Hello and welcome! This site was originally created to help in the search process for a ministry position, but now serves as a place for anyone to find out a little more about who I am as a minister, especially as the founder and lead-teacher of Simple Servant Ministries / God’s Word Made Simple.
Short Bio:
I was born an Army brat in California, but grew up mostly in Charleston, SC. I have also lived in Colorado, Maine, Kentucky, and Indiana.
I was blessed to have a Christian mother and was saved as a child. At sixteen, I committed my life to vocational service through the church and the Lord graciously began using me in whatever context I was in (Eccl 9:10a, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might”). In these circumstances, the Lord has led me and others into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. This is truly a constant source of joy and delight!
I studied hard and worked a lot as a teenager and young adult and went to Trident Technical College from 2000 through the summer session of 2001. I transferred to North Greenville University in 2001 and graduated in 2004 with a BA in Christian Studies. I can’t say enough positive things about North Greenville; this degree prepared me very well, both for practical ministry as well as deep theology. After North Greenville, I assisted with a church plant in Maine and then returned home to South Carolina. I began working as an electrician with Palmetto Residential Electric in 2004 and in 2005, I began classes at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I joined Ninth and O Baptist Church and dedicated myself to practical ministry and theological study. I also served as an intern and director of the media ministry. I continued working as an electrician during breaks and graduated from Southern with an M. Div in counseling in December of 2009. After graduating I served as a transitional / interim pastor in a few different churches. In February of 2012, my wife and I moved back to South Carolina to work and prepare for the next step in ministry. While seeking the Lord’s will, I worked as an electrician and served as the transitional pastor for St. Johns Baptist in Pinopolis, SC and helped them re-constitute the church and call a full-time pastor.
After much prayer, we followed the Lord’s leading to pursue bi-vocational ministry for a season as a way to build the Kingdom, reach the world, and utilize the gifts and talents the Lord has given us during this time. The Lord allowed us to use my passion for teaching to open a martial arts studio. I have been teaching martial arts since 1996 and am blessed to be considered an expert. Through the studio we were able to reach people that we would not normally have been able to reach through vocational ministry, while serving at The Church at LifePark in unofficial capacities. While I thoroughly enjoyed this season, the Lord never removed or relaxed the desire to be in vocational ministry. During this time, the Lord continued equipping me, giving me skills, knowledge, and resources through the business world that are well beyond typical ministry training. In August 2018 the Lord directed us to sell the business and once again pursue full-time vocational ministry. In late 2019 the Lord directed us to serve as the Senior Pastor at Reevesville Baptist Church and we officially began serving in January of 2020. In January of 2022 the Lord directed me to begin a doctoral program at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to earn a DMin in Discipleship. We are as excited as ever to see how the Lord will use us to serve His Kingdom!
Family:
I married the love of my life, Michelle, in 2008. We met at Ninth and O Baptist Church and the rest is history, as they say. She was born in Iowa, but grew up in Indiana. She is the second of seven children. She attended Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL, earning her BS in Nursing. After graduating, she moved to the Louisville area to work as an RN in one of the hospitals and has continued working as a nurse. She is also a very talented harpist. Her interests include cooking, scrapbooking, music, and craft projects. In 2014 we were blessed with a little boy whom we named Joshua and again in 2018 with a little girl whom we named Emily.
My Heart:
One of the greatest joys and interests in my life, beyond growing in intimacy with Christ, is that of studying people and spurring them on in the Lord. I’m very passionate about authenticity and transparency and work hard to maintain my integrity. I desperately love deep conversation and communication, free from pretense and deceit. I’m a strong believer in genuine discipleship, both in being discipled and in discipling others. We ought to be fed and to feed others; after all, no man can lead well if he is not first a good follower (Matt 20:25-, Mark 10:42-45). I also believe very strongly in teamwork. Finally, I’m very doctrinally and practically oriented. I believe in studying the Bible with all of my heart. I want to know it intimately and completely. Yet, I do not believe in studying for the sake of knowledge alone. Rather, I believe true knowledge will be fleshed out in life and thus, I love taking the Word of God and bringing it to the real world, where the rubber meets the road. To the core of my being, doctrine without devotion is dead!
The Lord has given me both the desire and the abilities to serve and minister to His people, being one who shares their pains, trials, joys, and celebrations. I am committed to help others come to know Christ, to know Him more fully, to enable them to learn and exercise their spiritual gifts, and to equip them for effective ministry at home and around the world. Above all, He must increase, I must decrease!
Ministry Experience:
- Senior Pastor – Reevesville Baptist Church, Reevesville, SC, January 2020 – Current
- Plant Team Member – DeepWater Church, Isle of Palms, SC, August 2018 – April 2019
- Life Group Leader, Safety Team – LifePark Church, Mount Pleasant, SC, January 2014 – August 2018
- Pastoral Intern – Suburban Bible Church, Highland, IN, December 2010 – October 2011
- Transitional / Interim Pastor
- El Bethel Baptist Church, Milltown, IN, February 2010 – July 2010
- St. Johns Baptist, Pinopolis, SC, July 2012 – December 2012
- Worship and Fine Arts Intern – Ninth and O Baptist Church, Louisville, KY, June 2008 – May 2010
- Additional ministry experience available upon request.
Miscellaneous Information:
- Founder and Executive Director of Simple Servant Ministries
- Chief Instructor and Owner of Capital Karate in Mount Pleasant, SC
- Martial Arts Instructor holding 5th Degree Black Belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate and in American Freestyle Karate, as well as other ranks
- Electrician and general handy-man
- Build and repair computers and basic networks
- Other interests include woodworking, shooting, photography, music, racquetball, archery, volleyball, etc
My Current Resume:
Aaron Hawk – Ministry Resume – 202401
-additional references available upon request
God’s Word Made Simple – Examples of Teaching
While I can tell you things like my philosophy and teaching style, which I do below and on the Videos and Information page, the best way to understand how I teach is to check out my online ministry God’s Word Made Simple!
For additional resources and videos, visit the Videos and Information page or see below!
Preaching, Teaching, and Prayer:
Leadership and Vision:
Care and Counseling:
Discipleship and Education:
Philosophy of Ministry:
A Simple Servant 