• Home
  • About
  • Luke's Story
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Start Here
  • More
    • Home
    • About
    • Luke's Story
    • Resources
    • Donate
    • Start Here
  • Home
  • About
  • Luke's Story
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Start Here

Executive Director

David Thacker

David Thacker and his wife live in eastern North Carolina and have four children. He serves as Executive Director of Following by Faith and is a Biblical Trauma Certified Coach through Nothing is Wasted. Since 2021, he has served as pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Kinston, North Carolina.


Prior to that, he spent twelve years as Vice President of Eternal Truth Ministries, partnering with churches and walking alongside leaders in their growth. The loss of his seventeen-year-old son, Luke, to cancer greatly changed David’s understanding of grief, faith, and hope. 


Through that journey of pain and growth, he now seeks to compassionately walk alongside individuals and churches navigating seasons of grief, loss, and change, while also equipping others with the tools and understanding to care for those around them facing similar seasons.


If you would like to come alongside our Executive Director through monthly partnership as Following By Faith begins this journey, click the button below.

Support

Board of Directors

Chairman - Trevor Buchanan

Chairman - Trevor Buchanan

Chairman - Trevor Buchanan

Treasurer - Jeremy Brown

Chairman - Trevor Buchanan

Chairman - Trevor Buchanan

Secretary - David Thacker

Chairman - Trevor Buchanan

Secretary - David Thacker

Our History

Following by Faith was founded in March 2026 after the loss of David Thacker’s seventeen‑year‑old son, Luke. During the months that followed, David experienced directly the disorienting heaviness of grief and the surprising ways God meets people in their darkest moments. Out of that journey, came a desire to help others find their way through their own seasons of loss. 


Today, Following by Faith serves individuals and churches by offering compassionate support, practical tools, and a faith‑anchored perspective on processing grief, loss, and change. The ministry exists to help people walk through hardship with honesty, faith, hope, and the assurance that they do not have to walk alone.

Click for Statement of Faith

Connect With Us

  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Walking with you through grief, loss, and change

Mailing Address: 405 N Caswell St. La Grange, NC 28551

Following By Faith Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization • EIN: 41-5128585
View our Candid Profile | IRS Record | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

© 2026 Following By Faith Inc. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

DeclineAccept