Cody was born in the great metropolis of Rabbittown, Alabama. Good luck finding that on a map! He grew up with his two sisters in rural Alabama, where most of his childhood was spent outdoors: roaming, riding dirt bikes, and camping. An adventurer at heart, Cody has never been short on stories, and he loves to tell them.
During the awkward years of junior high, Cody found refuge in the local church. The love and kindness he encountered there led to his conversion at age 14 and sparked a passion for the local church that has shaped his life and ministry ever since.
He and Megan were high school sweethearts, and they married during their junior year at Jacksonville State University in 2007. That same year, Cody also began his first full-time ministry assignment at the First Baptist Church of Talladega as minister of youth and recreation.
In 2008, Cody and Megan relocated back to the Anniston area, where he served as Student Pastor at Hill Crest Baptist Church. During this time, he completed his undergraduate degree and developed a deep passion for pastoral leadership, expositional preaching, and life-on-life discipleship. He later went on to graduate from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with his Master of Divinity, focusing primarily on biblical counseling.
Cody began serving as Lead Pastor of Iron City Baptist Church in 2013, at the ripe age of 27. Over the past twelve years, the church has experienced revitalization, set new attendance records, and earned a reputation as a missional, disciple-making congregation.
Believing that healthy, long-tenured pastors help build healthy churches, Cody is passionate about encouraging and equipping fellow pastors. He has led local pastor huddles for mentoring and served on the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions’ Discipleship Lead Team, helping leaders make disciples in their unique contexts.
Cody and Megan are the proud parents of three awesome kiddos: Gracie Kate (13), Sara Eliza (9), and Josiah (5). They also have a diva German Shorthaired Pointer named Ceecee (9).
During the awkward years of junior high, Cody found refuge in the local church. The love and kindness he encountered there led to his conversion at age 14 and sparked a passion for the local church that has shaped his life and ministry ever since.
He and Megan were high school sweethearts, and they married during their junior year at Jacksonville State University in 2007. That same year, Cody also began his first full-time ministry assignment at the First Baptist Church of Talladega as minister of youth and recreation.
In 2008, Cody and Megan relocated back to the Anniston area, where he served as Student Pastor at Hill Crest Baptist Church. During this time, he completed his undergraduate degree and developed a deep passion for pastoral leadership, expositional preaching, and life-on-life discipleship. He later went on to graduate from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with his Master of Divinity, focusing primarily on biblical counseling.
Cody began serving as Lead Pastor of Iron City Baptist Church in 2013, at the ripe age of 27. Over the past twelve years, the church has experienced revitalization, set new attendance records, and earned a reputation as a missional, disciple-making congregation.
Believing that healthy, long-tenured pastors help build healthy churches, Cody is passionate about encouraging and equipping fellow pastors. He has led local pastor huddles for mentoring and served on the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions’ Discipleship Lead Team, helping leaders make disciples in their unique contexts.
Cody and Megan are the proud parents of three awesome kiddos: Gracie Kate (13), Sara Eliza (9), and Josiah (5). They also have a diva German Shorthaired Pointer named Ceecee (9).
Dear Orchard Family,
God used the local church to show me His love at a time when I didn’t know where I belonged. Ordinary believers, simply loving an awkward kid, changed the course of my life, and eventually, my family’s. That experience ignited a deep passion in both Megan and me for the local church, a passion that has shaped our lives and ministry for the past twenty years. We are convinced that every step of our journey has been God’s way of equipping and preparing us for this next season with you.
We have seen the Lord’s fingerprints in every aspect of this process, and He has affirmed in our hearts that we are being called to serve Him with you at the Orchard. That assurance fills us with joy and great anticipation for what He will do in the days ahead.
When I first read the description of The Orchard, it felt like something I could have written myself. There was an immediate sense of connection and shared vision. The more I learned about your values and culture, the more excited Megan and I became to lay down our lives with you for the Orchard’s mission to make disciples. We were never searching for a job. We were searching for a family, and we truly believe we’ve found that in you.
Thank you for considering me as your next Lead Pastor. Our family is eager to get to know you more, and we are filled with hope and excitement about the possibility of serving Christ together for many years to come.
In Christ,
Cody Hale
God used the local church to show me His love at a time when I didn’t know where I belonged. Ordinary believers, simply loving an awkward kid, changed the course of my life, and eventually, my family’s. That experience ignited a deep passion in both Megan and me for the local church, a passion that has shaped our lives and ministry for the past twenty years. We are convinced that every step of our journey has been God’s way of equipping and preparing us for this next season with you.
We have seen the Lord’s fingerprints in every aspect of this process, and He has affirmed in our hearts that we are being called to serve Him with you at the Orchard. That assurance fills us with joy and great anticipation for what He will do in the days ahead.
When I first read the description of The Orchard, it felt like something I could have written myself. There was an immediate sense of connection and shared vision. The more I learned about your values and culture, the more excited Megan and I became to lay down our lives with you for the Orchard’s mission to make disciples. We were never searching for a job. We were searching for a family, and we truly believe we’ve found that in you.
Thank you for considering me as your next Lead Pastor. Our family is eager to get to know you more, and we are filled with hope and excitement about the possibility of serving Christ together for many years to come.
In Christ,
Cody Hale
Megan is a native of Ashland, Alabama, home to what Sports Illustrated once ranked as the nation’s top high school football rivalry. She holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Jacksonville State University. For the past 17 years, she has faithfully taught kindergarten and second grade, and has managed to put up with Cody for 18 years. Her latest pursuit is mastering the perfect sourdough crumb. Cody affectionately calls her “the calm to his storm,” and she finds great joy in opening her home to their church family.
Gracie Kate (13) loves good music, good food, and big crowds. She has eclectic interests and loves to decorate. She likes to go by GK and is always up for an adventure. GK enjoys singing on the praise team and the school choir. She’s in the eighth grade.
Sara Eliza (9) is always upside down practicing her tumbling. She knows how to enjoy a quiet day to herself, but can also be the life of the party. She likes to go by her full name, Sara Eliza, and enjoys all things fancy. The beach is her jam, and dancing is her favorite. Sara Eliza is in the fourth grade.
Josiah (5) is into all things boy. He loves golf, dinosaurs, and tractors. His favorite Daddy Day activity is visiting motorcycle shops and sitting on all the different bikes. He can be a little shy at first, but it doesn’t take him long to warm up to new friends. Josiah just started kindergarten!
- I’ve hiked the full length of the Smoky Mountains on the Appalachian Trail.
- I’ve met the King of Swaziland.
- I eat three birthday cake Oreos every night after dinner.
- I picked up two hitchhikers who were escaped convicts on the night I preached on the Good Samaritan.
- I am ALWAYS up for a road trip! Last year, our family spent a month out west in four national parks.
- I preached five days in Africa with a ruptured small intestine.
- Knowing God by JI Packer
- Desiring God by John Piper
- Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
- Ordinary by Michael Horton
- Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
