HISTORY OF THE MINISTRY Dan Lawson was born in Kinston, N. C. in 1952. He graduated from Kinston High School in 1971. He later graduated from North Carolina Central University in 1975.In 1976 while attending the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, God revealed to Dan that he was to be a preacher of the gospel. At this time Dan did not understand the call of God upon his life and did not respond to it. A few months later while working in Middletown, Ohio, Dan heard the voice of the Lord instructing him to repent from sin. He then began to seek the Lord for salvation.On Thursday night, October 28, 1976, at 7:30 PM, at the home of some high school friends, Dan Lawson received Christ in his heart and became a born again Christian. He later joined the Tabernacle of Victory Church (now Victory Christian Assembly) in Greenville, N. C. where he was taught and trained in the gospel by Bishop Paul A. Thomas.In February 1977 Belinda Kinsey was converted to Christ and joined the same church. Dan & Belinda were married October 29, 1977. They remained with the Tabernacle of Victory church family for 9 years. Dan served as Usher, Sunday School Teacher, Finance Manger, Bible School Teacher, Dean of the Bible School & Assistant Pastor. Belinda served on the Usher Board and in the Choir.In 1980 Dan started the Victory Prison Ministry and did approximately 12 services per month in prisons in eastern North Carolina. In 1985 Dan & Belinda terminated their membership at the Tabernacle of Victory Church and continued the Prison ministry, Gospel film ministry and did other evangelistic crusades.In the Fall of 1987, while driving through a rough section of Kinston known as “The Bottom” Dan & Belinda noticed an abandoned building formerly used as a night club. They later rented that building with the intent of using it for crusades to reach out in that community. In January 1988 after 2 months of renovations, they opened the doors of the building and named it the United Gospel Outreach. The church started with a week of crusade services. In the following Sunday morning service, the first 7 members joined. The ministry continued to grow as family after family united in fellowship with the ministry. For 17 years the members grew in the Lord together to form a ministry UNITED, rooted and grounded in the GOSPEL, with a focus on OUTREACH.On October 24, 2004, along with approximately 80 members, Pastor Dan & Belinda marched into a new facility, built from the ground up, located Hwy 11, north of Kinston. This was all the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.