Family Life Pastor – Giles Fort

Having three sisters, working with pregnant teens, helped him develop a soft approach to ministry

Don’t expect to be offered a cup of coffee when you walk into Giles Fort’s office. Hot tea is his drink of choice, which makes sense when you consider where he grew up.

Giles was born in 1987 in Botswana, Zimbabwe. His parents were missionaries there for 21 years, then worked for the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board until their recent retirement. 

“Dad’s parents were medical missionaries back when Zimbabwe was Rhodesia, a British colony,” he says. “I love hot tea, and probably drink an average of a pot a day. Five Roses, a brand of South African tea, is my favorite.”

His office is decorated with artwork from his birthplace, including woven baskets of various sizes, a colorful painting of women dancing, and one of a springbok, which is similar to a deer.

“I was saved when I was 12,” he says.”My dad was preaching on the parable of the sower. I had heard it before, but this time, the Holy Spirit whispered to me. He took me on a survey of my life, told me that my behavior did not reflect my heart. I walked forward, told my dad. He said God would change my heart from the inside. The Lord called my name and I surrendered.”

He always knew that God was calling him into full-time ministry. He attended Samford University in Birmingham, graduating in 2010 with a B.A. in communication studies.

“My undergraduate major isn’t the same as mass media,” he explains. “It’s about the ways people communicate, such as through public speaking, inter-personal relationships, consulting. It’s also those soft skills that people really value, like conflict management, organization, communication.”

Giles met his wife, Lacey, at Samford, and they married in 2010, the year he graduated. While at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina, the pair accepted a couples position with Christian Life Home, a place for pregnant teens and young adults. Giles earned a Master of Divinity at Southeastern, with an emphasis in church studies.  

“We lived in a big house with up to seven pregnant teens,” Giles says. “It was a  full-time position for five years. I became project director, then we opened a second home for moms and their babies. We served there for two and a half years before moving to Birmingham. Lacey’s family is from Birmingham.”

He felt God calling him to the pastoral ministry, and became a resident at Valleydale Baptist Church. He did discipleship training for a year and was ordained there. He also worked for a year in circulation and product development at the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU).

Giles came to FBCA in 2025 as Family Life Pastor. He and Lacey live in Trussville with their daughter, Anneliese, born April 6, 2018 and their son, Schaeffer, born July 28, 2025.

He loves to read, write, play board games and paint. His reading interests include fantasy, fiction and non-fiction, particularly Christian living. He also dabbled in pottery-making  once.

“I feel God has anointed me as a spiritual leader, a small group and Bible study leader,” Giles says. “I have a brotherly way of interacting with people, probably because I’ve been surrounded by women all my life. I have three sisters, worked at Christian Life Home, then at the WMU. I don’t even notice it. It’s just my normal and natural way.”