By By Matthew Nascone
Andy Lollie may have been only one of the many performers July 15 at the grand opening of Cotton's Flea Market &Furniture, but he is the main man for Bay Springs Full Gospel Church in Walnut Hill, Fla.
Lollie has been the pastor at Full Gospel since November of 2005 and he said he was glad to come home.
"This was my childhood church and it is my pleasure to take over as pastor," he said. "And I am honored to be the pastor of the church I used to run around in as a kid."
Lollie has been many places in that middle time in his life.
"I have seen New York, Nantucket, Beaver Creek, the Grand Caymans and the Virgin Islands," Lollie said. "It has been nice to be around different folks throughout my life."
Besides being the preacher at Full Gospel and owner of Cowboy's Paint and Drywall, Lollie said he enjoys singing in his band, Andy Lollie's Southern Grass.
Performing with Lollie July 15 at Cotton's were Don Bordo, Dennis Miller, Harry Parnell and Caleb Dennis.
As an Atmore native, Lollie has grown close with a lot of the people in this area. Hattie Sanders is one of those people. Sanders has been a member of the church for 50 years and she said she was thrilled when Lollie was named pastor.
"It is so great to have Andy," Sanders said. "We can't do no better. He has a way about him and his preaching is so good."
Lollie and his wife, Denise, live in Pensacola and Denise said there is not a place the couple visits where people do not know Andy by name.
The couple has two sons, Anthony, 31, and 29-year-old Joey, six grandchildren and one great grandchild.