Pastor James Gailliard on Building a 5,000-Member Church Focused on Pointing People to Jesus

James Gailliard shares how God led him from Philadelphia to Rocky Mount, where his church grew from a living room gathering to more than 5,000 members—impacting nearly 10% of the community.

from GodTube.com and Maina Mwaura

Published Apr 02, 2026

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From the moment one drives onto the campus of Word Tabernacle Church, located in Rocky Mount, NC, it’s clear that the church has one mission, which is to point people to Jesus Christ.

Pastor James Gailliard is clear that the reason God brought him from Philadelphia to the quiet and sleepy town of Rocky Mount was to uplift Jesus and bring people to him. In a sit-down interview with Crosswalk/Salem Media, Gailliard opens up about his passion and desires as a pastor, along with how the church grew from being in his living room to a membership of over 5,000 in a town with a population of 54,000 people. Yes, almost ten percent of the town’s population call Word Tabernacle their church home.

This video originally appeared on GodTube.com

Originally published April 02, 2026.

MAINA MWAURA is a freelance writer and journalist who has interviewed over 800 influential leaders, including two US Presidents, three Vice-Presidents, and a variety of others. Maina, is also the author of the Influential Mentor, How the life and legacy of Howard Hendricks Equipped and Inspired a Generation of Leaders. Maina and his family reside in the Kennesaw, Georgia area.

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