Meet Our Pastor

Pastor PJ Pallini

PJ Pallini grew up in rural upstate New York. At 11, a friend invited him to join them at Heritage Baptist Church in Palmyra.

There PJ heard an invitation for the Gospel for the first time. He quickly responded and received the Lord that day.

In the following weeks, PJ strove to learn and do God’s will in his life. He attended church as often as he could, tried to resist temptation, pray, and read God’s word.

A few short years later PJ went to Mt. Salem Revival Grounds. There he was called to preach.

During these adolescent years, PJ suffered from severe epilepsy, which limited what he could do. The epilepsy later subsided, but PJ grew distant from the Lord as he sought to make up for what the epilepsy caused him to miss.

Despite this, the Lord was gracious to bless PJ with a wonderful wife, Missy, and a child. However, it was only then that he realized how far he had distanced himself from God. That realization impressed upon PJ the need to recommit himself to the things of the Lord.

PJ took advantage of every opportunity to be involved in ministry. But it pained PJ to think that he had forfeited the call to preach.

Several years and three children later, PJ found peace that God was still calling him. Shortly thereafter, he experienced the most tangible expression of the Holy Spirit in his life. God made it clear to PJ that His Will was for him and his family to uproot all that they knew by going to Bible college.

The next three years challenged the Pallini family in almost every way. But the Lord enabled the family to endure and to succeed. PJ earned a degree in pastoral theology from Hyles-Anderson College. He graduated as valedictorian. The family also had their fifth child.

PJ served over a year in the Better Roads Recovery Ministry men’s home. He also served as Assistant to Pastor John Wilkerson of First Baptist Church of Hammond. Though the work was fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging, there grew an unsettled spirit within PJ. God still wanted him to be a pastor.

PJ became pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in June 2019. Ever since, Pastor PJ and his family have been blessed to experience the joy of seeing God move through His church. They are excited to see what God might do next!