Charles M. Biggs

Reverend Charles M. Biggs was born February 18, 1960, in Pahokee, Florida.  As a teenager, he dreamed of growing up and revitalizing his small, country town. In the Jim Crow south, those dreams seemed impossible. But they were powerful dreams nonetheless, and they inspired his future endeavors.  

In 1978, he received a basketball scholarship to Florida A & M University. While basketball paid for his education, he majored in Civil Engineering, still hoping to help people in his hometown. As a freshman at FAMU, his run-and-gun Rattlers ran up a 28-7 record and were the talk of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC).  

Ironically, the team’s great record may have completely changed the trajectory of young Charles’ life. Their beloved coach, Ajac Triplett,  accepted an offer to coach at another MEAC school, Delaware State. FAMU’S next coach brought a slow-down, passing style and he clashed personalities with some of his players.  The team plummeted to a 7-22 record.  Charles left FAMU after that sophomore year.   

Still seeking to help and serve people, and hoping to see more of the world than just Florida, he enlisted in the US Air Force.  His appetite for new experiences immediately began to be quenched. After a short stint in Georgia, where he developed a desire to explore his environment, Charles transferred to Incirlik Air base, Turkey.  Living in a predominately Muslim country with a rich cultural history was perfect for a young man looking to explore.  Being able to walk the lands where the Apostle Paul travelled instilled an appreciation of Christianity he still holds today.  

Curiosity served him well. Charles followed that tour with a stint on Luzon Island, Philippines and a fateful assignment to downtown San Antonio in 1985. Here, he was surprised by the city’s strong African American culture as he attended local churches. When a friend’s best man had to drop out of his wedding, the friend asked Charles to step in.   As they prepared for the wedding, he couldn’t help but notice, of all the women there, one stood out. Loretta Scruggs was strong, soft-spoken, and an accomplished singer who would perform at the wedding. He modestly asked her to pin on his corsage. They later dated, got engaged, and were married in 1992.  

When his sister-in-law, Constance Berry, invited the couple to Mt Gilead Baptist Church, they found a church home. They joined Mt Gilead, where he was ordained as a deacon and was called to ministry in 1998. Two years later, he retired from the Air Force and began working in the Information Security industry.  

In 2003, God called him to pastor Mt Olive Baptist Church in Kerrville. He remained bi-vocational until 2008, when he gave up a potential second retirement income to become pastor at St. Stephens Baptist Church. His desire for exploration, his passion for helping others, and his unwavering faith in the Lord have richly blessed his life, his family and all of us at St. Stephens. To God be the Glory!