Reverend Dr. Dennis Leach, Sr.
MCWSV Treasurer
Dr. Leach was born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania to the late Mr. and Mrs. Guy Heartwell, and Irene
Williams-Leach. He comes from a large family, and is the third
of ten siblings. He received his early Education in the public
schools of the city of Philadelphia. After receiving his GED he
entered the United States Army where he served for twenty years,
retiring in 1993 as a member of the 82nd Airborne
Division. Over the course of his career he received numerous
awards and decorations to include the Meritorious Service Medal,
two Army Accommodation Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals,
two National Defense Service Medals, and the South-East Asia
Service Medal before retiring. He is a Vietnam era veteran as
well as a Gulf war veteran.
While in the military he received his
call to the ministry; was licensed in 1981 by the C.O.G.I.C. In
1984 he was licensed by Pine Hall Baptist Church, and ordained
in 1984 by the Rowan Baptist Association of NC. He served in
various capacities with churches around the world. He was a
deacon, a Sunday school teacher, served in prison ministries,
nursing home ministries, senior citizen ministries, and mental
hospital ministries. He served as pastor of the Zion Baptist
church for two and a half years (March 1985-September 1978)
while stationed in Mannheim, Germany before being transferred.
During that pastorate he was a part of the founding member
churches that formed the first Baptist Association in Europe.
After retiring he enrolled as a full time
student, and received his Bachelor degree from Fayetteville
State University, majoring in Criminal justice graduating Cum
Laude in December 1995. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity
degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center,
Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta, Georgia,
graduating in May 1998 with honors and was inducted as a
Benjamin Elijah Mays Fellows; his concentration was pastoral
care and counseling. He is a graduate of Drew University where
he received his Doctor of Ministry Degree (class of 2012), and
his dissertation was on developing a governing document for the
church that keeps it connected to its Baptist doctrine, and
tradition.
After his seminary studies he went on to
serve as the Assistant to the Pastor for Congregational Care,
and Pastoral Counseling at the Lewis Chapel Baptist church in
Fayetteville, North Carolina under Dr. John D. Fuller Sr., who
was then the President of the General Baptist State Convention.
He subsequently served as the Assistant to the President &
Executive Secretary Treasurer of The General Baptist State
Convention of North Carolina Inc., for three years. He
temporarily served as the Acting Executive Secretary-Treasurer
for a period of three months. Additionally, he performed duties
as an associate editor of The Baptist Informer an
organ of the General Baptist State Convention. He along with his
wife lectured for the General Baptist State Convention Congress
of Christian Education. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP, a
member of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the CEO of
Spirit, Body & Soul Inc. a non-profit 501c3. He formally served
on the board of Habitat for Humanity.
In April of 2003 he was called to serve
as the Interim Pastor of First Baptist Church of High Point,
North Carolina the oldest Black church in the city organized by
former slaves. He served in that capacity for six months and was
formerly elected to serve as its senior pastor. He subsequently
had the church placed on the National Historic Register. He
briefly served as the third Vice-Moderator, and as Co-Chairman
of the Ordination Council of the Rowan Baptist Association, and
he now serves as its Treasurer. In October of 2009, he accepted;
and assumed the position of Senior Pastor of the Morning Star
Missionary Baptist Church in Winston Salem, NC. Under his
leadership the church started a renewable Scholarship Fund
awarding up to $4,000.00 to undergraduates over the
course of four years, a community garden, partnered with
Kimberly Park Elementary school in the back pack feeding
program, and also partnered with Forrest Park Elementary School
in the Book Worms reading program. Dr. Leach
currently serves as the treasurer for the Ministers’ Conference
of Winston Salem & Vicinity, and the treasurer of the Rowan
Baptist Association. He is happily married to the former Ms.
Charolette Geraldine Hagan, who is an ordained minister. They
are proud parents of 5 children, (Malisha, Christopher, Denise,
Jason, and Dennis Jr.) and doting grandparents of 3
grandchildren (Jaeylyn, Jermaine, and Chloe).