Matthews Church of God

Bishop Rick D. Brackett was born May 20, 1954 in Mooresville, NC. He has a love for preaching but more importantly a love for the people to whom he preaches. His messages are anointed and are relevant for these times. 

He and his wife Gayle lead the staff and congregation of the Matthews Church of God in reflecting an attitude of love, acceptance and forgiveness. Those who attend church services go away with the feeling that they have been in a church filled with a love for God and for one another. The church has made tremendous strides under his leadership in attendance, membership and finances and has exceeded all previous records in every category. A new 9,000 sq. ft. sanctuary was built in 2009 and the former sanctuary has been renovated into a fellowship hall.

Bishop Brackett felt the call to ministry at the young age of 17 and served as a state evangelist for six years and pastor for thirty years. He became an Ordained Bishop in 1980 at the very young age of 26, which is exceptional. He attended: North Carolina State Bible & Music Institute, East Coast Bible College, Lee University and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Counseling from Christian Bible College & Seminary, Independence Missouri. He was awarded, "Outstanding Young Men of America" in 1979 and was recently named to "Strathmore's Who's Who". He served as a committee member for the Ministerial Affirmation Program (MAP) from 1999-2005 and  as a committee member for the Ministerial Internship Program (MIP) for the Churches of God in Western North Carolina from 2007-2008. He served on the State Evangelism Board in Western North Carolina from 2008-2010. He serves not only as the Senior Pastor but as the District Overseer of the Matthews District with a total of 7 churches in Mecklenburg and Union Counties. 

Bishop Brackett is married to Gayle Jacobs formerly of Lumberton, NC who is just as committed to the ministry serving as the "Women's Ministries President" and Church Secretary. He has two daughters, Abigail and Beth; Abby serves as "Children's Pastor" and Beth serves as "Praise & Worship Leader" and also works alongside of her husband, Ed as Youth Pastors.

Bottom Row L-R Steve Smith, John Rollins III

Top Row L-R Bill Raum, Dale Pate, Brad Devereaux, Daniel Jenkins

Elders of the church provide care for the people and serve as shepherds to the flock of God.

 1 Peter 5:1-10  As shepherds working under the supervision and authority of the Pastor, each Elder must first be a care giver to the people of God's Church.

John Rollins III was invited to the Matthews Church of God over twenty years ago; he knew absolutely nothing about the Church of God, being raised Catholic and even attended a Catholic school.
He still remembers vividly the Sunday that the Spirit of the Lord drew him to an altar of repentance; he says it was the best day of his life.

John graduated from Sun Valley High School and Guilford College. He served in law enforcement for ten years with five of those years as a detective. He is a successful entrepreneur; starting his own business, H&R Custom Injection Molding, Inc., eighteen years ago.

He loves the Matthews Church of God and can't say enough good things or express his feelings to do it justice. He has served as the Church Treasurer for more than ten years and has been an Elder for more than six years.

John says, "I thank God that I am a part of the mission of the Matthews Church of God. It is my desire that others will experience God's love through salvation. I am honored to be an Elder and I look forward to laboring with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that I may be an Aaron, supporting my pastor to the best of my ability and being a helper and an encourager."

Dale was born June 3rd, 1963 in Indian Trail N.C. Dale and his wife Melisa have been married since 1991 and have a son, Jarrett Samuel, who was born on January 2, 2005 as an answer to prayer.

Dale worked in the printing industry for over twenty years. He likes the outdoors and enjoys hunting, playing sports and spending time with his family.

Since rededicating his life to the Lord in 1999; the Lord has blessed him by giving him opportunities to serve in the church. He is a church elder, Sunday school superintendant, a member of the CE board and finance committee and serves as the liaison to the pastoral care committee.

Dale says, “I love the Lord and enjoy serving and being a part of the Matthews Church of God.”

Daniel was born in Gastonia, NC, and moved to Kannapolis at the age of 12 when his mother accepted a job at the Church of God Children’s Home.

