Mitchell Wayne Flora

Wayne Flora, D.Min., is becoming a beloved and prolific author, his first published work, Deep, Dark, Black Hole: A Christian Pastor's Story of Mental-Emotional Collapse and Survival, has become quite a 'classic' in the eastern region of North Carolina. It shares the story of his experience of clinical depression experienced in 2006. It has opened conversation among believers and especially among ministers, a conversation that is so needed among believers in Jesus Christ.

His second book published in 2021, Faith Sees: Divine Ability to See in the Dark, is a delightfully-witty and movingly-emotional study of Christian faith, presenting many 'parable-like' stories that illustrate faith in a very understandable way. For diligent students of the Word, Flora offers an academic study of the history and doctrine of the Christian faith upon which believers in Christ build their confidence in the Word!

Flora is presently working on his children's series, Kid Virtues, as author and artist, and hopes to have his first book out by late Spring. The book is entitled, Big Like a Pig: Kid Disciplines. He looks forward to placing many books "on the shelf" in the coming years, and thereby, leaving a legacy of his faith to his children, grandchildren, the Church, and the Kingdom of God!

Dr. Flora was the founding pastor of the University Church of God (retired) in Greenville, North Carolina, from 1988 - 2014. He recently resigned as Coordinator for the Ministerial Internship Program in Eastern North Carolina, having served nineteen years as chair, and on the board since 1992. He has recently served as the chairman of the state’s Church Planting Consultation Team and is presently member of the State Council for a fourth ensuing term. Says Flora, “One of the most rewarding experiences in life is the challenge and joy of seeing rich returns on personal investment into the lives of others!”

University Church of God, noted to be “A Growing Church of Caring People,” had been Pastor Flora’s most devoted venue of pastoral calling and service. Having watched the church grow from its humble inception of 18 persons to a healthy status of 250 actively-engaged attendees, he dedicated over 60 infants born into the life of the church! A diverse and broad-aged spectrum of loving parishioners, University Church of God had been family to Pastor Flora, wife, and their children for twenty-six years.

This year Pastor Flora is celebrating 47 years of marriage to his dear wife, Lou, whom he declares to be his strength and courage. She has also served and is now retired from Vidant Health in Pitt County, North Carolina as Senior Secretary for 31 years. North Carolina. He and his wife have two wonderful children and six grandchildren. They believe family is their first and highest model of authentic, caring ministry.

Pastor Flora graduated from Lee College (now Lee University) in 1979 with a B.A. in Biblical-Historical Studies and a minor in New Testament Greek. He completed his Masters of Divinity at the Church of God School of Theology (now Pentecostal Theological Seminary) in 1983 with emphasis in Pastoral Care and Counseling and Christian Education. He holds an AA in Retail Marketing and Business Management from Pitt Community College (1994). He completed his Doctorate of Ministry in 2002, awarded from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia with primary emphasis in leadership development and missional intentionality. Having retired from pastoral ministry, he is now teaching for Lee University in the biblical studies and pastoral ministries departments of their Division of Adult Learning Online and the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in the department of church administration and leadership, both schools in Cleveland, TN. He is also serving as Staff Chaplain and Funeral Director at his son-in-law’s growing funeral businesses. He enjoys preaching across the state and conducting Marriage Enrichment and Prophecy Seminars.