Around 250 members of The Life Center congregation, community leaders and family members gathered Oct. 5 at TLC in Lenoir, North Carolina, to recognize Lead Pastor Terry Hunt’s 40 years of service and celebrate his 65th birthday.
Hunt has pastored at TLC—formerly Bushtown MB Church—since 1985.
“I was very honored and humbled at all the turnout of the people,” Hunt says. “It was truly a celebration.”
History and calling
Hunt’s calling to pastoral ministry began from an early age, when he’d quote from the Gideon New Testament he received in fourth grade.
“I carried that Bible with me till I wore that Bible completely out,” Hunt says. “I used to sleep with it under my pillow. Everybody would tell me that I was going to be a little preacher.”
Eventually, Hunt served as youth leader, Sunday school teacher and deacon at his home church, Laytown MB Church, where he had his first opportunity to preach and later became the associate pastor.
“While I was a deacon in that first year, the district would have evening church services at two of our smaller churches,” Hunt says. “At that time, our district minister would ask deacons to preach. It seemed like every other Sunday he was asking me to speak, and it just felt natural. I knew that there was a call for me to be in that office rather than in the office of a deacon.”
Hunt took correspondence courses from the College of Theology in Wilmington, North Carolina, and, the following year, came to Bushtown MB Church—now TLC—as associate pastor in September 1985. The pastor at the time had throat cancer, and the congregation asked Hunt to step into the lead pastoral role. He was ordained on April 27, 1986.
For his first 17 years of ministry, Hunt was bivocational, working in the furniture industry in addition to his role as pastor. He became Bushtown’s first full-time pastor in 2003.
While at Bushtown—a church that was established in 1932—Hunt oversaw a 1997 remodel to the facility. The building held just 90 people, meaning Sunday services were conducted three times.
Eventually, with a need for a new, larger facility, Hunt led a building project at TLC’s current location. The project began in 2008, and the congregation held a grand opening in October 2010 for a facility seating 300. At the time of the move, Bushtown MB Church changed its name to The Life Center.
Loving God and loving people
At TLC, Hunt has many responsibilities as lead pastor.
Sundays begin with prayer at 8 a.m., followed by Sunday school at 9 and preaching during the worship service at 10. Hunt teaches a Monday night men’s group and a Tuesday morning Bible study and alternates with associate pastors to lead a Wednesday night Bible study.
Hunt served as Eastern District Conference minister from 2005 to 2023—he says seeing the growth of the district from six churches to 16 across multiple states was a highlight during that time. He currently serves as district moderator, and TLC hosts biennial EDC conventions.
Hunt is also actively involved in the Lenoir community and in national ministries. He serves as master chaplain for the Lenoir Police Department, and beginning in January, he will chair the local hospital board of directors. He also serves on the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. board of directors.
Highlights for Hunt over the years have included the TLC building project and seeing people come to know and follow Jesus.
“Definitely seeing all the life transformations,” he says. “People getting saved, people growing in their faith, becoming disciples and followers of Jesus. Those were definitely some of the greatest highlights.”
Asked what has kept him going these 40 years, Hunt says:
“Jesus told us that there are two things that are very important: Love God and love people. It’s my love and compassion for people, to introduce them to Christ and to help them become disciples of Jesus Christ through life transformations. For 40 years I’ve seen several generations now come through the church, and it’s been amazing.”
Hunt and his wife, Kathy, have four children and eight grandchildren.
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor. She joined the CL staff in September 2017 with six years of experience as a professional journalist. Shafer is an award-winning writer, having received three 2016 Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence and two Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals awards in 2022 and 2025. Shafer graduated from Tabor College in 2010 with a bachelor of arts in Communications/Journalism and Biblical/Religious Studies. She and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
Congratulations, Terry, on 40 years of ministry. I have enjoyed getting to know you a little bit and I have appreciated the contributions you have made to USMB. Also, the family picture is great!