Pastor Reginald Barnes, M Div.
Reginald A. Barnes, Sr. is a native of Smithfield North Carolina, where he completed
his High School Education at Smithfield-
Upon graduation from high school, Reginald attended the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, located in Princess Anne, Maryland. After two years at U.M.E.S., he returned to North Carolina, enrolled in North Carolina A&T State University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Instrumental Music Education.
Upon graduation Reginald began his initial career in education with Broward County Schools, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While teaching in Ft. Lauderdale, he and his college sweet heart, Cassandra Smith, were married.
After three years in Ft. Lauderdale, Reginald and his wife moved back to North Carolina where they continued to be committed to the work of the Lord and served in the ministry at Upper Room Church of God in Christ. During a watch night here, Reginald heeded God’s call to preach the gospel. In response to God’s call upon his life, he enrolled in the Shaw University School of Divinity and earned a Masters of Divinity Degree in May 2000.
In 2003, God opened a door of opportunity for Reverend Barnes that led to his installation as the Senior Pastor of Guildfield Missionary Baptist Church in New Bern, N.C. Shortly after accepting Guildfield’s invitation to shepherd the flock, Pastor Barnes matriculated through catechism classes and was ordained by the General Board of the Old Eastern Missionary Baptist Association.
It has been five years since Pastor Barnes and Guildfield united. Since that time they have seen the Lord deliver lost souls, heal the sick, reconcile relationships, tear down walls of separation and erase all of the Church’s debt.
Pastor Barnes founded Activist for Community Transformation, Inc. that serves as an outreach ministry of Guildfield Missionary Baptist Church. The focus of A.C.T., Inc. is to combat the spread of STD/HIV in the Black Community. For the past two years, A.C.T., Inc. has provided STD/HIV Education and Prevention Training for children and adults throughout the community, sponsored several Health Awareness Fairs, developed partnerships with other agencies throughout the community and screened countless teenagers and adults for STD/HIV.
Pastor Barnes acknowledges that God is his source. However, he also knows that his load is a lot lighter because of the loving, unconditional support of Cassandra, his wife of eighteen years, and their son Reggie, Jr.
