Meet Bryant Phelps

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryant Phelps.

Bryant, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been in Pastoral leadership since 2008 and have been involved in the public-sector (religious non-profit) my entire career. I knew at an early age that pastoral ministry was the career path I wanted. Matter of fact, I was four. Since then I have devoted myself to public service and utilized the church as my launching point. I am the son/grandson/great-grandson of social reformers, preachers and educators. At no given point have I ever seen myself outside of the community and have been inspired to involve my life with the causes that champion purposeful living for all people. As a product of the church, I knew succinctly, that the role the pulpit plays in the production of “beloved-community” is vital.

Inspired by the legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Sandy F. Ray, Wyatt Tee Walker and others, including my family lineage, I devoted myself to the community, church and the academy. I have been a member of the NAACP for 19 years and began work in social justice as an organizer and public speaker in my childhood home of Midland, Texas. Because of my leadership and service in the community and the church, I was afforded opportunities to speak at events and be apart of cohorts around the nation to inspire change in communities. I eventually enrolled in Morehouse College of Atlanta in 2009 and served in public service there. Organizing marches and demonstrations on behalf of Troy Davis, Trayvon Martin, and Kendrick Johnson.

Following my time at Morehouse, I was invited by a Bishop in the United Methodist Church to consider pastoral leadership and service in the denomination. Since 2014, I have served in the United Methodist Church as a pastor in North Texas and have been just as involved in community building and organizing. Most pointedly, I have had the opportunity to serve on the Campaign Board of Beto O’Rourke in his US Senate campaign. Today, I am the newly appointed Senior Pastor of Church of the Disciple in DeSoto, Texas.

My journey from childhood until now can only be codified as a lifetime endeavor of public service.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My road has been relatively simple. Given that it has been a lifelong endeavor, my greatest challenges have always been internal. When I enrolled in Morehouse College I was convinced that religion was not my immediate field of interest. I wanted something in addition to religion because I believed that ministry was not going to offer me a comfortable living. I attempted to leave the public-sector and enrolled as a business major. As a business major, I did well and enjoyed marketing and organizational behavior. But, there was a void of calling.

Prior to graduation in 2013, I had to take a seminar course in “Leadership/Professional Development.” During which we had to learn about adaptive leadership, building relationships between corporations and communities. My academic advisor was my professor for this course. She was a former IBM executive and consultant who happened to be a leader in her church. After presenting in this course regarding a site for service I had been assigned to, she encouraged me to consider merging business and communities of faith; inspiring me to consider my path as a pastor to inspiring corporations toward community programming.

Essentially, she helped to align my gifts and my calling. I believe that the struggle that constitutes many of our journey’s lies within the question, “am I in the right place?”

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
My business/company is the church; a religious non-profit, but really it’s community. It is very much a business that runs by the people for the people. Beyond Sunday morning services and religious offerings, we specialize in community-building; we are constantly seeking opportunities to participate in the work of communities. I have only been in my current role as Senior Pastor for one year, but my current site for two.

As the Senior Pastor, I specialize in a number of areas such as administrative leadership, structural organization, preaching (or public speaking), content creation, community organizing, community partnerships, etc. This particular role requires quite the juggling act, but it involves a great chorus of traits conducive to personal and communal growth. Having been active in Dallas, I have availed myself to leadership in social action as a thinker, speaker, and team-builder. Communities cannot be led solely by individuals (albeit a personality may codify the organization); teams build communities.

Although our organization is realigning itself, I am most proud to see how my organization is moving from being an insular organization (attempting to build a community for the purpose of strengthening our brand) to becoming a community-partner and asset (identifying ways in which we can be a resource to our community rather than being the exception). While branding is important, I’m proud to see how we are uncovering the layers to identify who we are; how our unique identity can be marketed as a cohesive.

What sets us apart from other churches is our ability to have hard conversations regarding business practices, social norms and identity without intense backlash. We are, as a team, engaging in hard-work of personal/communal assessment. While this is an insular/personal endeavor, it has informed the community of how we work together. Because of hard-conversations, we work together – visibly. We are also setting ourselves apart as an organization who – regardless of resources – walks alongside community whereby we offer our support to organizations doing equally great work of community organizing.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My personal mission statement is to be “communicative, consistent, and committed.” If my goals/values and projects have been taught, marketed, and received well, I communicated well. I’m always looking for consumer information/feedback, what they say will show what you’ve taught. I want to be consistent. I want to see things through. If I’ve accomplished a task or engagement, saw it through and gave it effort, I did my part. Finally, I want to be committed. Commitment is an expression of importance. What is important to you, you’ll do well. You give it everything you’ve got. If I have done my part in the world well, it should’ve touched lives through love, leadership, and learning.

Contact Info:

• Address: 220 S. Cockrell Hill Road, Dallas, Texas 75115
• Website: www.umdisciple.org
• Phone: 9722305538
• Email: office@umdisciple.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchofthedisciple/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchoftheDisciple/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/church_disciple

Image Credit:
Courtney Phelps, candid photographer
Ryan Wade, Loyal Media Group, professional photo

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