He feels blessed to have Christian parents that raised him in church where he was saved at an early age. He went on to attend Lee University in Cleveland, TN and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education with a minor in bible. He now teaches Science at Northwest Cabarrus High School, his alma mater, and is the boys’ head basketball coach.

Daniel and his wife, Kim, have been married for 11 years and have two boys, Benjamin and Zachary. They first visited Matthews Church of God in January 2005 and instantly felt at home. Daniel serves as a church elder, Sunday school teacher and plays the trumpet in the church band. They are excited about what God is doing at Matthews and are grateful for an opportunity to serve the Lord and their church family.

Steve was born July 22, 1965 in Flint, Michigan where he graduated from Linden High School in  Linden, MI in 1983. He moved to Charlotte, NC in September of 1989 just in time to experience his first Hurricane, '' HUGO'' that welcomed him to the east coast. The Smith family currently resides in Waxhaw, NC.

Steve has been employed by the Family Dollar Corporation where he has been a truck driver for ten years.

Steve's wife's name is Shelley, to whom he has been married since 1996; who in his words is, "my wonderful wife and prayer warrior."  Steve and Shelley have 5 sons in which they are proud to say are all born-again.

Steve rededicated his life to Christ at Matthews COG on Mother's Day 2004, was baptized in water on March 16, 2005 by Bishop Brackett along with his wife Shelley, and sons Stephen III, David, Andy, and Chase. He received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the choir loft on March 12, 2006 and was installed as a church elder on  August 27, 2006.

Steve is so greatful for what God has done in his life; he says:

"Since dedicating my life to Christ and joining the Matthews Church of God the Lord has done great things in my life...trusting in God; He has saved my marriage,and He has delivered me from depression.

My prayer is that I always listen to the Holy Spirit for his guidance, to lead like Jesus and to be an armor-bearer to Pastor Brackett and a help to all my brethren at Matthews."

Bill was born March 12, 1948 in Bethesda, Maryland and was raised in Washington, D.C. until he was 17 years old when he left Washington to move to Charlotte, N.C. in May of 1965. He joined the Navy in September of 1965 and spent 18 months in Vietnam before being honororably discharged on December 23, 1968. Bill then joined the Air National Guard in 1969 where he was honorably discharged in 1971.

He worked at Locheed Aircraft Company for one year before moving back to Charlotte in 1972 and worked for the Charlotte Fire Department for 11 years. He worked for Duke Energy for 21 years and Presbyterian Hospital for 25 years before retiring.

Bill met his wife Evelyn in May of 1973 and they were married in November of 1973. They have two children, Angie born in 1976 and Kevin born in 1980; and four grandchildren.

Bill attended First Assembly of God from 1973-1989 and then atteneded the Eastway Drive Church of God until 2005.

Bill said, "I was saved on March 19,1989 - 21 years ago; so that makes me 21 years old! Ya! Ya!"

Beth Baker is the Pastor's daughter and the younger of 2. Beth has always had a passion to minister to hurting people and has felt a call to minister through music at a very early age. In 1997 Beth graduated with honors from South Caldwell High School as the Editor in Chief of the school newspaper entitled "The Spartan Muse". She then attended East Coast Bible College where she studied Music and Journalism. 

Beth has had extensive training in church music. She has attended Choral Festivals with over 2,000 worship leaders, music workshops, and has also had voice lessons. While attending East Coast Bible College, she was blessed to minister through song at several churches throughout North and South Carolina. From 2000 to 2001, she and a friend had their own Radio AM program where she taught the Word of God and sang.

Recently the Lord has blessed her to lead worship at various places and various dominations, i.e., Ladies conferences, homecomings, and recently had the opportunity to sing and minister to a public high school in North Carolina. 

Beth also works with the outreach ministries program at Matthews. She enjoys leading praise and worship and directing the Matthews sanctuary choir. Her hobbies include traveling, going to the gym, spending time with family and friends. She is married to the love of her life, Ed Baker. They have one child, Alex and they reside in Charlotte, NC. 

