Abe Stratton
Senior Pastor
Pastor Abe came to serve as Senior Pastor at Bethany in March of 2023. He served at Heritage Bible Church in Greenville, SC since 2008 in a variety of pastoral roles, including Pastor of Youth and Young Adults, and most recently as Pastor of Member Growth. His education includes bachelor and master degrees, and a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Abe and his wife Liz are no strangers to our church and community. They met while serving on summer staff at The Wilds Christian Camp, and after their wedding in 2006, Abe joined the staff at the camp while Liz taught at our Bethany Christian School.
Abe and Liz have three children: Asher, Adelaide, and Jianna.
Paul Whitt
Associate Pastor
Pastor Paul grew up in Alabama, but graduated from college and seminary in South Carolina. While in college he met Christie, and they were married in 1990. Paul served as a youth pastor in the Atlanta area for nearly eleven years. In 2005 the Whitts moved to Wisconsin where Paul served on the administration of a Christian college, and as Camp Director of a year-round camp in the northwoods. He also worked a year with Cross Impact, a ministry to local churches in helping them reach college campuses with the gospel, and was called to be Associate Pastor at Bethany Baptist Church in April of 2015.
Paul and Christie have three children: Emily, Alex (and Maddie), and Jackson, and two grandchildren. In his spare time Paul enjoys playing golf, working in his yard, and cheering for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Atlanta Braves, and the Green Bay Packers. He also enjoys coaching basketball, and has 17 years of experience at the college and high school levels, including being the current varsity boys’ head coach at our local Brevard High School.