Michael Avants

Brianna, Angela, Mike, & Christopher Avants

Mike Avants has served at Temple as the Associate Pastor for Student Families since July 1, 2007.  Mike and Angela are natives of SC, and they are thrilled to serve in the Golden Strip area.  Mike and Angela were married on April 18, 1992 after Mike enlisted into the US NAVY after graduating from Woodmont High School.  Mike and Angela are the proud parents of Christopher and Brianna.

After his military service Mike began to strongly sense that the Lord was calling Him to totally surrender himself to Him. On May 1, 1994 Mike did that, and then soon began to deal with the pressing call of God to full-time ministry. On Father's Day, June 15, 1995, Mike made public that he and Angela were accepting God's call to Youth Ministry. The couple has not looked back since.

After graduating North Greenville University with a B.A in Christian Studies, Mike enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he graduated in December of 2004 with a M.A. in Christian Studies, Student Ministry.

As a student at Southwestern, Mike served as the Student Minister at Alsbury Baptist and served two years on the steering committee for the seminary's Youth Ministry Lab. The last of which Mike served as one of the Co-Captain leaders.  After seminary Mike and family moved to Savannah, TN as the Minister to Student Families at Mount Hermon Baptist Church. While in Savannah, Mike worked to build a network of student ministers in the area, and eventually served as the Shiloh Associational Youth Minister.  Mike also worked with the local schools as a sponsor, assisting with crisis intervention, and as a football team chaplain.

During Mike's time at Temple the Lord has blessed. The Student Ministry has seen numerous student baptisms and average attendance grow.  There have been great spiritual gains, as well as teenagers have become eager to take their faith to the streets around TBC.  Mike has worked hard to be active with the schools in the Golden Strip area, as well. Mike currently serves as the Spiritual Coordinator for the Hillcrest High School football team, and he serves on the Board of Directors for the Greenville Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Mike loves Clemson Tiger sports, playing golf, vacations with the family to the mountains or beach, and he never expects to leave what he believes is "the best kind of ministry ever"; student ministry.