The Senior Pastor of Wise First Church of God in Wise, Virginia is Rev. Ben Murphy. Pastor Murphy was born in West Frankfort Illinois, the son of Margaret and Harry Murphy. He attended the Heights Church of God in West Frankfort. As a teen, he was president of his local youth group. He began singing bass in the high school choir his freshman year, and later began singing with gospel quartets around the Southern Illinois area. In 1969 he met Diania Rowland. On Valentines Day in 1970 they were married. One month later, Pastor and Diania attended a Revival Meeting and dedicated their lives to working for Christ. Pastor Ben felt his call to the ministry, and in the fall of that year he and Diania moved to Houston, Texas where they would attend Gulf Coast Bible College to prepare for the ministry. While in Houston, Pastor Ben served as music director at Spring Branch Church of God in Spring Branch, Texas. While serving in this position, Pastor Ben decided that his call from the Lord was in the field of music. After two years in Houston, Pastor and Diania moved to Gas City, Indiana. Pastor Ben became music leader at The First Church of God In Marion, Indiana. Eventually, the Murphy’s moved back to West Frankfort. It was in West Frankfort in the late 70’s that they formed a gospel group called Discovery. Discovery traveled and sang gospel music for the next six years. In 1986, Pastor Murphy again sensed the moving of the Holy Spirit in his life. He knew that the Lord was again calling him to serve n the ministry of pastoral leadership. After consultation with the gospel group and with a pastoral mentor, he accepted his call to pastoral ministry and accepted a call to the West Side Church of God in Murphysboro, Illinois and became their bi-vocational pastor. Two years later, Pastor Ben was called to a full time pastorate in Jasper, Alabama. Three years later, Ben and Diania accepted the call to Longview Church of God in Vinemont, Alabama where they remained as senior pastors for the next six years. Then in January of 2000, Pastor was contacted by a search committee from Wise First Church of God. In July of 2000, Ben and Diania Murphy were installed as pastors of Wise First Church of God. Ben and Diania are the parents of two children. Daughter Dawn is married to John Hays and lives in Evansville, Indiana. Dawn and John have three children, Hannah, Rachel and Sophie Grace. Son Derek lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Emily and daughter Ella.
