WHO ARE WE?
Founded in 1904, Thunder Swamp Church is the oldest Pentecostal Holiness church in the Mount Olive, NC area. We are proud of our heritage and excited about our future. Our name comes from our location at 1519 Thunder Swamp Road. We have deep roots and a big heart for God and our community. Our worship services are traditional but flexible and open to contemporary styles.
OUR VISION
By God’s grace, we will be a multigenerational church of fully committed disciples of Jesus.
Rev. Robert Justin Tyler Spell serves as Pastor of Thunder Swamp with a heart to love and serve people as Jesus would.
He has been active in ministry since 2010, beginning on the praise team and in children’s ministry. In 2022, he became Youth Pastor before stepping into his current role as Lead Pastor. Though he felt called to ministry in high school, it was in 2018 that he clearly recognized a call to pastor and began pursuing his credentials through the International Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Pastor Justin is passionate about building a church where people genuinely care for and support one another. He values community, connection, and living out faith in a real and meaningful way.
He and his wife, Kristen, have been married since August 3, 2013, and are raising their three boys…Ryan, Logan, and Colton.
Outside of ministry, Justin enjoys staying active, spending time with family, and learning, especially when it comes to history. He has a particular interest in the RMS Titanic sinking and loves researching and understanding the details behind it.
A verse that continues to guide his life and ministry is Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Rev. Justin Spell
Our Pastor
Music Director
Stuart Burnham
Stuart has been the pianist at Thunder Swamp since 2014, and the choir director since 2018.
Born and raised in Spokane, WA, he relocated to North Carolina to attend Wake Forest University, where he double-majored in English and piano performance, and went on to earn a Master's in Musicology from Stanford University.
Stuart's full-time job is teaching AP English and music appreciation at Wayne Country Day School in Goldsboro, NC. He and his wife, Tammie, live in Mount Olive.