Kidz Church is headed up by Abigail B. Salsedo, the pastor's daughter. Abigail has had several years of experience in working with children, as she is an elementary school teacher and teaches at the Reedy Creek Elementary School in Charlotte, N.C. Abigail attended Appalachian State University where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. She also has a background in music and is able to play both the clarinet and piano. She enjoys reading, sports, and listening to music as her hobbies. 

Abigail is excited about what God is doing in the church and she is especially thrilled to see the children's department growing. It is her desire to see more and more children get involved in the exciting programs of the church. She is convinced that all children will be benefited by attending "Kidz Church" each Sunday morning. The music, puppets, bible stories and games are a wonderful way to help build a stable foundation for our youth of tomorrow.

Abby is married to Troy Salsedo and they have a son and a daughter: Logan and Skylar.

Melisa is a graduate of Independence High School in Mint Hill, NC. She has worked in the dental field for 20 years and currently works as a Dental Assistant in Monroe, NC.

Melisa has been married since 1991 to her husband Dale and they have one child, Jarrett, who is her pride and joy. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching movies and photography.

Melisa serves as the church Sunday School Secretary and is an Elder's wife. She loves working alongside Abby in the children's ministry and is excited about what God is doing in the children's department.

Ed was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and spent thirty years of his life there. His religious and educational background centered around a Catholic upbringing. Ed received his bachelor's degree in accounting and moved to Charlotte, N.C. looking for a change of scenery and a new outlook on life. Ed said, "At this point, one might think that I would go to work for a bank or an accounting firm, however, God led me to do something else; He led me to work with children as a teacher." Ed thoroughly enjoys working with "special needs kids" and has been doing so now for four years.

Ed says, "Just over a year ago, as God continued to bless me, I was introduced to the love of my life, Beth Brackett. Beth and I are now married and live in Charlotte, N.C." They have one child, Alexander (Alex).

Ed & Beth have been given several opportunities to use their talents to spread the Word of God. It is their prayer that God will always give them the strength and boldness to do the will of God.

They both look forward to working with the youth of the Matthews Church of God.

Amy Griffin is a native of Charlotte, NC where she graduated from IndependenceHigh School and also attended King’s Business College. She works for a manufacturing company in Monroe as a Market Specialist.

In the summer of 2007 she changed careers to work in childcare and began pursuing her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. She feels she is using the talents and abilities that the Lord has given her and feels blessed to be able to do what she loves.

Amy is very active in the church serving as Deacon of Pastoral Care, Assistant Treasurer, and as a member of the Stewardship Committee. She works with the 4-7 year olds Cubby Bear class on Wednesday evenings and helps out with children’s activities when she is needed. 

Amy is grateful for any opportunity to serve the Lord and wants to give Him the glory for all of His many blessings.

She and her husband Chip have been married since 1998 and they have two beautiful children – Caitlin and Cody. She enjoys spending time with her family, church activities, reading and going to school.

Kevin is a native of Plymouth, NC and brought up in a God-fearing home by his parents John and Sue Cooper. He and his two siblings (Michael and Amy) were dedicated to the Lord at birth and brought up in the Plymouth Church of God. Kevin was an active member of the church singing in the choir, singing specials and playing musical instruments in the church band (drums and trumpet). God has blessed him vocally and during his senior year in high school and freshman year in college, was granted the opportunity to sing lead/tenor with a local gospel group. Kevin continues to use his talents for the Lord at the Matthews Church of God, where he has attended since March 2006.

After graduation from Plymouth High School, Kevin moved to Wilmington, NC where he attended the University of North Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology. It was in his last semester of college, that he met his lovely wife Christina. They were married in 1999, and in the same year, relocated to the Charlotte area. God has since blessed him with a beautiful family, including his daughter Kassidy (2005) and son Carsten (2007). 

Kevin is an active member of the Matthews Church of God, serving not only as a Deacon, but also in the Choir, Praise team and every now again breaks out the trumpet or sits down at the drums. He recognizes that if it wasn’t for a praying family and the grace of God, he wouldn’t be where he is today. He knows that God has ordained his steps and has drawn him to the Matthews Church of God for such a time as this. Kevin is excited about how God is using him and his prayer is to be continually used for his service.

