Orchard Family,

We are thrilled to announce that Cody Hale has been affirmed as the new Lead Pastor of The Orchard Church! After a season of prayer, discernment, and interviews, the elders and Personnel Ministry Team unanimously nominated Cody as the final candidate. On Sunday, August 17, our congregation voted to confirm that call. We believe the Lord has uniquely prepared both Cody and The Orchard for this moment, and we are eager to see all that God has in store in this new season together!  
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).
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