Gary has a passion to teach, motivate and encourage others through God’s Word. His Life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all Thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”

Ordained as a Minister in 1991, Gary has served in various capacities at West Monroe Baptist Church and first Baptist Church Indian Trail – East Campus. He has also served as Pulpit Supply for several churches across North and South Carolina. Prior to joining Lakeview as Associate Pastor in September of 2019, he served first as Pulpit Supply, then as Interim Pastor at Lakeview.

In February of 2024, Gary was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma located on the tongue. In April of 2024, he underwent major surgery to remove the cancer by removing one-third of his tongue, then having his tongue reconstructed during the same surgery. Twenty-five days after being discharged from the hospital, he began the first of thirty radiation treatments. Today, Gary continues serving the Lord and giving Him the praise for that which the Lord has brought him through! This has become a very important part of his story God continues to write.

Gary is married to Debbie Humbles Underwood. They have been married for 52 years. Debbie is retired from the Union Conty Public School System. She is a musician and soloist. She has coordinated and led Praise and Worship Teams, Ensembles, and Choirs. She currently selects and coordinates the music for the Praise Team and selects, coordinates the music, and leads the Adult Choir here at Lakeview. She enjoys teaching her weekly piano students in her home. Debbie is a partner in various church-life ministries with Gary. They have one child, a daughter – Misty who lives in Lancaster, S. C. Misty and her husband, Michael, have two sons, Gavin and Justin.

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