Pastor Mike Higgins became a Christian in 1978 at a small, storefront Pentecostal church in Saint Louis.  At the time, he was a college student enrolled in Army ROTC.  After graduating with a BA in Biology, he was assessed as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery and sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course (FAOBC).  After completing FAOBC, Pastor Mike was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery at Fort Riley, Kansas.  During this tour, he served as a Fire Support Officer as well as a Battery Executive Officer, Battalion Fire Direction Officer and Special Weapons Officer.

While at Fort Riley, Mike was ordained in the Kansas East Jurisdiction of the Churches of God in Christ (COGIC).  He then served as associate pastor of the Mount Zion COGIC in Manhattan, KS.   His next permanent duty assignment was to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery at Friedberg, Germany (Ray Barracks).  During this tour, Mike served as Battalion Motor Officer and Battery Commander.  While in Germany, he also served as a church planter for COGIC and assisted in planting churches in Friedberg and Mannheim Germany.

In the fall of 1989, Pastor Mike left Germany and was assigned to the Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  During this tour, he served as a Leadership and Effective Communications Instructor and as the Operations Officer for the Deputy Assistant Commandant. While at Fort Leonard Wood, he also served as a pastor to the fort’s Gospel Service.

Pastor Mike left the active Army in 1992, and returned to Saint Louis to attend Covenant Theological Seminary in pursuit of a Master of Divinity degree.  While attending seminary he became a Chaplain Candidate, and in 1994, he completed the Chaplain Officer Basic Course at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.  Mike completed his seminary studies in the spring of 1996, and was received into the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) through the Tennessee Valley Presbytery in the spring of 1997.  He was commissioned a PCA Chaplain (MAJ) in the winter of 1999.  Mike is now a Chaplain (Colonel) assigned to the United States Army Reserve Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia.  Mike was awarded the Legion of Merit for his duty performance while serving as the Chief of Family Programs for the FORSCOM Chaplain’s Office (2004-2008).

Pastor Mike has served as the Associate Pastor of New City Fellowship in Chattanooga, TN and presently serves as the Senior Pastor of Redemption Fellowship (PCA) in Fayetteville, Georgia.  Mike has been married to his friend Renee for thirty (30) years, and they have two very funny and musical daughters, Mary Yvonne who resides in Chattanooga, TN and Michelle Joanna who resides in Saint Louis, MO with her husband Sean.  Mike’s family is a recipient of “The Great American Family Award” from Nancy Reagan; and Mike and Renee were awarded The Honorable Order of Saint Barbara and Molly Pitcher Medal respectively for their contributions to the Army’s Field Artillery community.  To God be all of the Glory for the things that He has done.