Wally Odum
Pastor Wally has led six churches over 37 years of ministry. His father was a pastor and he grew up attending church regularly. After high school he attended the University of Virginia for three years, studying engineering. While there he received a definite call to the ministry and went to Valley Forge Christian College outside Philadelphia. From there he went to Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Even though his background includes regular church attendance, and he is comfortable with anyone having a church background, his passion is to reach those who have not attended church and are looking for a relationship with Jesus outside human religious tradition.

He and his wife, Gwen, were married in 1968 and they have three daughters: Holly, Suzanne and Jill. Jill is currently serving as the worship pastor of OBX Nation. Wally and Gwen have pastored together, with Gwen being an essential part of every church they have served.

Wally's teaching ministry has taken him around the world. He has ministered in conferences and churches in Canada, England, Scotland, India and Australia, as well as extensive ministry in the US. For two years he and his wife lived in Sydney, Australia, ministering in each region of that nation.

They have recently planted OBX Nation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with a desire to reach that community with the good news of Jesus Christ. Wally's teaching style is relaxed and his messages are relevant. Whether or not one is familiar with the Bible, he will find Wally's messages inspiring and helpful.

There are two driving philosophies of Wally's life. First, he is convinced that the Bible answers all the difficult questions we may face. That means that it has to be understood in a practical way. Second, he is certain that the Christian life is the most exciting life possible and will fulfill anyone's desire to be the best he or she can be.

Gwen Odum
Gwen Odum became a Christian at age 7 when Baptist young people showed up at her grandmother's front door and invited her to church. From that time forward her Bible and her relationship with Jesus were essential features of her life.

Though she began seeing Wally while he was in high school, and thought he was going to be an engineer, when he entered the ministry she joined him as a gifted part of his calling.

She is an ordained minister in her own right and has taught around the world. Ministering in the US, England, Scotland, Canada and Australia, she has inspired and challenged audiences with her testimony of growing up in a troubled home and her insights into the Bible. Her clarity of expression and her gentle spirit have made her an effective Christian leader.

She takes great delight in her family and her daughters, Holly, Suzanne and Jill are her great joy. Gwen's strong sense of loving attention for her family has been extended to her church family as well. OBX Nation is, in many ways, part of her passion to see others come to know Jesus as she has known Him through her life.

By pastoring OBX Nation along with her husband, Wally, she brings a richness of wisdom, love and compassion that helps to make the church a warm, inviting place for those who attend.