Centerview Baptist Church stands on Piney Green Road in Jacksonville, North Carolina, just minutes from the gates of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and its rhythms reflect that setting. The pastoral staff, the music program, and a long list of volunteer ministries are led and shaped by men and women whose lives were formed by decades in the Navy and Marine Corps. Walk into the welcome center on a Sunday morning and you will hear people greet each other by first name, see a shoebox bin for Operation Christmas Child, and find the day's schedule posted in the hub behind the sanctuary. The church describes its mission with three short lines: Worship God the Father, Walk in God the Holy Spirit, Win others to God the Son.
Four Gatherings Every Sunday
Centerview Baptist makes room for everyone with four Sunday services and an hour of Sunday School in between. The 8:30 am service uses traditional music, the 11:00 am service uses contemporary music, and the 6:30 pm evening service returns to a traditional feel. Each service includes music, prayer, an offering, testimonies, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and expository preaching that walks through a book of the Bible chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Sunday School meets at 9:45 am, with classes for everyone from babies through adults.
First-time visitors are encouraged to stay after the service in the hub behind the sanctuary, where members are happy to show new faces around. There is no dress code; some people dress up, others come casual. Visitors are never singled out, and a guest information card is offered only to those who want one. The 11:00 am service is the gathering for the deaf community, with ASL interpreting provided.
Military Roots, Pastoral Hearts
The senior pastoral team carries an uncommon blend of military and academic credentials. Lead Pastor Dr. Michael Schwalm was born in Detroit in 1953, came to faith at age ten, and served as a Navy officer from 1970 until his retirement as a Commander in 1998, including fifteen years supporting Marine Corps units. He stepped into Centerview as interim pastor on November 27, 1997, became full-time pastor on May 1, 1998, and later earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Executive Pastor Dr. Mark Thompson retired from the Marine Corps in 2010 as a Master Gunnery Sergeant after twenty-eight years of service and two deployments to Iraq. He came to faith in 1985 in Okinawa, has served in the church as a Sunday school teacher, Awana leader, deacon, and bus director, and was ordained as a gospel minister at Centerview in 2010. His Doctor of Education from Southeastern focused on marriage enrichment for military couples and families. Associate Pastor Lanny Carr oversees prayer and spiritual development; he teaches algebra, leads the Gospel Project adult class on Sunday mornings, and prepares tax returns through AARP in his off-hours.
The leadership roster also includes Denise Thompson as Children's Ministries Director, Jennifer Hall as Little Lambs Preschool Director, and Jean Hines as Deaf Ministries Director.
What Centerview Believes
The church describes itself as Southern Baptist in denomination while emphasizing a broader Christian identity. The stated vision is to be an Acts 29 New Testament church in Jacksonville, obedient to the Great Commission through worship, discipleship, evangelism, ministry, and fellowship. The church teaches that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the authoritative standard for faith and conduct; that God exists in three equal persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, rose bodily, ascended, and will return in glory; that all people are fallen in Adam; that genuine faith is the Spirit-given response of repentance and trust in Jesus Christ; and that every believer is permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit and called to a life of obedience and Christ-likeness. The church points to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as a fuller articulation of its beliefs.
Set Apart Youth and Awana for Kids
Children and students are at the heart of Centerview's calendar. Set Apart Youth (S.A.Y.) is the church's youth ministry for grades 7 through 12 and meets in a dedicated Youth Center. Students gather for Sunday School at 9:45 am, for Awana on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, and for a Wednesday night meeting that opens with hang time at 6:00 pm and Bible study from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. The summer brings Sunday Night After Church (S.N.A.C.), a themed evening of food, games, and Bible study from 6:30 to 10:00 pm, plus a week of summer youth camp that has included service projects in New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Children in kindergarten through sixth grade use LifeWay's Explore the Bible at 11:00 am and The Gospel Project at 9:45 am, with both curricula covering the same concepts in the same week so kids hear the same Bible story twice in different ways. Wednesday evenings include Children's Choir (grades 1 to 6) and Pee Wee Choir (age 4 through kindergarten) from 6:15 to 7:30 pm. Awana runs on Sunday evenings throughout the school year for preschool through high school, combining Bible memory, small group time, games, and crafts.
