Three founding pastors form a unit of leadership.  They are from left: John Bryson, Bryan Loritts, and Ben Parkinson.

Their mission – build a multicultural ministry that promotes racial reconciliation – had been honed through prayer and contemplation.

Two of them – Ben Parkinson and John Bryson – are “white.” The other, Bryan Loritts, is African American. Together they are growing Fellowship Bible Church where Sunday morning service attendees now average about 1,000.

Why Memphis? The answer to that question makes sense once another is considered: How did they get together?

A three-way convergence

None of the three could have predicted how “God would bring together the pastoral trinity.” But all are convinced that the hand of divine providence was at work.

After earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Parkinson delayed plans for dental school and moved to Denton, Texas, to enroll in a discipleship program at Denton Bible Church.

While in Denton, he met Bryson, who shared a deep desire to plant an untraditional, culturally diverse ministry. They asked God to send an African-American pastor who shared the same desire. A mutual friend told them about Loritts, and the three developed a close, spiritual bond over the next six months through almost daily phone conversations.

Lead Pastor Bryan Loritts preaches.  (Photos by Warren Roseborough)

In February of 2002, Parkinson and Bryson flew to Charlotte, N.C., where Loritts was serving as young adult pastor at Calvary Church. While at his house, the three were stranded in a snowstorm. The icy roads made travel unsafe. After three days of planning and prayer in the impromptu shut-in, the three emerged with “divinely inspired plans” to plant a church in Memphis.

Fifteen months later, all three pulled up stakes and struck out for Memphis.

Why Memphis?

Back in 2003 when the three were fleshing out Fellowship Bible Church, the location was not difficult to determine, according to Bryson.

“When you looked at what were considered the most segregated cities in the nation, it was always Memphis and Detroit,” he said.

“They were the top two always vying for first and second positions when you looked at socio-economic factors and housing. We all had ties to the South, and we had a heart for the South.”

Bryson’s father was a Methodist pastor who lived in Memphis. His parents married in the early sixties.

“They were so appalled at the attitudes of other whites toward blacks that they did not want their children to be raised here. So they moved to Detroit. But I ended up being raised in a small town in Kentucky,” said Bryson.

Parkinson, the son of a pastor, grew up in Little Rock.

Fellowship meets in two Sunday services: the first at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

“Everyone in our church was white. Everyone in our neighborhood was white, and except for one African-American kid, everybody at our school was white,” he said.

Early on, Parkinson started pondering what growing up “white” meant. For example, he came to realize that trying to fit in and being made fun of is a normal part of growing up. But being “white,” you never had to wonder whether you were being left out because of race, he said.

Over time, Parkinson began processing his experiences “in the context of his personal relationship with Jesus.”

“Our family was compassionate. We always took gifts and Christmas trees over on the other side of town where African-American families lived, but that only raised more questions in me,” he said.

“I knew I was afforded some degree of privilege, but my question was ‘Why?’ Why were we always in a position to help and black people weren’t? Why did all the political power, money, and wealth rest with people who looked like me?”

Parkinson said in college he realized the need to reach out to African Americans on campus.

 

Worship services draw about 200 youth.

“If I am truly reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, then it just doesn’t make sense that we are not reconciled to each other,” he said.

If you want to build a multi-cultural ministry, people have to see that aspect in the leadership, said Parkinson.

“Otherwise you just have two white guys trying to build an urban ministry. We needed an African-American pastor involved.”

God brought Loritts into the picture, said Bryson.

Loritts, the ministry’s lead pastor and point man, is a popular conference and retreat speaker whose broadcasts are heard on the Bott Christian Radio Network of stations. Bryson and Parkinson are teaching pastors.

Sunday mornings

Fellowship Bible Church Memphis meets at Crichton College, with services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. About 700 adults and 200 children and teens attend regularly.

Reflecting on the ministry up to this point, Bryson isolated one factor in the trio’s effort to build a “truly diverse congregation.”

“I believe the difference was that we came to Memphis with fresh eyes,” said Bryson.

“We looked at the city with a fresh perspective. The administrative staff, the praise team, in every part of our ministry, you will see various cultures represented. We brought different experiences of ministry in other places where diversity is not an issue.”

(For additional information on other activities and a weekly schedule of services at Fellowship Bible Church Memphis, call (901) 458-8899.)