President of Southern Methodist Church to visit Crystal Springs Feb. 19

Rev. Walter R. Pigott, president of The Southern Methodist Church denomination, will visit Crystal Springs on Feb. 19.
He will deliver the message at 11 a.m. during the morning worship service at Wesley Southern Methodist Church, located at 1002 North Bennett Street. The public is invited to the service to worship and to learn more about The Southern Methodist Church denomination. For additional information, may call 601-946-8165.
Rev. Pigott (Bro. Rick) grew up in the Pine Springs community just outside of Meridian. Around the age of 11, he began to attend Pine Springs Southern Methodist Church. The church nurtured and discipled him throughout his youth as he worshiped, studied, and participated in the Epworth League.
As a rising junior in high school, Pigott surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ on a Sunday morning in July, under the revival preaching of Rev. Frank M. Beauchamp. From that point forward, everything about his life was transformed. He served in various capacities of the Pine Springs church.
Later, he married his wife, Gale, and he graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in marketing and management.
After his marriage and following college graduation, he began working for Burlington Industries in their junior management program. Five years later, the Lord called him into the ministry through some very unusual circumstances, which validated the genuineness of the call.
For eight blessed years, Rick and Gale served the members of the Antioch SMC in the Martin community near Collinsville. A particular blessing was that several of the members of Antioch were in his high school graduating class
Through a chain of unusual events, the Holy Spirit led the Pigotts to move to Hattiesburg. They served the Wesley SMC for 35 incredibly-blessed years.
Presently, Rick and Gale have been called by the Lord, affirmed by The Southern Methodist Church membership and the Holy Spirit, to move into a different area of service. Since August 2022, Rev. Pigott has been serving the Lord in the capacity of president of The Southern Methodist Church at the denomination headquarters in Orangeburg, S.C.