KJ Ellington

In his 20's, KJ was confronted with 1 Timothy 3:16 and it radically changed his world.  He fell in love with the word of God.  In 2001, after marrying his high school sweetheart, he attended Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute (now Fruitland Baptist Bible College) and earned an associate degree.  Afterwards, KJ returned to Granville County, NC, where he had grown up, and worked for the Granville County Sheriff's Office, and served as associate and then interim pastor at Concord Baptist Church in Creedmoor, NC. 

In 2005, KJ and Sharon went on a short term mission trip to help a church start in Manhattan, Montana, and God used that experience to confirm a call to ministry in Montana.  By the end of 2005, Jordan Community Bible Church in eastern Montana had called KJ to be their pastor.  

KJ truly loved serving in Montana, pouring into the community where he served as a volunteer EMT, and board member of the nearby pregnancy crisis center.  KJ also served with the Montana Southern Baptist Convention as a member of the executive board, as vice president, and a term as president of the Montana convention.  KJ was also able to earn a bachelor's degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary while serving in Montana.

KJ has felt that his call in ministry was to serve in small isolated places.  The kind of places that have a hard time attracting a pastor.  Jordan Montana, the most isolated county seat in the lower 48, was one of those places.  KJ and Sharon served in Jordan for 16 years, and both of their children, Jeremiah and Elijah, were born in Montana.

KJ watched a YouTube video about some of the challenges of living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and was intrigued.  In 2022, the Ellington family came on vacation and prayed along the Outer Banks from Carolla to Ocracoke, and after much prayer, determined that God was calling them to move to Hatteras Island and start a church in the community of Avon.