REV. GIL WISE

Senior Pastor

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Gil grew up in Black’s Chapel Methodist, in rural Cumberland County.  The son of Jack Wise
and Louise Collier he has been a resident of eastern North Carolina all his life.  He is a graduate
of Methodist College (1983), Duke Divinity School (1988) and was awarded a Doctor of
Ministry from Solid Rock School of Theology in 2011. He has served in a variety of ministry
settings over the past thirty years.  He began as a camper at Camp Rockfish, served as a camp
counselor, camp assistant director and chairperson for the Conference Camping Commission. 
He served on Annual Conference Staff.  He served in student field setting placements at
Maysville, Hopewell, High Falls, Fair Promise, Cool Springs and Carbonton United Methodist
Churches.  He served as associate pastor of Fayetteville Community Church: a non-
denominational congregation.  He served Buie, Parkton, Zion and The Rock United Methodist
Churches before planting Solid Rock United Methodist Church in 2001. Solid Rock grew to
incorporate 4 other small membership churches in Community, Mt. Ariel, Woodland and
Spring Lake United Methodist Churches that formed a team supporting ministry to over 7,000
persons in area around Ft. Bragg. From 2013-2021, Gil served on the Bishop’s Cabinet as
District Superintendent of the Beacon District where he led 85 churches and supervised over 65
pastors.
Gil has a heart for the rural church. He has been a leader in the Duke Endowment Thriving
Rural Churches program.  It is his belief that reclaiming the movement of Methodism will
reconnect all our churches, regardless of size or location, to a calling that is still deep in our
roots.  He believes “We are living in an hour of unprecedented outpouring upon the church of
Jesus Christ that we might fulfill our calling to be a witness to the nations.”
Fulfilling a prophecy spoken over him in 1990, Gil is a part of a new move of God that is
impacting the world. He was instrumental in launching the Global Methodist Church and is a
part of leading the NC Conference of the Global Methodist Church with over 400 congregations
across the state. Gil serves as the Lead Presiding Elder of the Fayetteville District and Dean of
the Cabinet for the NC Conference. He is main role in ministry is a Local Church as the Lead
Pastor of Salem Methodist Church in Eastover.
Gil is married to Linda Trudeau Wise, also a graduate of Methodist College (1983).  She is a
retired elementary music teacher in the State of North Carolina having served for 30 years in 3
school districts across the state.  They have three children: Joel, Benjamin, Elizabeth and 3
grandchildren.