A disgraced Lumberton, North Carolina pastor has stepped down from his leadership role at Antioch Baptist Church located on Old Whiteville Road, after he was allegedly caught screwing a teacher employed at the church’s private Christian academy.
On Monday, April 28, 2025, Antioch Baptist Church posted a carefully worded statement on its Facebook page announcing the resignation of Pastor Blake Dodd. The church expressed appreciation for Dodd and his wife, Tiffani, writing, “We are grateful to the Lord for the time that we have had with Blake and Tiffani and for the ways that God has used them to encourage us to follow Jesus more closely.”
But behind the polished statement lies a scandal that has shaken the congregation to its core.
Multiple sources told The North Carolina Beat that Pastor Blake was allegedly having a sexual relationship with Mary-Alice Nichole Duckworth-Gandy, a English Language Arts teacher at Antioch Christian Academy — the private school operated by the church.
According to the church’s website, Pastor Blake and his wife, Tiffani, moved from Cedartown, Georgia, to Lumberton, North Carolina, in July 2020 to lead the church. They have three young sons. Blake and Tiffani celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary on December 3, 2024, with their 9th just months away.
The two tied the knot on December 3, 2016.
But their marriage has now hit rock bottom. Pastor Blake’s alleged infidelity has brought public embarrassment and heartbreak to his wife and children.
The North Carolina Beat reached out to the church for comment. Worship Pastor Doug Bell stated that the leadership had “no prior knowledge of Pastor Blake’s decision to resign until he informed them.” When asked directly if the resignation was connected to an affair with Nichole Gandy, Bell fell silent. It wasn’t until we hit him with “Hello?” that he responded, “I have no comment on that.”
Attempts to contact Nichole by phone were unsuccessful. However, her husband, Jay Gandy, did answer our call and simply said he had “no comment.” It remains unclear how long the alleged affair between Pastor Blake and Nichole has been going on behind their spouses’ backs, but in August 2023, Nichole posted on Facebook that she had been hired at Antioch Christian Academy as an English Language Arts teacher.
It’s also unclear how leadership did not have the spiritual discernment or Holy Ghost to recognize what was happening right under their noses.
Nichole and her husband Jay tied the knot on March 23, 2019, according to their Facebook pages, recently celebrating another year together. The couple shares two children — a son and a daughter.
In an attempt to reach Pastor Blake Dodd, we instead reached his wife, Tiffani Dodd, who confirmed that her husband had an affair with Nichole Gandy. Although she declined to share specific details, her confirmation was enough to validate the swirling rumors.
We still have been unsuccessful in reaching Pastor Blake – and it’s safe to say, he’s in hiding.
Nichole Gandy…. I can’t believe you did this shameful act!!! I haven’t seen you in many years since we used to frequent the Chinese buffet in Lumberton… I’ll continue to pray for you, and absolve these wicked deeds