Gary Louis Perryman was born January 12, 1967, in Indianola, to Mossetta and Walter Louis Short Perryman.
He is the sixth of nine children: five boys and four girls. Gary attended Indianola public schools and graduated from Gentry High School in 1985.
He sang in the choir from elementary to high school.
During his high school years, he played football, ran track and played summer-league baseball as well. Gary met the love of his life in high school.
“A cheerleader by the name of Earnestine Bush from Moorhead stole my heart and never gave it back,” he shared while blushing and chuckling. They were married December 19, 1987, and have been married 36 years.
After high school, Gary attended college at Thee Jackson State University (JSU); he left JSU in 1987 to join the United States Navy where he served six years and eleven months. While in the Navy, he served as a gun mount captain in Operation Desert Storm onboard the USS Wisconsin BB-64, a battleship used in World War II and the Korean War.
Gary became a Navy recruiter until his health failed; he has been medically retired since. After the military, he worked various jobs around the city of Jackson, where he relocated to after retiring from the military. Gary worked at a security company, Frito-Lay, and finally the U.S Postal Service for twenty-seven years.
After moving to Jackson in 1993, Gary spent a few years in and out of the hospital being treated for Crohn’s disease, which ended his military career.
During his sickness he found himself seeking relief from suffering, so he attended worship services at a small, store-front church in Jackson by the name of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church. “Before the pastor preached his message, he was compelled to open the doors of the church. I took that as the invitation to change my life and it did,” shared Gary humbly.
Gary served as a member there for two years when he received a call from God to preach.
His Crohn’s was in remission, and he was coming home to the Delta (Moorhead) once a week to teach a small Bible study group of nine adults.
After a year Bible study grew to about 30 to 40 adults, and Earnestine taught about the same number of children.
That’s when he felt that the Lord wanted him to start a ministry, which is now Higher Heights Missionary Baptist Church. Their daughter, Arleshia, was four, turning five, and attending private school.
“My family sacrificed a lot to support my calling. But never once did they complain,” Gary said with sincerity.
After starting Higher Heights, Gary went back to school to continue his education. He went to McKinnley Seminary in Jackson, Reform Seminary also in Jackson, and Colorado Theological Seminary where he finished with a degree in ministry.
Gary has always believed that learning is a never-ending cycle and that the sky is the limit to what one can achieve.
“My goal in ministry is to build a strong community through the teaching of Christ. Since our beginning, the church has made a great impact on the community we serve,” he said passionately.
The church takes annual cruises; they reward children who excel in school; and they support children academically and athletically with their time and presence.
The church hosts different events in its gymnasium.
Not only that, Gary’s wife and daughter have master’s degrees, and many of the members have degrees and professional careers as well.
In addition to being the pastor of Higher Heights, Gary wears several other hats.
After twenty-three years in fire services, he is the fire chief in the town of Moorhead, a Sunflower County first responder (EMR), a Sunflower County Search and Rescue, District 2 (Inverness) firefighter, a County chaplain, and a member of HALO 67 Tac Team.
As he transitions to retirement, Gary plans to remain in those roles as a volunteer and to devote more of himself to his church, family and community.
“Especially my grandson, Gary Terrell Moore, who shares my love for fishing,” he shared.
The saying that drives Gary in life is, “Give life the best of you, and receive the best that life has for you.” His ultimate goal as a pastor is to connect people to the true love of God for their lives and bring about the peace of God to his people. “Giving hope to others is my personal reward,” Gary said passionately.
