Rev. John Hedgepeth has been a pastor for more than forty-eight years. Before coming to Northwood Temple Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1968, he pastored in Whiteville, North Carolina, and in the Princeton-Goldsboro area. His 42 years of service at Northwood Temple have been marked with phenomenal success. He has seen the church grow from 100 to over 4,000 members, with hundreds of ministries and outreaches that serve the local community, as well as countries around the world. His ministry includes the establishing of schools, churches, and medical and optical teams in foreign countries.

A popular educator and motivational speaker, Pastor Hedgepeth holds degrees from Emmanuel College and a Bachelor of Science degree in English and History from East Carolina University. He and his lovely wife, Fay, have three children and six grandchildren.