Meet our Pastor

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Pastor Winston Parrish spent his earliest years surrounded by the life and ministry of Trinity Baptist Church. He attended Asheville Christian Academy until his family moved to the mission field—first in 1997, and again in 2000. His childhood was marked by global ministry, living in Mexico and Costa Rica, and traveling throughout Latin America for church planting, outreach, and missions work. His parents, Dwight and Beverly Parrish, served faithfully for more than a decade abroad, with his father, Rev. Dwight Parrish, leading the mission work. Those early years shaped Winston’s heart for the world, his love for the Gospel, his burden to see the nations come to Christ and a passion for helping people.

After more than 12 years overseas—including six years of language and cultural training at the Instituto de Lengua Español in San José, Costa Rica—Winston returned to the United States to complete his education and pursue a degree in Emergency Medicine. He later earned multiple state and federal certifications and worked for 11 years in Emergency Services and Emergency Management before surrendering to God’s call to  the ministry in 2015. That same year, he joined the staff of Trinity Baptist Church as an Associate Pastor.

Pastor Winston was installed as Senior Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church on October 10, 2021, carrying forward the legacy of his great-grandfather, Dr. Ralph Sexton, Sr., who founded the church in 1966, and his grandfather, Dr. Ralph Sexton, Jr., who pastored for 33 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus. When the transition was prayerfully announced in October 2020, Winston received a unanimous vote of acceptance from the church family.

In his role as Senior Pastor, he provides spiritual leadership grounded in expository, Christ-centered preaching with a steadfast commitment to the inerrant and infallible Word of God. Under his leadership, Trinity is experiencing a renewed focus on discipleship through the rebuilding and strengthening of the Sunday School ministry—creating deeper connection, community, and biblical maturity across every age group.

Trinity remains a globally focused missions church, supporting more than 120 missionaries and ministry efforts in dozens of countries. Winston’s own ministry includes extensive international engagement in more than 30 nations. He has traveled and taught on many Israel trips over the decades, helping believers walk through the land of the Bible and see Scripture come to life. His teaching ministry has also extended to biblical and historical study tours through Italy, Greece, and Turkey, as well as Christian Heritage tours through New England—where he has instructed on America’s spiritual roots, the early colonial church, the Great Awakening, and the biblical convictions that helped shape the nation’s earliest communities.

In addition to his pastoral and teaching ministry, Winston provides logistical support, strategic consulting, and field coordination for churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations involved in missions, humanitarian aid, disaster response, and international relief work. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, he has assisted in relief efforts connected to Ukraine and refugee care in Poland, helping support ministry and humanitarian responses for families displaced by the conflict.

In 2023, following the devastating earthquakes in Turkey, Pastor Winston helped lead a multimillion-dollar relief effort that provided critical aid to earthquake victims. At the behest of the Turkish government, He also led a six-man strike team on the ground in Turkey, helping establish a refugee camp for victims of the disaster and coordinating practical support in the field during one of the region’s most urgent humanitarian crises.

A defining season of recent ministry came during Hurricane Helene, when Pastor Winston led Trinity in an 8 month relief effort for Western North Carolina—mobilizing volunteers, supplies, heavy equipment, emergency response resources, and spiritual care across the region. Trinity became a major hub for relief, recovery, and community support during the crisis. The model of response led through Trinity—uniting local churches, nonprofits, volunteers, emergency management, and government agencies—is now being used as a template for FEMA going forward in how the federal government can more effectively work with nonprofits and churches during times of disaster.

Pastor Winston also serves as Chaplain to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, investing in the wellbeing of deputies, employees, and their families while partnering with county leadership for community improvement.

Fluent in Spanish and trained through The American Bible College and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Winston ministers with a global perspective and a heritage-shaped heart. He is supported in life and ministry by his wife, Miranda, who continues to counsel young women and teenage girls navigating trauma, cultural pressure, and the challenges of life. Together, they welcomed their first son, Theodore, in November 2025—a gift that has deepened their joy and shaped their ministry in profound ways.

Looking ahead, Pastor Winston is guiding Trinity toward a strong and vibrant future through Project 2030, a long-range ministry vision focused on discipleship, expanded ministry capacity, and preparing the next generation to stand firmly on biblical truth. His heart remains steady: to preach Christ, exhort His church, reach the nations, serve those in crisis, and honor the rich heritage the Lord has entrusted to him.