The Rev. Michael Bailey is a fourth generation minister in the Methodist tradition. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and was raised in parsonages, primarily in the Memphis area. He is a graduate of Lambuth University (B.A., 1978) and Pacific School of Religion (M.Div., 1984). He has served churches of all sizes including four rural circuits, urban, suburban, town, small, middle sized and very large congregations and even as the pastor of the American Protestant Church of The Hague, Netherlands congregation in Northern Europe. In July, 2021, he retired from the full-time practice of ministry as the district superintendent for the United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. Since then, he has continued to lead congregations on a part time basis, including for two years at Maple Grove, leaving in 2023.
The Rev. Bailey has been married to Lauralee Davis Bailey for over 40 years and they have two daughters and two sons, all happily married, and they have several grandchildren. Lauralee Bailey received her education at Appalachian State University. She has worked in a large number of settings, including planned giving and development offices for the United Methodist Church, as well as health care foundations. Throughout their marriage, she has appeared in numerous musical theater productions, TV commercials and print ads, including a number of productions at the HART in Waynesville.