It’s A New Season. It’s A New Day.
The visionary and leader for The Greater Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, Dr. Toris Young was born March 5, 1972, in the great city of New Orleans. He is the son of Lenord Washington and Delores Young. Dr. Young is the youngest of six children. By his mother, it was foretold before his birth that he would carry the mantle of his grandfather, the late Taylor Young, and that he would carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world.
Dr. Young accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior on the first Friday on April 1976 at the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Marrero Louisiana; where he served until God called him to become pastor. Dr. Young was baptized by the late Rev. Joseph Walker Jr. He was also an active choir member and chairman of the Jr. Deacon Ministry, as well as well as director of the Film Ministry at an early age of 8 years old. Dr. Young was called to the gospel ministry at the age of 15 years old. He preached his first sermon on a days notice after he was called on Thursday December 18, 1986. Dr. Young stood on the wall, and declared the words “The Handwriting on the Wall”. He was then licensed to preach the gospel on that night by his pastor Rev. Joseph Walker Jr. On December of 1987 Dr. Young was ordained by a council of International Pastors under the “Auspices of The spoken Word Ministerial Alliance of Greater New Orleans”, which was founded by his uncle Rev. Andrew Young.
As a teenager, Dr. Young worked diligently as a choir member, and became lead singer for the “Chosen few gospel singers”, “To The Glory of God Choir” and “The Westside Youth and Action Choir” to name a few. As a teenager he was privileged to speak in the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. inc. under the leadership of Dr. T.J. Jimenson.
Dr. Young attended and graduated from John Ehret High School in Marrero Louisiana. He received his bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in Business Administration and a master’s degree from Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center and the Baptist Christian College of Shreveport Louisiana. Additionally, Dr. Young has been blessed to be honored with honorary doctorate from North Carolina Central University, Grambling State University, and Morehouse School of Religion.
Dr. Young began his pastorate in December of 1995. He was led by God for a season to serve the oldest African American Baptist church in the southern part of Louisiana, “The First Mt. Zion Baptist Church”. The church had 42 members when Dr. Young arrived but in two years he grew the church with the Lord as his lead to 536 active members. It was at that point that Dr. Young knew that God was with him to change a dying world and lead men, women, boys, and girl’s to a coming Christ. Dr. Young began to travel across the country to preach the gospel in revivals and conventions. He heard the voice of God tell him that he must now return to the city that God took him from and to return to build the walls that where torn down by the enemy.
November 2001 Dr. Young was the pastor of two churches. One of them, “Greater Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church of New Orleans”, had been through a storm that many people did not think it could recover from, but that’s not what God had said. Dr. Young has always believed God has a way of turning things around. On March 2002 Dr. Toris Young was elected the Sr. Pastor of “Greater Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church”. Dr. Young led the church through three days and nights of total abstinence, fasting and prayer. This was followed in April with a tent revival, which was held blocks away from the church. During the revival 189 new souls were added to the church. Since then, God has blessed Dr. Young to bring large crowds together.
Dr. Young was honored by the Gospel Insider awards in Los Angeles CA., winning one of America’s top church’s and Americas top pastor’s. Other awards include the 2003 leadership award by the Louisiana NACCP, the 2004 “100 Black Men of America”, 2003 Contemporary Award from IRC’s of Sweet Success, 2004 Award for Spiritual Enlightenment from “Children Are Special Inc”. Savoy Magazine also selected him in 2004 as one of the most influential Black men in America. He has received many awards for his tireless efforts in the area of Economic Development, Youth Development, Education and Health Awareness by the state of Louisiana. A constant Advocate for change, Dr. Young was honored by the Center for Disease Control and the National HIV/AIDS partnership with faith base for his outstanding work in the fight to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In 2004 Dr. Young established a mentorship program known as Young Fellows Summer Academy to assist in the mental, physical and spiritual development of the African American male ages 12 -17 years old.
Dr. Young’s captivating and powerful messages are masterful and have been captured in a number of audio and video series including: I Don’t Want Delilah, The Power of God’s Word, When You Are Down to Nothing and God Is Up to Something, What a Man Wants, What a Woman Needs, and The Strength of a Man to name a few.
Dr. Young and his wife Kiesha are proud parents of three children Kalija, Koby Ty. And new to us Kyra Lynn The couple has also served as surrogate parents for many in the community and the church.
Last August 2005 changed the life of Dr. Young and The Greater Bibleway Baptist Church. Due to Hurricane Katrina, we lost everything that we had built up; not only did we loose buildings and other material items, but sadly we lost lives.
Dr. Young has funeralized 25 persons as a result from this storm. However The Greater Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church is still marching on and Dr. Young has set a plan out for the church and we are working hard to overcome this storm that we know as Katrina. We are having worship in three cities as of today: Houston TX, Atlanta GA and New Orleans, LA. God is bringing us back and we will return, we will rebuild, and we will be bigger and better. Look out, the best is yet to come.
