BRIAN EVANS – PASTOR

My journey began in the ghetto of inner city Detroit.  Amidst a life of recklessness and crime I became aware of the providence and grace of God. My life was typical of most inner city youth; there was no father in my home and we were very poor.  Alcohol, drugs and violence made up my surroundings. While living surrounded by these many dangers, God began dealing with my heart. Feelings of guilt and fear of punishment started to haunt me. My mother was relentless in trying to talk me into visiting the church that my uncle had recently planted nearby. Eventually, I gave in. I began spending time with my uncle and God used him in leading me to Christ.

As a Christian, God began repairing my life. I married the mother of my two children, went back and obtained a GED, and started working full time. I had a new found love for the Bible and for learning history and theology. Over time, I was becoming angry with the black, inner city church. I couldn’t help but wonder why church history was not being taught in our churches, or the biblical exposition that I had now been exposed to.   It was amid frustration over this that I felt a call to the ministry. I believed many zealous and sincere believers in my community were not being adequately taught and lacked the theological foundation necessary to meet the spiritual and social needs of the community.

In order to prepare myself for ministry, I enrolled in a local Bible college. Amid great emotional struggle, I left the pentecostal church and joined a local Presbyterian church. These moves took me out of familiar surroundings and exposed me to a whole new environment and culture. Though uncomfortable and challenging at times, it helped me grow and develop theologically, spiritually and socially. At the time, I didn’t fully understand how I would fulfill my dream of going back and bringing biblical transformation to the inner city, but I never lost my passion to one day do it.