welcome home: Mike Cauthorne named gwathmey's new lead pastor

Gwathmey Baptist Church in Ashland, Virginia is honored to announce the arrival of its new pastor, Michael Cauthorne.                 

Pastor Mike Cauthorne returns to Gwathmey where he was raised, baptized and served as youth director before receiving God’s call to enter the ministry fulltime in 1999.  He will serve as the church’s fourth fulltime lead pastor since its founding in 1892.   

Gwathmey will be the third church Cauthorne will serve as a lead pastor.  After ten and a half years of youth ministry at Winns Baptist Church in Elmont, Mike and his family felt a calling from God to plant his first church. In 2009, CenterPoint Church was established in Mechanicsville, Virginia. In 2019 Mike and his family again obeyed God’s call, planting Resonate Church based in Midlothian, VA. 

“It’s truly a blessing from God to be able to return to my home church after receiving God’s call to step away twenty-three years ago,” says Cauthorne. “There are so many new families calling Ashland home, and the area is continuing to grow. It’s my prayer to see Gwathmey become a light in the community.” 

Mike and his wife Ingrid have been married for 28 years. They are proud parents to four children: Eric (in Heaven), Hanna (age 25), Jasmine (age 22), and Caleb (age 20). Mike has a Bachelor of Science in Religion, Master of Divinity, Master of Scared Theology, and just completed his dissertation for his Doctor of Ministry from Liberty University. Ingrid has a Master of Education in School Counseling and works as an elementary school counselor in Richmond City. 

In addition to his role as lead pastor, Cauthorne is also the head of the Richmond Chapter of the Liberty Church Network, a network of local churches who are committed to advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ and making new disciples. 

Pastor Mike’s favorite quote is “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer while his favorite Bible verse comes from 2 Timothy 2:2, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” 

The first opportunity to meet Pastor Mike and his family will be this Sunday evening, October 31st, beginning at 5:30 p.m. during the church’s annual Fall Festival.  This year’s event will include a trunk-or-treat, moon bounce, games, food and more. 

Cauthorne’s first service as lead pastor will be November 7th beginning at 11 a.m. followed one week later by in installment service on the 14th, also beginning at 11 a.m.  All of the church’s Sunday morning worship services and Wednesday night bible study are streamed live on the church’s Facebook page and archived also on YouTube.