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Bishop Larry O. Jones, Diocesan

Midwestern District Council

12th Episcopal District, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.

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MDC Pastors

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Pastor David Berry was saved in 1984 at Lively Stone Church of God under the leadership of Bishop Phillip Lee Scott. He was married to Elect Lady Alma Berry until her demise in July 2016. Pastor Berry is the founder and pastor of World Outreach Christian Center since 1989. He retired from General Motors in 2008 after 30 years of service. His favorite scripture is Ephesians 3:20.

Bishop Larry O. Jones,

Diocesan

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Suffragan Bishop Lawrence E. Brown, Sr. was saved at the age of 18 in 1953 at Bethesda Temple where Bishop James A. Johnson was the pastor on Belgrade Avenue in St. Louis, MO. He served as a Sunday School Teacher for many of our great leaders in holiness such as:

  • Bishop Lawrence E. Brown, Jr. - Pastor of Bethesda Temple - Alton

  • District Elder Ronald E. Stephens - Pastor of Temple Church of Christ

  • District Elder Christopher D. Collier - Founding Pastor of New Life Empowerment Center

  • Pastor Joe Louis Middleton - City of Life Church

  • Pastor Harvey Petty

  • Assistant Pastor Phllip Brown - Grace Covenant Church

  • Evangelist Mary Brown McCoy

  • Minister Ruth Brown Middleton

 

He married Dorothy Brown in June 2010 several years after the demise of his wife Kate Brown. Together they have 12 children. Bishop Brown has six daughters and two sons and Elect Lady Dorothy Brown has four children. They have 41 grandchildren together.

Suffragan Bishop Brown was licensed and ordained in 1956 under the leadership of Bishop Austin Layne, Sr. at the age of 21. Bishop Brown is the Pastor and Founder of Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ which he began in 1982. He became a District Elder in 1993 under Diocesan Bishop James A. Johnson and a Suffragan Bishop in 2002 under Diocesan Bishop Alphonso Scott. At this time he also became the Jurisdictional Bishop for Jurisdiction #2. Prior to becoming the Jurisdictional Bishop, he served as the auxiliary director for the Young People and the Health Professionals.

Suffragan Bishop Brown has been preaching as a licensed and ordained minister in the Midwestern District Council and Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. longer than any other minister. 

His favorite scripture is 1 John 5:19-20.

Suffragan Bishop 

Lawrence Brown, Sr.

Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ

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Pastor Deborah Burch

Faith Apostolic Church

Pastor Deborah D. Burch is the proud mother of two, Cleo and Clemisha. She was saved on September 10, 1994 under the pastorate of the Late Honorable Bishop James A. Johnson of the Bethesda Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith Inc. where she later served in various capacities. Some of which included Children’s Church, Receiving Room, Women’s Ministry, and as an Associate Minister.

Pastor Burch founded Community Outreach Ministries in July, 2002 and developed programs to help build the community by, feeding the hungry, tutoring and teaching GED preparation classes, mentoring the youth, and offering family oriented and biblically based services. As Praise and Worship Dance Leader she served with the Rhema International Dance Ministry for seven years. Upon accepting her call to the pastorate, she founded Faith Apostolic Church of the Living God, and held the first service on January 1, 2006. In her evangelizing efforts she has traveled throughout various parts of the USA, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, Barbados, Israel, Greece, Turkey, and Africa where she served as a missionary in Narok, Kenya. As a member of the Midwestern District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, she served as Director of the MDC Pentecostal Young People’s Union, Treasurer of the International Missions Department, Assistannt Secretary of the Advisory Board, and now serves as  Secretary of the Advisory Board, and Director of Altar and Evangelism.

Pastor Burch  is a Board Certified and Hospice Certified Chaplain. She is employed with a Hospice company and a local Hospital. She studied at the Florissant Valley Community College and Aenon Bible College where she received Associate Degrees in Communications, Carpentry, and Theology. She also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Ministries from Missouri Baptist University.

Pastor Burch Loves the Lord and has a heart for reaching out to Souls for the Kingdom!

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District Elder 

James E. Coats

New Christ Temple

​“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his  lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” - Job 23:12

 

District Elder James E. Coats was born on February 29, 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri, one of four children born to Mr. George and Mrs. Pearl Coats.  He was educated in the St. Louis Public School System and he graduated from Soldan High School in June 1971.  He was later inspired to enlist in the United States Army on September 11, 1972.  District Elder Coats was stationed in Western Germany and he served as a Military Policeman.  He served his country honorably and was discharged from the United States Army in August 1974.


After his discharge from the U.S. Army, he returned to St. Louis and was employed at several area businesses:  John Cochran Veteran Administration Hospital, the U.S. Postal Service and the Kiel Auditorium.  He was later hired at Spud Packers, Inc., where he was employed for over 27 years. He is currently employed with the St. Louis Parking Company.  It was during his employment at the Kiel Auditorium that he was introduced to the plan of salvation through Mr. James Whittier, Jr.  The Whittier family was members of the New Christ Temple Church where Elder Alexander Whittier, Jr. pastored.  Under the leadership of Pastor Whittier, District Elder Coats began his spiritual walk with the Lord.  He received the gift of the Holy Ghost at the home of Elder and Sister James Whittier, Sr., the brother of Pastor Alexander Whittier on July 17, 1978.


