Ross O’Neal has been appointed as the new pastor of Christ and Mt. Tabor United Methodist Churches beginning July 1, 2023. He comes to Rowan County from Trinity United Methodist Church in King.   As a United Methodist pastor, he views his role as helping the congregation to Connect with God, Follow Jesus, and to Grow in the Holy Spirit.  Pastor Ross became a United Methodist in 1986 because “our church places an emphasis primarily on Grace, which is God’s loving power to change lives from the inside out.”  For him Christianity is not a transactional experience of just getting saved nor is it a “once saved, always saved” dynamic.  He says, “God’s justifying grace is the beginning point in living a life of spiritual faith.  United Methodists view our faith as a spiritual journey that starts with accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, but continues for the rest of our lives.”  He feels called to help people meet God where they are and to develop a lifelong relationship with Christ.  Pastor Ross believes that people of faith can take the freely given gift of grace and respond by loving God in return and extending love, care, forgiveness, and hope to our neighbors.  

Pastor Ross served the North Carolina Conference as a student pastor beginning in 1996 while studying at Duke Divinity School.  After graduating from Duke in 2000, he served a one year residency with the British Methodist Church in Liverpool.  In 2001, Pastor Ross received his first appointment in the Western North Carolina Conference where he has served since then.  In 2011-12, he took a year off from the church parish to participate in a chaplain residency program with Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem.  Prior to answering the call to ordained ministry, Ross was a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Evaluator in Eastern North Carolina and Charlotte for 8 years.  

Pastor Ross was born in Williamsburg, VA and raised in Durham.  In addition to his Master of Divinity degree from Duke, he went to NC State for his undergraduate degree and then earned a Master of Science degree in rehabilitation studies from East Carolina University.  He is looking forward to serving the people of Mt. Tabor and Christ Churches.