Rev. Carleton J. Giles

Interim Pastor

 

Rev. Carleton J. Giles, Vice President-at-Large of the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention is a native of Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York; the son of the late Marguerite and Jack Giles. He received his early Christian training and upbringing in the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton, the Community Baptist Church, Southampton and through the Eastern Baptist Association of the Empire State Baptist Convention, New York. Upon arriving in Connecticut for his life’s work as a police officer in Norwalk, Connecticut, Giles joined and worked with the Grace Baptist Church, Norwalk under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Richard H. Wood.  Since coming to Connecticut Giles has been active in the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention and has served several administrations in many capacities.  He was the first Moderator of the New Haven Baptist Association, now Levite Association and has served the Convention as First Vice President.  Giles, for many years was the leader of the Associates in Ministry Division and taught many ministers in this arena the value of faithfully serving a senior pastor.  Giles has a long, rich history in our State serving for six years prior to his call to pastoral ministry as director of youth ministries and assistant to the pastor at Grace Baptist Church, Norwalk. He went on to serve the First Baptist Church of Milford as its Senior Pastor for 17 years which also found him serving simultaneously for two years as Interim Pastor for United Presbyterian Church, Milford; a position which he held again from 2018-2020.

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In March of 2007, after a distinguished pastoral career in Milford he was called to serve as the Interim Pastor of the Zion First Baptist Church, Middletown, Connecticut. In 2008 after much prayer and consideration, the congregation voted to call the Rev. Carleton J. Giles as the sixth pastor of the Zion First Baptist Church, Middletown, Connecticut. Rev. Giles retired from Zion First Baptist Church, Middletown in December 2022. Giles continues to make a lasting contribution to our state through his leadership in the Body of Christ as an unselfish ecumenical leader. Rev. Giles is known for his steady hand at leadership and his deep knowledge of traditional Baptist polity and practice. He has also served the Mount Zion Baptist Church, Norwalk on at least two separate occasions as a pastoral advisor/interim pastor while they were searching for a permanent minister, the Community Baptist Church, Southampton and the First Baptist Church, Bridgehampton as well.  It was Giles who in 2018 presided over a historic vote at First Baptist Church, Bridgehampton where they called the first female pastor in the ninety-five-year history of the church.   After 33 years of exemplary service with the Norwalk Department of Police Service, Giles was appointed in 2013 by Connecticut’s Governor to become a member of the State’s Board of Pardons and Paroles for which he now serves as Chairman.  Giles holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Safety Administration, a leadership certificate from Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta Georgia, and several graduate credits from Yale Divinity School.  We look forward to having Rev. Giles serve Calvary as Interim Pastor.