Our Staff
Meet the Pastor and Family
Woody was an Army “brat” born in Germany in 1960 and was raised in North Carolina, Georgia, and Colorado. He enlisted in the Marines in 1977 and served mainly in the Pacific Rim and Far East until he retired in 2000. He has served as Pastor at Memorial Baptist Church since retirement. He is married to the former Dolores Mallari Balajadia from Concepcion Tarlac Philippines. They were married in Southern California in January 1983. Their Daughter Katherine was born in Orange, California in October 1983 and their son Robert was born in Kailua, Hawaii on November of 1987. Woody, received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1981 in Okinawa ,Japan through the work of , Christians in Action Missionaries, Jerry and Karlyn Ehrhardt. From the beginning the Lord called Woody to the Gospel Ministry and he served consistently in Churches until God called his family to Memorial in April of 2000. Woody and Dorie's(Dolores) greatest joy is to see people's lives transformed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Meet Our Pianist
Robert B. Swain Jr., (a.k.a "Jay") was born in Jacksonville, NC to Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Swain Sr as an only child.
His father was a musician who played guitar and sang in local country bands and his mother was a local
choir director. When Jay was ten years old, he started playing along side his father. When he became
a teenager his music abilities grew as he began playing in church, displaying his many talents on
such instruments as drums, bass guitar, a little bit of banjo, and piano. Jay then started playing
and traveling with local southern gospel groups throughout his college career. He opened up for such
artists as Karen Peck, The Perrys, The Greens and the Down East Boys. He also had the privilege to
travel to Nashville, Tennessee to participate in a talent contest for the National Quartet Convention.
While in college, he played with the Hager Twins(from the Hee Haw Show). Also while attending
college, Jay performed at the Palace Show in a theme park called Tweetsie Railroad, in Boone,
North Carolina. Then he received an associate degree in music. In 1996 and 1997, Jay directed
and produced his own Christmas Show in Swansboro, North Carolina. For one season, Jay also
played piano for the Crystal Coast Jamboree in Morehead City, North Carolina. Jay comments:
"Some of my talent I consider to be something that I learned. The majority of my talent is a gift
from God, for which I am very thankful. It is a blessing for me, and I hope to others, and hope that
God has been able to reach people through the music he allows me to play." Jay resides in Swansboro
along with his wife Angela and their two boys, Jason and Aaron. Angela is our Website Manager,
Prayerchain Coordinator, Congreational Song Leader beginning October 2010 and one of our choir members.
Our Church Secertary / Adult Choir Director/ Music Leader
Rachel Sanders
