TODD & MICHELLE WOOD
Todd felt called to ministry in 7th grade and surrendered his life to go where ever God led him. In 1987, while serving as a mission team volunteer in Ocean City, Maryland, God confirmed to him that one day it would be resort ministry. Some 15 years later, he would begin serving in Myrtle Beach.
Upon finishing high school, Todd went on to Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, TN to receive a degree in Communication Arts. He then went to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX to receive his Masters Degree in Religious Education. In 1994, he began to serve on the staff of First Baptist Church Maryville, TN as Minister of Youth and later Minister of Recreation. In 2000, he left FBC Maryville and began serving in Newnan, GA with Sonrise Baptist Church to develop a recreation ministry at this new church plant. In 2001, Todd applied with the North American Mission Board to serve as a Resort Missionary.
In November 2002, Todd began serving as a Resort Missionary with the North American Mission Board, South Carolina Baptist Convention, and Waccamaw Baptist Association in Myrtle Beach. He continued to develop this ministry that had been created as Grand Strand Ministries more than 50 years ago. In 2009, this ministry came to an end with its current partnerships, but it was reborn in 2010 under the new name of IMPACT Ministries with a board in place of local pastors and lay leadership. Todd has continued to develop this ministry and follow God’s leadership. With great expectation, he waits to see what new door God opens tomorrow so he can continue to share the Good News!
Peter Copeland
Peter Copeland is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and a very proud alum of Charleston Southern University (GO BUCS). He has been in Christian ministry since 2000. With prior summer experiences as a student missionary, in both college and seminary, Peter began his work full-time with resort ministry in 2007. He served seven years in resort ministries in South Carolina and Georgia before making his way back in the summer of 2018 to Impact Ministries.
In December of 2013, Peter married Chelsea Copeland, formerly Coleman, of Woodstock, Georgia. She is a graduate of Leavell College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Chelsea brings in ministry experience with students, children, and marriage and family counseling.
Peter is also a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with his M.Div. in Christian Education. In May of 2018, he completed his Ph.D. at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Christian Education. His dissertation was “An investigation into the effectiveness of facilitating short-term summer mission trips and summer camps on transformational discipleship.” Peter serves as an online Christian Studies adjunct professor for Truett-McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia. In addition, he leads chapel services each Sunday at Apache Family Pier and Campground.
Christy Morris
Christy has felt called to serve oversees as a missionary from a very young age. The passion to serve was there, but God had not opend this door for her until 2014 when we began the All Nations Cafe'. Who knew that God would bring the International Mission field to her.
Each summer, more than 4,000 J1 visa students come to Myrtle Beach from around the world to work and live in our city. Christy coordinates this ministry of more than 15 local churches who come together 3 nights a week to feed these students, offer bikes to ride all summer, play games, teach them English, talk about safety, protect them from sexual trafficing and to share what it means to have a relationship with Christ.
Christy has also partnered with the City of Myrtle Beach to now offer a weekly orientation to these students seeing hundreds of them walk through the doors of the church, most for the first time. During this training the students can learn more about bike safety, housing, jobs, and about the All Nations Cafe'.
If you are your church would like to serve in the cafe', please give Christy a call or send her an e-mail.
