was the Director of WSOF Christian Radio which is a local church ministry of Island Ford Baptist. In 1989, we were able to first move the station facilities to the church location on Island Ford Rd and increase our power from 15,00 watts to 39,000 watts. In September of 2006, we were able to expand our radio ministry and acquire WAJJ Radio in McKenzie TN along with a translator in Paris, TN to further enable us to get the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Dr. & Sister Hall have been married now for nearly 48 years. Their three children, Lisa-Tammy-Gary, have each married and have families of their own. They have given Dr. & Sister Hall 17 grandchildren and 2 great-granchildren. Dr. Hall received an earned Doctorate degree, of which he is honored and thankful, from Faith Baptist Institute and Bible Collage in Resaca, GA where Dr. Sammy Allen is the pastor. Dr. Hall has been blessed through the years here at Island Ford and he is very grateful for what the Lord has done for and through him. In June of 2014 Dr. Hall made his announcement of resignation as Pastor of Island Ford as he felt it was God’s timing that he should step down. In August, the church extended a call to Dr. Farrell Shepherd to come and candidate. He was voted in 100% on September 3rd and Dr. Hall officially resigned on October 12, 2014. May the Lord bless each and everyone and as Dr. Hall always says, “Remember, keep lookin’ up, Jesus may come tonight, bye for now”.
