Bishop Victor T. Curry, the founding senior pastor of the New Birth Baptist Church, is use to having his days packed with various activities. His tasks include juggling pastoral responsibilities for two churches, two schools, an employment agency, a renowned civil rights organization, and a broadcasting company, among other duties.
Yet recently, Curry’s schedule was able to reflect upon his tenure as the senior pastor of Miami Gardens’ mega church. Last week, the minister celebrated his 21st pastoral anniversary of the 13,000-plus member congregation of New Birth Baptist Church.
“I feel a combination of excitement and gratitude to God and to the wonderful members of New Birth,” Curry said. “I’m really appreciative and indebted to a lot of people especially to my staff at New Birth and all of the [New Birth] entities because they make it possible for me to do what I think God has called me to do.”
Celebration services were held on May 21st – 23rd and May 26th – 27th and featured special guest speakers including Pastors Alphonso Jackson, Sr., D.L. Powell, Victor Couzens and Calvin McFadden.
Founded by Curry and a handful of founding members in 1991 in Curry’s living room, New Birth Baptist Church has since expanded and the church and its entities now include the E.V. Hill Bible College, the John A. McKinney Christian Academy, the New Birth Broadcasting Corporation/WMBM, Vision to Victory Human Services employment agency, and Christine Curry Child Development Center. There is a new enrichment center that will encase a gymnasium, cafe and book store that the church has tentatively scheduled to begin building by 2013.
Even Curry did not foresee the exponential growth when the ministry was initially founded.
“I really didn’t know the full extent of what God was going to do but I did share with people that I knew it was going to be an usual church,” he recalled. “[The founding members and I] all had that common belief that God was going to do something special through New Birth.”
The busy minister has no set plans for retirement and is still striving to help the community in whatever ways it seems to need the most assistance.
Now Curry has set his sights on reaching out to more boys and men. First by founding an all boys Bible-based academy specializing in math and science.
“The other area that we’ll be focusing on is ratcheting up our men’s ministry to provide holistic care and provide a second chance for men who have been incarcerated and for men have been [homeless],” he said.
By Kaila Heard
kheard@miamitimesonline.com
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