David and Cheryl Morrow
David Morrow is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an Ordained Minister in the Christian Faith. He is a graduate of Campbell University (1990) with a Bachelors of Arts in Religion. In 1997, he graduated from Southern Seminary with a Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling. David is currently in his twenty-ninth year in the mental health field including ten years working on inpatient psychiatric units, seven years working with children, teens, and their families in a group home setting, and ten years of experience in private practice. Additionally, David is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (ICBCH). He has a certification in bariatric hypnotherapy, which is hypnosis for weight loss and is a certified tobacco cessation treatment specialist. As a Minister, David has served in multiple churches in paid as well as volunteer positions that included Interim Pastor, Minister of Music and Worship Arts and Pastoral Counselor. Currently, David is a full-time pastoral marriage and family therapist at CareNet Counseling East in Greenville, NC. He also has a satellite office in Kinston, NC. In these two offices, he facilitates a little over 1100 sessions with individuals, couples, and families per year. David much prefers to redirect a small problem before it becomes a very large and difficult problem. This is why he wrote, Through Her Eyes: A Man’s Guide to His Wife’s Need for Romance. He asserts that men and women see romance differently, especially after marriage. Helping men address an issue before it becomes an issue is the goal of the book. To relax, David enjoys playing and recording music, playing golf with friends, and spending time with his family
Cheryl Morrow is David’s wife, and she is a 22-year veteran teacher for Craven County Public Schools. She has taught 5th grade, 4th grade, 3rd grade, and is currently teaching 2nd grade. She is a graduate of East Carolina University, and also achieved the distinguished honor of being a national board certified teacher. Her passion today is teaching reading. She recognizes the importance of students developing a very solid foundation in reading because that is the gateway to all other learning. Personally, David and Cheryl are very proud of their blended family. David’s children are Stephen and Amanda Morrow. Stephen is a student at Western Carolina University and is majoring in electrical engineering. Amanda Morrow is a student at Appalachian State University and is majoring in outdoor recreation and minoring in commercial photography. Cheryl’s children are Caitlyn and Caroline Sutton. Caitlyn recently graduated from West Craven High School and is planning on pursuing a career as a dental hygienist. Caroline is a student at West Craven High School and is a co-captain of the JV cheerleaders. David and Cheryl are active at Holly Hill Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Fruitful Vine Family Ministries
David and Cheryl met through the dating website www.christianmingle.com. Even though they were both scared, the mutual attraction was so very exciting. At the conclusion of their very first chat, which lasted 5 1/2 hours, they agreed to exchange phone numbers. During the course of the next week, they spent 27 hours talking on the phone and obviously did not sleep much at all that week. David states “During those conversations, we shared the joys and struggles of our individual histories. We shared our hopes, dreams, and fears. I even played my guitar and sang for her. We prayed together. It was obvious to both of us that God had a plan for us that involved each other.”
Those initial conversations were the infancy of Fruitful Vine Family Ministries. David continues: “We both have a real heart for people, and we recognize that a marriage that uses Christ as it’s model of unconditional love is the foundation of a loving healthy home.” The mission of Fruitful Vine Family Ministries is as follows; Fruitful Vine Family Ministries will create Christian oriented products and services that will assist couples to identify issues that invade their intimacy, develop skills to overcome those struggles, and openly embrace the idea that they are each other’s fruitful vine. Fruitful Vine Family Ministries is based on Psalm 128. This entire psalm is a word picture that describes God’s idea of family, and verse 3 states “You wife is like a fruitful vine within your house …”. When the psalms were originally written, most people were either farmers or shepherds. If are a farmer, and you have a fruitful vine growing WITHIN your house, you understand that to be a tremendous resource. You also know that you must provide the right environment in which your fruitful vine can grow. David shares: “One of my pastoral counseling professors, Dr. Leigh Conver, frequently quoted Dr. Andrew Lester, a retired pastoral counseling professor, who said “It is your job to do everything in your power to create the environment in which your spouse can grow and become all God created him or her to be.” If you create that environment, your fruitful vine will grow and produce fruit designed by God and ordained just for you. This is the essence of Fruitful Vine Family Ministries.