Pastor Charles Dudley Steps into New Role as HFCC Board Chair and President

Pastor Charles Dudley can still remember the first time he saw the power of Habitat for Humanity to positively impact not only individual families, but entire communities. As a young marine stationed at MCAS Cherry Point, he heard about a Habitat home build in Carteret County and decided to volunteer.

“A few Marines and a bunch of college students as part of the Collegiate Challenge week worked 24 hours a day. That family, a mom and a dad — they had five kids, and one of the kids had a hearing disability,” Dudley recalled. “To be able to build that home and watch the community come together changed my life. I said, ‘Man, this is the way the world should work.’”

Dudley carried that inspiration forward into his later roles as a member of the Habitat for Humanity of Craven County Board of Directors and affiliate volunteer. Now, with the departure of Rose MacNeal at the end of June, Dudley has stepped into an even more prominent role as board chair and president. MacNeal will continue to serve as an advisory director and chair of the Homeowner Support Committee.

A native of Louisville, Ky., Dudley is the Senior Pastor at New Beginnings Ministry of Faith in Havelock, which he and his wife, Marion, founded in 2002. Prior to his work in the church, Dudley served 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including during Desert Storm/Desert Shield. He has also lent his time and talents to organizations including Coastal Community Action, the Sheriff’s Advisory Council, and the Craven Community College Foundation Board.

“It comes down to community relations, finding out who else in the community does what we do and being able to work together,” he said. “I see my responsibility as maintaining those relationships, building new relationships, and changing people’s lives.”