Thurlow and Lynda Switzer

Thurlow grew up in the parsonage, the son of Pastor James and the late Irene Switzer. He was saved at the tender age of 5 years and called to the gospel ministry at 14 years of age. At 16 he preached his first sermon and at age 18 began to function as assistant to pastors. Thurlow trained for the ministry at Baptist Bible College and Seminary in Maryland and Clarks Summit in Pennsylvania, earning a Th.B. degree and a B.R.E. degree.

(marriage to Lynda and...) wey raised 4 sons who are married and each one actively serving God and 11 grandchildren.

Early in his ministry, he and his wife Lynda were home missionaries and church planters with the Fellowship of Baptists for Home Missions. In 1967, at the age of 23, he became the missionary pastor of a church in Latham, near Albany, New York. The church grew from 10 people to 200 people in 4 years. During this time he organized a regional fellowship of independent churches, started the Albany Baptist Bible Institute, and actively functioned in youth work ministering at monthly youth rallies and summer camps.

In 1972, Thurlow and his wife moved to Montgomery Village, MD, and became the apostolic pastor of Northgate Community Church, and is currently serving as the lead pastor.

In February 1979, after 14 years of traditional ministry experience, Thurlow received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues and a release into the gifts of the Spirit. This experience opened his heart and life to the empowerment and benefits of revival and God’s overflowing grace in the life of a pastor and the life of each child of God. Thurlow led his wife, family, elders, deacons, and the congregation to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

As Lead Pastor, Thurlow served as founder and president of the Maryland Federation of Church schools, helping lead the battle for educational freedom for home schools in the State of Maryland during the 1980’s. From 1982-1991, he founded and led Montgomery County Covenant Academy, a Christian high school, as well as serving as part of the senior apostolic team for the New Covenant Churches, a pioneering New Testament fellowship of 25 churches in Maryland.

From 1988-1993, Thurlow shepherded a Maryland statewide fellowship of churches, and in 1993, he also founded and led the Coalition of Mobilized Ministries in Montgomery County, northwest D.C., a vibrant Church-of-the City fellowship of pastors and churches crossing over many streams and denominations, a fellowship that continues to this day. In the early 1990’s, Thurlow was the Dean of Academics and later, President of the Messiah Biblical Institute and graduate School of Theology, a ministry of Tikkun Ministries, a Messianic Jewish mission.

Thurlow was prophetically declared to be an apostle with the laying-on-of-hands by a presbytery of leaders in 1981, while he continued to pastor Northgate Community Church and to develop a New Testament and apostolic church model, thoughtfully maturing in apostolic understanding and ministry. In 1993, while continuing to be part of Northgate's pastroal team, Thurlow began ministering apostolically in other congregations.

Thurlow and his wife Lynda have given themselves for 40 years to teach and preach God’s Word in a logical, graphic, and relevant way that builds up God’s people, and helps them become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thurlow and Lynda jointly teach marriage, parenting and family life, and in the discipleship of believers. He is also the president and apostolic team leader for Living Grace Ministries, ministering to the Body of Christ as an apostolic teacher, preacher, church planter, and assisting other pastors and leaders in the work of the ministry.