Stan Widener was born on October 4^th1970 in Augusta, Georgia.  Stan and his wife Tracy have been married since September of 2003 and have two children Noah James born May 5^th2007 and Landon Allen born February 12^th2010.  Stan also has a daughter Hannah June born March 1^st1994 who lives in Rock Hill SC.  His father is a retired Nazarene minister.  He and his wife live in the mountains of NC.

Stan has worked in the Information Technology field for almost 20 years and is now concentrating his efforts in the Information security sector of IT.  He currently works for Symantec Corporation out of Mountain View California.

On March 14^th2005 Stan rededicated his life to God and has been a changed man ever since.  God has truly blessed him and his family beyond measure. Stan has since taken the role of Deacon of Ushers at the Matthews Church of God and also operates the power point presentation during the worship services.

Stan says, “I am thankful for two of the most wonderful, godly, praying parents anyone could ever have and for my beautiful family. Without their prayers I don’t know where I would be today.  Since I’ve rededicated my life to the Lord everything has fallen into place and couldn’t be sweeter!  I truly LOVE my church family at Matthews, but first and foremost I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for having mercy on someone like me and for saving me”!

Ed was raised in Salisbury, NC and attended Mitchell College as well as Catawba College. He lived in Louisville, Kentucky and Jacksonville, Florida before settling down in Indian Trail, NC in 1977.

Ed grew up in the Methodist Denomination but as he grew older he fell away from church and rarely attended. But then he was invited to the Matthews Church of God where he immediately knew that he was being led by the Holy Spirit. He rededicated his life to the Lord and made the Matthews Church of God his home.

Ed says, "There is no way to describe what this church and my walk with the Lord now means to me; it truly is peace that passes all understanding. I want to serve the Lord in any way He can use me."

Veronica Robinson was born May 17, 1974 in Princeton, WV.  She moved to Charlotte, NC in August 1994.  Veronica has been married to her husband, Scott since 1995, whom she met the evening she arrived in Charlotte. They have a son, David, who is very helpful in the youth department and in other areas around the church.

 Veronica rededicated her life to Christ at Matthews COG in the spring of 2003.  She gave her whole-heart to the Lord shortly thereafter and was baptized in water on March 16, 2005 by Bishop Brackett.  She received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost Sunday 2006.

 She is so thankful for God’s deliverance from bondage.  She says,

 “Since giving God my whole-heart and choosing to follow Jesus, I have received His Joy, His Peace and the Holy Ghost.  I now have a passion to live, not just live but to live for Christ.”

 She has worked as a sound technician since 2005 and was installed as Deacon of Media 2011.  She enjoys being involved with the church in any way she can.

Reuben James Griffin, Jr. was born September 14, 1950 in Wadesboro, N.C. He is the oldest of four; one brother and two sisters.

James served in the military after being drafted into the US Army 1970-1971. He held the rank of E5 sergeant and tank driver.

He has been married to Carolyn Martin since 1975; they have two children: Stephanie & Tonya and two grandchildren: Joshua & Brittany. He enjoys softball, golfing, fishing, cycling and working out at the gym.

James received his associate degree in business in 1977 from Anson Community College, his bachelors in 1989 from Gardner Webb and his masters in 1991 from Pfeiffer University. He has worked at everything from janitorial work to factory manager. He has been a very successful insurance agent since 1997.

He grew up in the Pentecostal Holiness Church and then joined the Church of God in 1977. He has been very active in the church serving on the men’s counsel, Sunday school teacher, Sunday school superintendent, treasurer, finance committee, trustee, church bus driver, and choir. He has recently been appointed as the deacon of greeters.

Bottom Row L-R Evelyn Raum, JoAnn Nantz

Middle Row L-R Kathy Presson, Joani Hunter, Judy Haney

Top Row L-R Doug Presson, Will Hunter, James Griffin

(Not pictured Judy Hedgepeth)