Lone Star Baptist Church, located at 6101 Potts Creek Road, welcomed Reverend Donald Earwood Jr. as their pastor on May 1, 2004. Since then, Earwood and his wife, Donna, have played an integral role in the church and the community they call home. Now, twenty years later, Lone Star is celebrating Earwood’s faithful service to their church.
Reverend Donald Earwood Jr. and the love of his life, Donna, celebrated yet another milestone this year. 2024 not only marked Earwood’s 20th anniversary to Lone Star Baptist Church, but also his 25th/silver anniversary to Donna. The loving couple shares a daughter named Maggie, who just finished up her junior year of college at Regent University.
This Sunday, April 28th, Lone Star will be hosting a celebration dinner at the church immediately following the 11am service. The dinner will be given in honor of Reverend Donald Earwood Jr. and his family for their faithful ministry throughout the years and in celebration of Earwood’s 20th anniversary at the church.
Reverend Earwood first came to Lone Star Baptist after serving as an Associate Minister at Villa Heights Baptist Church in Roanoke for 15 years. He holds a Masters degree from Midwestern Theological Seminary and an undergraduate degree from Bluefield University.
As such, he has been in full-time ministry for the past 35 years, with the last 20 serving as Lone Star’s Pastor. When he first came to speak to the church about taking on the position as pastor back in 2004, Earwood was in awe of the beauty of the Alleghany Highlands. One member of the church still remembers the way Earwood’s wife looked out of the picture window in the parsonage at Potts Mountain and said, “This is where God wants us to be.”
Of course, the people are ultimately what drew the couple to the area. According to Reverend Earwood, “Being here for 20 years, you make deep friendships. You become a part of the community. I have had the joy of seeing children and youth grow up and had the privilege to perform their weddings. However, it also means I have officiated many funerals of great friends,” Earwood said. “We are so thankful that God called us here. The people in our church are so special to us. We are a family. The people in our community are wonderful, too. We are truly blessed and we look forward to more years together.”
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.