(Atlanta, GA) - Philip Anthony Mitchell has been compared to John the Baptist.
Find out why by watching Pastor Philip's conversation with KLOVE's Monika Kelly:
Raised by Trinidadian Christian parents in Queens, New York, young Philip was more attracted to the streets than he was his parents' preaching.
Want to hear Pastor Philip's testimony?
"Although I heard about God and knew about the Lord Jesus to some degree, I think the outside influence of the environment I lived in kind of pulled me away from God. From age 12, I was already involved in a lot of illegal activity and getting in trouble.
I would end up in North Carolina and maybe around the age of 24 after so many years of living in darkness, I was empty and I was very suicidal. I had a girlfriend at the time who had gotten into a car accident and we did everything wrong, we were living together, we did everything wrong.
She came home that day, thankful that she had survived that car accident. She put on gospel music and she began to worship the Lord. It was the first time in my life that I'd ever heard gospel music.
I said to myself, 'whatever that is, I want that.' I crawled into a bathroom on my hands and knees and I started yelling of the God that I knew from my parents, not really knowing that He existed. And God met me in that bathroom in a supernatural way in November 2003.
Tears of sorrow became tears of joy and for the first time, I became aware of my sin. I was brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit in that bathroom."
That awareness and salvation would pave the way for Pastor Philip's ministry. He and his wife Lena began to lead a growing church until Pastor Philip began to feel a call for something more.
During a visit to Israel, Pastor Philip found himself at Jesus' empty tomb. A group of Portugese believers were worshipping and called him up to the front of the group.
"My wife and I had gone to Israel for clarity. I was fasting and praying during that trip and God had not said anything to me until the very last day. On the last day of our trip in Israel, we went to visit the garden tomb. And when I came out of the garden tomb, I heard singing in the distance. It was a group of people having a worship gathering. I could feel the presence of God as they sung. I slipped into the back of the meeting. I could feel God and I'm lifting my hands and I'm worshipping Jesus. I'm shedding tears and I could feel His presence even though I don't understand their language. At some point during that gathering, the man that was leading prayer pointed to me. He motioned me to the front. It was by providence that one of the men in my bus spoke the language.
The leader said, "Young man, I've been to your nation. I’ve seen how the church is dying and getting dark. And God is saying to you, 'Do you want to go back to your nation and do something about it? God is calling you to go back and cry aloud.'”
Wrecked by this encounter, Pastor Philip describes falling to his knees.
"That gathering of people prayed for me. They lay hands on me. I wept, my wife wept. It was in that moment that I felt in that God was charging me to go back to the United States and cry aloud and be bold about the proclamation of the gospel until all have heard it. My wife and I flew back from Tel Aviv, and was really convicted in my soul. Not only did I have that encounter, but I saw a type of reverence for God and reverence for the scriptures that I had never seen in the United States. I was exposed to a type of respect for the things that were holy that God was venerated in Israel in a type of way that I've never seen. His Word was venerated in a way I've never seen.
Who I was died in Israel. My vanity died. Everything I try to will to do for myself died in that garden tomb. When I returned back to the United States, my face was set like flint to be faithful to the proclamation of the gospel, to awaken as many Christians in the West as possible, to call sinners to repentance, to call the saved out of apathy, lethargy and indifference.
I want to be able to say what the Apostle Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my race," Pastor Philip shares.
Pastor Philip returned to Atlanta and changed the name of his church from Victory Church ATL to 2819 Church, based on Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".
2819 Church is deeply committed to outreach in the Atlanta area. Their goal is to spread hope, ease the suffering of the needy and collaborating with other outreach organizations, including:
The Georgia Mentor
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Gateway Center
The Atlanta Missions
1st Saturday Feed the Homeless
Dream House for Kids
Habitat for Humanity
The Chastian Park Conservancy
Walk to End Lupus
Global Soap Project
St. Jude
Trees Atlanta
Partnership Against Domestic Violence
Festival of Trees and Lights
Marine Toys for Tots
Gilliam Community Garden
MedShare
Gabrielle's Place
Lift Up Atlanta
Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry
Books for Africa
Woodlands Garden
Grace Community
Pastor Philip and his family have been faithful to the call of the gospel. Let's keep them in prayer.