After five years in sales, Mike Harris ’04 accepted the call to preach the Gospel. While visiting his parents in Dayton, OH, he toured the campus of United and decided he did not need to visit any other schools; United was the right choice. However, he was faced with a dilemma: How could he attend seminary in Dayton, OH, when his full-time job, wife, and kids were all located in Charlotte, NC?

“When God opens a door, you cannot say ‘I hear You, but let me check one more thing…’” he stated as he recounted quitting his job in Charlotte, accepting the offer to become a student pastor, and moving his family into a parish in the Dayton area so he could enter United’s MDiv program in 2000.

Two decades after graduating, Pastor Mike is back in North Carolina, where he serves First UMC in Granite Falls. In September 2024, he and a men’s group returned from an out-of-town retreat to find their community in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a category 4 storm that devastated the southeastern United States. 

In response to the catastrophe, First UMC opened its doors to provide a haven for the displaced. Word spread quickly across social media and the church remained open for more than a week, with people traveling over an hour for shelter, food, power, and even a shower. 

After purchasing frozen pizzas from a local grocery store that first day, Pastor Mike found he didn’t need to make any more grocery runs. Members of his congregation jumped into action to provide meals for their neighbors in need.

Pastor Mike and the congregation of First UMC are always looking for new ways to say “yes” and “thank you” to God, in gratitude for God’s generosity and love. The church runs a “Thank Bank” through which members give out of their abundance. This bank has been the primary source of funding for their outreach ministries.

Pastor Mike credits United’s cultural immersion trip to South Africa for waking up his heart for missions and justice and shifting his perspective on what it means to make others “just feel human.” Saying “yes” to God’s call to seminary all those years ago was just the beginning, and he has continued saying “yes” ever since.