ONE GREAT FAMILY — Most importantly and much to its delight, Greater Community COGIC has enjoyed sustained kingdom-based success throughout the years, in large part because time and again, this church is afforded the golden opportunity to have at its disposal great people, many of whom have created — and left — their unique mark on an institution that continues to be the progressive beacon of light for which it is widely known.
MARIETTA, Georgia — There’s no other way to put it.
Greater Community Church Of God In Christ is great for a variety of great reasons.
It’s located in the outskirts of Atlanta, one of America’s greatest cities.
It’s equipped with a great edifice.
It has as its shepherd an amazingly great and resourceful leader, one who’s keen reputation is such that he’s accustomed to esteeming others highly than himself.
It’s a longstanding, tradition-rich institution that thrives mightily off of inspiring and empowering others to achieve greatness and broadening their horizon both in the natural and spirit.
THE ABUNDANT LIFE FACTOR — GCC is widely known for earnestly inspiring people whom customarily find their way within its walls to become — you guessed it — great.
Most importantly and much to its delight, Greater Community has enjoyed sustained kingdom-based success throughout the years, in large part because time and again, this church is afforded the golden opportunity to have at its disposal a slew of great people, many of whom have created — and left — their unique mark on a church that continues to be the progressive beacon of light for which it is widely known.
“I wholeheartedly believe that great people make great communities and churches,” Greater Community Senior Pastor Matthew Brown, TH.D. told Making Headline News during a recent interview. “It is evident at Greater Community given the diverse disciplines represented in our ministry.”
From educational leaders to legal and medical experts, engineers, public safety officials, Corporate America executives, entrepreneurs, theologians, banking and finance executives, foster parents, grandparents, single parents, mechanics, handymen, retired executives, public administrators, pilots, college undergraduates and graduates, active and retired military, chaplains, even athletes, among others.
You name it, and chances are these types of successful individuals, in all likelihood, have become a part of a GCC movement that includes, among others things, lifting up Jesus Christ while having a monumental impact in the community and beyond in the process.
From educational leaders to legal and medical experts, engineers, public safety officials, Corporate America executives, entrepreneurs, theologians, banking and finance executives, foster parents, grandparents, single parents, mechanics, handymen, retired executives, public administrators, pilots, college undergraduates and graduates, active and retired military, chaplains, even professional athletes, among others.
For what it’s worth, acknowledging and celebrating the gifts and talents of virtually everyone who has established ties with GCC has played an integral role in what obviously has become a continuous flow of great people connecting with and discovering the purpose for which God created them.
Greater Community, by all accounts, has become great, thus evolved greatly since its historic inception in 1923, in large part because of the countless great people that have collectively joined forced to ensure that this church lives up to its name.
That is being a GREATer Community for all whom are destined to have their lives changed greatly — with God, their Helper leading the way.
“Individual accomplishment is to be commended, but it is vital to parlay those single accomplishments into community empowerment,” Brown said.
STANDING ROOM ONLY — You name it, and chances are these types of successful individuals in all likelihood have become a part of the GCC movement that includes, among others things, lifting up Jesus Christ while having a monumental impact in the community in the process.
A native of Buffalo, New York who was installed as Greater Community’s Senior Pastor in October 2011, Brown emphasized that it is due in large part to the lasting and influential impact of GCC’s founders that has given way to the sustained success of the church.
“We salute the founders, framers and faithful supporters of Greater Community Church of God in Christ,” Brown said. “All of these various discipline are helping us to develop a practical kingdom to community strategy by participating and partnering with various components of our community.”
SONGBIRD OF THE PEACH STATE — A native of Memphis, Psalmist Sharon Jackson, 51, is the Minister of Music and Worship Arts at Greater Community COGIC in Marietta, Georgia, one of Atlanta’s largest suburbs with roughly 59,089 residents according to a 2013 census. Even at five-plus decades in on this thing called life, Jackson hasn’t shown any signs that she plans to slow down any time soon, particularly as it relates to lifting up Jesus through her remarkable singing.
For what it’s worth, acknowledging and celebrating the immense gifts and talents of virtually everyone who has established ties with GCC has played a remarkable role in what obviously has become a continuous flow of great people connecting with and discovering the purpose for which God created them.
In a nutshell, GCC is widely known for earnestly inspiring people whom customarily find their way within its walls to become — you guessed it — great.
THE TRADITION CONTINUES — Greater Community, by all accounts, has become great, thus evolved greatly since its historic inception in 1923, in large part because of the countless great people that have collectively joined forced to ensure that this church lives us to its name.
“I have done my best to celebrate and acknowledge everyone we discover,” Brown said. “Our kids’ academic success, Foster Parent Of The Year, Teacher of the Year — Melissa Scott, Ericka Hamilton — and the list goes on. “Continuing into year seven, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing…recruiting great talent by producing a fresh and viable ministry product that creates interest, involvement and investment…blue water strategies.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to demonstrate our collective greatness through impromptu services or pop-up services at smaller churches and blessing them in ways they would not be able to do ordinarily,” said Brown, adding that his church is presently celebrating two of its members’ children, both of whom are NFL players (for the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs). “We highlight their marketplace, academic, community and personal accomplishment publicly. In so doing, we encourage our children by modeling excellence to repeat that behavior.”
EDITOR’S NOTE:If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
ABOUT ANDRE: Andre Johnson is a longtime sports journalist and a 2000 graduate of the University of the Memphis with Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. A native of Memphis, Johnson is a former sport reporter Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper and Memphis Sport Magazine. He worked as full-time staffer for The Commercial Appeal from 2000-2002, in which he was the beat reporter for the Memphis Houn’dawgs of now-defunct American Basketball Assocation and the Memphis Xplorers of the arenafootball2 league. He has interviewed numerous sports personalities, most notably Archie Manning, LeBron James, George “Iceman” Gervin, Issac Bruce, Laila Ali, Vince Carter, Paul Westphal, Phil Jackson, Ken Hamlin, Cortez Kennedy, Michael Oher, Kobe Bryant, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Patrick Willis, Stanley Morgan, Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, John Force, Lamar Odom, Alexandra Stevenson, Derek Fisher, Penny Hardaway, Phillip Rivers, Colin Kaepernick, Jim Harbaugh, Tyreke Evans, Kirk Ferentz, and O. J. Mayo, among others. To reach Johnson, send email to: memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Andre Johnson 
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