Little Lambs Preschool
The Little Lambs Preschool Ministry cares for children from birth through age five during the Sunday School hour, the 11:00 am service, and the 6:30 pm evening service. The preschool's mission is to introduce young children to Jesus Christ in a safe and loving environment. Parents are asked to volunteer about one hour a month, and rooms are cleaned and sanitized each day with strict health standards for sick children. First-time families are encouraged to tour the facilities with the director and to arrive early for check-in, with parents asked not to revisit once children are dropped off so little ones can settle in.
Centerview CORE and Senior Adults
Centerview CORE serves members ages 50 and up with connection, purpose, and faith formation. The JOY Group meets at 11:30 am on the first Wednesday of each month in the Fellowship Hall for a shared meal, fellowship, and an activity. CBC Crafters meets from 9:00 am to noon on the first Saturday of each month for crafts, conversation, and community. Hands and Feet is the CORE service arm: a ministry that organizes meals during difficult times, home repairs, transportation, companionship, care packages, and other practical acts of mercy. The senior adult Sunday School classes include the Etta Mae Bible Study for senior ladies and the Pioneers (Joe Barnette) class for senior men.
Wednesday Nights and Mid-Week Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at Centerview are a full family affair. The prayer meeting and Bible study gather at 6:30 pm, the marriage class led by Pastor Mark meets at 6:30 pm in Sanctuary Room 101, the youth meet in the Youth Center, children gather for choir practice, and the Victory Over PTS support group meets in Adult Center Room 204 for guided support and a confidential space for those recovering from trauma. Men's Bible study is offered twice on Thursdays, at 6:30 am led by Robert Perry and at 6:30 pm led by Buck Painter, and a men's breakfast fellowship gathers at 8:00 am on the first Saturday of each month. Women's Bible study meets on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings, with childcare available.
Celebrate Recovery, Counseling, and DivorceCare
Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night as a Christ-centered recovery program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Dinner opens the evening at 6:00 pm, with praise and worship following at 7:00 pm. DivorceCare is offered as a thirteen-week support series meeting on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The church also maintains a counseling ministry in which the pastors are available to walk with members through life's struggles using the Bible as their guide.
Deaf Ministry and ASL at the Eleven O'Clock
Centerview Baptist Church supports the deaf community with ASL interpreting at the 11:00 am worship service and through a Deaf Ministry led by Jean Hines. The vision of the ministry is to reach out, share the gospel, and provide opportunities for spiritual growth among the deaf members of the church and the surrounding community.
Visitation, Sunday School, and Sunday Morning Classes
An adult Sunday School hour is offered at 9:45 am with several classes meeting across the campus: Senior Ladies and Senior Men using LifeWay materials, two Gospel Project classes covering the Bible as a whole and ninety-nine essential doctrines, a Japanese Ladies discipleship class, and a Women of Worship class for women of all walks of life. The Visitation Outreach Team meets at 6:30 pm on Tuesdays in the church office to reach out to those who have recently worshipped with Centerview.
Bible Reading, Sermons, and Live Broadcast
The church publishes a monthly Bible reading plan to help every member read through the Bible in a year and produces a podcast and video archive of recent sermons. Preaching series have included Sermon on the Mount, a walk through Genesis, Back to the Basics, God's Perfect 10: Obeyed and Obeyable, Revelation: He Makes All Things New!, Romans: From Wrong to Right!, and A Journey Through Ephesians: Sit - Walk - Stand. The Sunday morning worship services are livestreamed at 11:00 am, and giving is available online, by text to (910) 400-1347, or in person. Centerview Baptist Church is also active on Facebook and Instagram, with announcements, sermon updates, and event details posted through the Church Center app.