Dr. Gary Carnahan

Gary was born in Rochester, NY where his father served as a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene. In the first eight years of his life he saw all the snow and ice that he would ever need to see for the rest of his life! To this day Gary prefers warm climates… like Hampton. Gary’s family moved to Baltimore where his father’s position as a district superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene gave him a wide understanding of the church. Growing up Gary wanted to be an electrician. The call to ministry in his senior year of high school changed all his plans.

Gary attended Eastern Nazarene College and majored in Psychology. It was at college he met his future wife. After college he served as a youth pastor in the Washington, DC area where he became familiar with the issues faced by people in the military. Three years later Gary went to Nazarene Theological Seminary to obtain a M.Div. with a concentration in religious education.

For eight years following seminary Gary became pastor of Arlington First Church of the Nazarene where he was immersed in ministry to an area full of students and military. While he was in Arlington a very unique church developed with people from fourteen different language groups.

After eight years in Arlington, Gary accepted the call to pastor a Nazarene church in the Philadelphia area. The Collingdale Church of the Nazarene had a reputation of being innovative so it was a good fit for him. During his years at Collingdale the church specialized in evangelism and church planting. Four new churches were planted and the church’s racial mix shifted to reflect the changing community. During this time Gary received a Doctorate of Ministry in church renewal.

In 2009 Gary began his ministry at the Hampton Church of the Nazarene.

“Thirty years prior to receiving the call to Hampton I drove through the area on my way to teaching a seminar in Chesapeake. I was instantly attracted to the area and am glad I finally get to live here. I love the warm climate and the rich history of the area. A great day off for me is time to read on one of the areas great beaches. Besides beaches and books, I love baseball, bicycling, and presidential biographies”.

“People have never used the word conventional to describe my approach to the ministry. Despite my heritage in the church, I’m always looking for the best way of reaching people with the gospel. If you become a part of our church I hope to be available to you as a pastor and as a friend”.