At the New Christ Temple Church, District Elder Coats served as Sunday school teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, choir member, and remained active with the Young People’s Department of the Midwestern District Council Bible Bowl competition, serving as a captain. He was called to the ministry and preached his first message, “Come Out of Your Bag” II Corinthians 6:17-18 on August 7, 1985.


As he served the Lord and Pastor Whittier faithfully, he was elevated to the position of assistant pastor in 1985.  After the homegoing of Pastor Alexander Whittier, Jr., in August 2000, District Elder Coats was officially installed as pastor of the New Christ Temple Church in November 2000 and ordained at the   M.D. C. July Council in 2004. He has served as the director of the Single’s Ministry for the Midwestern District Council. 


District Elder Coats received his Associate Degree in Biblical Studies from Saints Academy Bible College in St. Louis on in May 2012.  He is currently pursuing his Bachelor Degree in Biblical Studies from the same institution. His educational goal is to receive his Masters and Doctorate in Biblical Theology. He founded the New Christ Temple Church’s “Impacting Your Life Television Ministries”, which aired on two television stations from January 2005 through December 2011.  His ministry is marked by an in-depth knowledge of God’s Word and a spirit of evangelism. He is a faithful and active pastor in the 2nd jurisdiction of the M.D.C. under the leadership of Suffragan Bishop Lawrence Brown, Sr.


He continues to serve the New Christ Temple Church family through the preaching of the Word and a love for the body of Christ.  He has been a visionary for the ministry as evident by pulpit renovations, sound room installation, and upgrades to the church property. He was promoted to the position of District Elder by Bishop Larry O. Jones, Diocesan of the Midwestern District Council in July 2012.  District Elder Coats is married to the lovely First Lady Bettie D. Coats and they are the proud parents of two adult children, Jamie (husband, Jerry, Alexander and four grandchildren, Taylor, Jada, Torrie and Jala. 

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Pastor Jerry Davis

Jesus Christ of Nazareth Church

Pastor Jerry Davis was baptized in Jesus Name on September 19,1985 at Faith Miracle Temple under the leadership of Pastor Larry J. Baylor. He was filled with the Holy Ghost on October 10,1985. He served as a Deacon, Van Driver, Director of Van Ministry, Sunday School Teacher, Church Director.

In 2000, he joined Jesus Is All Church under the leadership of Pastor Allen Payne. There he served as a Sunday School Teacher, Minster, Elder, President of Mens Ministry, Church Director,  Van Driver, Director of Van Ministry, Sunday School Teacher, Board Member.

In 2010 Elder Davis became the founder and pastor of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Church where he serves as Daycare Director, Van Driver, Director of Van Ministry, Sunday School Teacher, Church Director, Board member, Chairman and President of Board.

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Pastor Dorothy Matthews

Beyond the Hurt Ministries

Vowing that she would never be a minister, the Lord nevertheless called Dorothy Matthews to the ministry in May, 1980.  Acknowledging her calling and embracing God with all of her might Pastor Matthews has been an avid worker in the kingdom of God.  She has served as Youth Director, Assistant Superintendent of Sunday School, member of the Board of Directors, Sunday School Teacher, Deaconness, Emcee and special assignments from her pastors.

God planted a vision in her heart to assist the disadvantaged members of the St. Louis metropolitan area and the world.  Recognizing that many people suffer from the effects of emotional, physical and spiritual pain, she established Beyond The Hurt Ministries, Inc. with the belief that through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,  hurting individuals  can “reach for the blessings beyond the hurt.” There is victory and deliverance beyond the hurt.  St. John 16:33 states that in the world you shall have trials and tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.  I have taken away the power of the world to hurt you. (Amplified Version).

Luke 4:18-19 says: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

 

In addition to 46 years of salvation and working in ministry.  Pastor Matthews brings to the ministry over thirty years of corporate experience both in the for-profit arena and in the not-for-profit arena.  She has worked extensively in the areas of public relations, marketing, fundraising, board development, special events and community programming.  She operates on the philosophy of providing people with a “hand-up” as opposed to a “hand-out.”  Further she believes the fact that people are disadvantaged in some way does not mean that their dignity and respect should be diminished in any way or they do not have the talent, skills and determination to overcome the obstacles that hinder their progress.  In conclusion, she believes that given the proper tools not only can disadvantaged people, be it economically or socially, can help themselves but help others and change their community for the better.

 

 

REACH FOR YOUR BLESSINGS BEYOND THE HURT

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District Elder Robert W. Nelson is the husband of First Lady Evangelist JoAnn Nelson and he is the founder and Pasotr of Greater True Vine Church of God.  He is the father of 2 children and has a granddaughter who just enrolled in college. 

He is the Senior District Elder of the Midwestern District Council.

District Elder Robert Nelson

Greater True Vine

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