Error
After launching The Stone County Campus in the fall of 2017, Venture Church knew that God was continuing to lead us south. We enjoyed the chance to get to know our new community by hosting Camp Venture at two Gulf Coast locations in the summer of 2018.
God continued to open doors as we partnered with the staff and faculty of Gulfport High and began hosting monthly worship experiences in July 2018. The Gulf Coast Campus launched on Easter Sunday 2019 and began meeting weekly. Over the next three years, the Gulf Coast Campus spent every weekend setting up the church at a high school campus, worshiping together, tearing down kids classrooms and worship equipment, and packing it up until the next weekend. During that time, we welcomed hundreds of first-time guests and witnessed incredible life change.
In 2022, God made a way for Venture Church to purchase a facility that would become the permanent home to The Gulf Coast Campus. On Easter Sunday 2022, The Gulf Coast Campus came together and worshiped as a church family for the first time in their new campus home. We hope that you will join us as we pray for all that God will continue to do along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Byron grew up in church, with his father serving as lead pastor across several churches in South Mississippi. After giving his life to Christ at the age of 7, Byron continued to serve in church alongside his family, where he began to feel a call to ministry. After graduating from Mississippi College, Byron married his wife of 35 years, Donna. Byron obtained his Master of Arts in Religious Education (M.A.R.E.) from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, during which he served as the Student Pastor of Richland Hills Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Byron and Donna then returned to Mississippi, where he served for 9 years at First Baptist Church McComb as the Student Pastor, Minister of Church Recreation, and Minister of Church Education. In 1998, Byron officially became a part of Venture Church Staff (then, First Baptist Hattiesburg) where he has since served in a variety of ministry areas including Student Pastor, Pastor of Family Ministries, and Hunt Club Campus Pastor. Byron currently serves as an Executive Pastor of Venture Church, and his responsibilities include the LEAD Apprenticeship Program, Campus to Campus Pastors, and the Interim Gulf Coast Campus Pastor. Byron’s favorite hobby is spending time with his wife and his three children, Raley, Caedon, and Garon. His favorite part of serving at Venture Church is the people – both the ones he ministers to and serves alongside.
Partnering with families to raise a generation who knows, loves, and follows Jesus.