A Call to Serve: The Story of Staccato Powell and new church Believers

RALEIGH, N.C. - July 31, 2013 - PRLog -- It was a hot day in the summer of 1976. Driving his blue 1965 Chevy Malibu, Staccato Powell pulled up to a stop sign on a lonely country road in his hometown of Hallsboro, North Carolina. As a 16-year-old, he mowed lawns to try to earn a few extra bucks where he could. After a brief exchange with his cousin, who he happened to meet at the stop sign, Powell pulled through the intersection toward his lawn-mowing destination with his cousin in tow.

With an ice cream sandwich in one hand and the steering wheel in the other, in mere moments the entire course of Powell’s life would be forever changed. A few miles down the road, his Malibu neared a trestle bridge at the same time as a log truck pulling a flatbed trailer coming from the opposite direction. As their paths were set to pass, the trailer struck the bridge, detached from the log truck, and veered into Powell’s lane.

In a matter of seconds, his car was opened like a can opener, the roof of the car peeled back to the trunk. Directly across the street from the accident, Powell’s uncle sat frozen on his front porch. The fear of seeing his nephew lying dead in the car rendered him immobile. Powell’s cousin, who had a front-row seat to the carnage, immediately whipped his tractor around and sped to Powell’s parent’s house to tell them the news. His mother went into a field to pray, while his father rushed to the scene.

“It’s only by the grace of God I wasn’t decapitated,” Powell said with tears streaming down his face. “God leaned me over in my seat. He saved my life. I knew years before that God was calling me into the ministry, but this was an eye-opener. As a result of this awakening, Staccato embraced his faith in God with such fervor that in 1975, at the age of 16, he gave his first sermon; he was given his first pastorate at 18.

Powell adds, “Since the accident, anything and everything He tells me to do I’m going to do it.”

Over his journey, Powell has held some positions many would consider prestigious, including Chair and Coordinator of the Great Gathering of the historic African American Methodist communions, President and Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC) of America, and Deputy General Secretary of the National Council of Churches.

However, the position he currently holds as pastor of Grace AME Zion Chapel in Raleigh, North Carolina, is where he appears to be making the most significant impact. Powell assumed the pastorate of the church in 2004, shortly after it had split. Sunday mornings saw fewer than 50 regular attendees. In four years, attendance had grown to nearly 400 people. Today, attendance is well over 1,200.

The New Church and new church Believers

Having been in ministry more than 35 years, Powell is seeing a change in many denominations that most are choosing to ignore. “Statistics are showing that the present state of mainline church is in decline,” he said. “The average church size is 50 regardless of denominational affiliation. I’m not anti-denominational, but I think we’re living in a post-denominational era. I think we’ll begin to see more people returning to the way church was before denominational lines were put in place.

Powell explains it this ways, “New Church is focused on kingdom transformation rather than institutional transformation.”  “Kingdom transformation is when people strive to become who God created them to be in order that they fulfill their purpose. Institutional transformation is when organizations set out to mold people into what the institution needs them to be in order that they might fulfill the organizations’ needs. In other words, it’s time for the Church to stand up, represent, and demonstrate the One they follow.”  

And Powell doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Since 2008 when God planted new church Believers in his spirit, he has been a living example of Luke 4:18 (NIV): The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.

“I have no hesitation in being a voice crying in the wilderness,” he said. “It’s not something I chose to do. It’s something I’m called to do. It’s as clear to me as the call I received at the age of 16.  I’m being used to facilitate the birth of the New Church through new church Believers. It’s God’s move and vision, not mine. I’m simply a willing vessel. He’s been too good to me to withhold anything from Him.”

According to Powell, “all God needs is one life to put on display as a demonstration of what is possible.” One transformed life has the power to create other transformed lives, and if we see one transformed life, we are encouraged to Dare To Believe that God can transform our lives as well. If we all can be brave enough to share our struggles and how we’ve overcome them through the power of God, we can see the miraculous take place.”

Powell held the official global launch of new church Believers earlier this year at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

new church Believers is a dynamic, energized, global Movement characterized by individual transparency, transformed lives and an Evangelistic Ministry which empowers believers to be transparent witnesses of the transformative power of Jesus Christ, in their communities and beyond.

newchurchBelievers.org is the virtual home for new church Believers. The website is an information and resource rich virtual home for new church Believers worldwide and provides a place for new church Believers to gather, learn, share, be encouraged and celebrate while living, working and ministering in their home locations.  

Powell and his church are actively engaged as new church Believers, helping their community both naturally and supernaturally. Grace Chapel feeds the hungry by operating a soup kitchen six days a week. Anyone is welcome to come. Each morning new church Believers join Powell on a daily Prayer Conference Call where they share, receive empowerment through the Word of God and are strengthened through prayer.

Powell points out that new church Believers is not preoccupied with structure. It is not “A” church, it is “THE” Church.  He adds, “In order for the shift of people leaving the church to change, the church needs to change. It’s imperative for the church to stop being inward focused. new church Believers encourages people to move outside the four walls of the church into communities where great needs exist.

To learn more, visit www.newchurchbelievers.org or watch the video message from Rev. Dr. Staccato Powell on the YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/0VegogxdNLY.