Staff & Leadership

We have a passion for people, our county, and our world. Our culture and leadership is characterized by worship, the love of God, and a genuine call to ministry. These core values have been shaped by our rich history of great co-workers and energy; always pressing forward in our call to love God and love others.

  • Ronnie McLean

    Senior Pastor

    Born and raised right here in Richmond County, our pastor has lived in Rockingham practically all of his life.  Ronnie was raised with parents who took him to church where he began to hear the gospel at a very young age.  In August of 1977, Ronnie gave his heart to Jesus Christ and was born again.


    As a 1978 graduate of Richmond Senior High School, Ronnie enjoyed going to work and dating Karen Williams.  Ronnie eventually married that high school sweetheart on November 21, 1981.  They have four children: Grace (Brandon), Amber, Hannah (Christian), and Taylor.  They also have three grandchildren (Cade, Wyatt, and Savannah Joy) who they love spending time with.


    Before becoming the Senior Pastor at Freedom, Pastor Ronnie served as Associate Pastor for five years.  He has always had a deep love for the people of this congregation and has said that it has been one of the greatest blessings of his life.  "The greatest part of our church is its people," says Pastor Ronnie.


    As a graduate of Liberty University, Pastor Ronnie continues to learn, teach, and preach the Word of God on a weekly basis. He has a passion for the Lord and desires that all people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.


    In his spare time, Ronnie is an avid reader and collector of books, loves to hunt, and spend time with his family.


     

  • erin yarborough mcnair

    minister of music

    MINISTRY TEAMS COORDINATOR

    Erin has been involved in church ministry her all of her life.  Her earliest memories of church were alongside her mom and dad while they learned songs of praise and ministry with their traveling music group, Joysong.  They also served as active youth leaders, choir members, children's choir director, and sound technician in our local church.  She was taught at a very young age the joy that comes from serving the Lord with a grateful heart.


    "I believe my call to ministry first came around the same time as my call to teach," says Erin.  While her first experience of leading worship came from summers of Vacation Bible School, she remembers an encounter with Darlene Zschech during her first year of college that changed her life.  "I was raised on contemporary Christian artists of the 90's like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patti, Steven Curtis Chapman, and many more.  Their music is the music of my childhood.  However, the first time I saw Darlene, I knew I wanted to be just like her.  I began reading everything she wrote.  I bought clothes that looked like the ones she wore on the Hillsong albums so that I could look like her as a sang in the praise team each week at my church.  Then I met Darlene.  That was such a different experience than what I expected.  She was so soft spoken and gentle and immensely powerful all at once.  She was one of the most genuine people I think I've ever met.  I knew that it was the Holy Spirit who absolutely radiated from her.  You could almost smell it on her!  I went to that concert wanting to be more like Darlene, but I left wanting to be more like Jesus because THAT was the example she set right before my eyes."


    Erin is a 2003 graduate of Richmond Senior High School and completed her Bachelor's of Music in Education and license to teach from Methodist University in 2008.  After 11 years teaching in the public school system, her new classroom is in her home each day as she cares for her family.


    In 2006, thanks to a very fortunate post office mix-up, she met Trey, the boy-next-door (literally!) and married him in 2009.  They welcomed an energetic, music-loving, dancing little girl named Nora in February of 2013.  Nora was promoted to big sister in January of 2019 when "rainbow baby" Melody Claire was born.  Erin is the happiest when she is singing and spending time with her family.

  • Jeff James

    Youth Pastor

    Jeff James is a native of Albemarle, NC where he grew up serving as a member of West Albemarle Baptist Church.  When he graduated high school in 2007, he moved to Nashville, TN where he completed his certificate for Automotive Technology at Nashville Auto Diesel College.  During this time, he reconnected with a childhood friend, Heather, through the magic of facebook.  As a soon-to-be graduate, Jeff was looking for a job and found one in Rockingham at Griffin Toyota where Heather's dad would be his boss.  Heather and Jeff later married in May of 2012.


    "I would say I always felt drawn to student ministry after I graduated high school because my youth pastor was a huge mentor to me," says Jeff.  After serving in the student ministry of Freedom in various leadership capacities over the years, he felt God's calling to be a student pastor.  Jeff has a huge heart for the student ministry of Freedom.  He officially became a member of staff as Interim Youth Director during the summer of 2017 but has been serving faithfully during his entire membership at Freedom.


    When he's not working on ministry things around Freedom, he enjoys snow boarding, playing drums in our worship team, and anything related to the Carolina Tarheels.  He and his wife have one little miracle baby girl named Ivy Rae.