Today we’d like to introduce you to Philip Anthony Mitchell.
Philip Anthony, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Our story began in a small hotel room with 12 people when a then uncertain and fearful leader stood up to cast a vision for something no one could see nor knew how it would come to pass. We had no financial resources, no organizational support and certainly no experience. But what that leader did have, and what the others in that room did grab hold of, was an audacious faith to believe that God could use a willing group of people to start a life-giving ministry in the city of Atlanta. So, with everything I could muster, I poured out my heart in that hotel room in January of 2012 and we set out from that place on a 9-month journey of learning from others, building culture and raising capital to plant what would become Victory Church ATL on October 7, 2012. The day of our launch was the fulfillment of a vision God had impressed upon my heart eight years prior.
Today, Victory is a thriving and lively church filled with hundreds of people and families, mostly millennials, that attracts new people every week and reaches thousands of others through our digital evangelistic efforts via social media and our podcast.
Our journey has been an incredible story of grace and grit, loses and gains, trials and victories. Through it all, we are blessed to see God’s continued faithfulness as we press to reach more people with the life-changing message and teachings of Jesus. Far from perfect, Victory is yet a beautiful anomaly of what can do when people come together around a cause that is bigger than themselves.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
A smooth road… definitely not, starting a church from scratch is serious work, both physically and spiritually, and it is definitely not for the faint of heart. Many challenges, painful seasons and great obstacles have marked our road. And to be quite honest, there were times when I even considered quitting the ministry because the pain I endured was that great. But my wife, Lena, and close brothers in the faith were instrumental in helping me maintain my resolve in God’s faithfulness. And for them, I am truly grateful.
Regarding struggles, there are many ongoing difficulties associated with leading and pastoring a church, perhaps too many to talk about in this segment. But among those struggles, the most significant worth mentioning have been dealing with the painful transition of people I love who are no longer among us, staffing the right people in the right positions in a predominately volunteer-based environment, working through the administrative and logistical challenges that come with being a portable church gathering in school facilities and lastly, battling the various insecurities and spiritual attacks that have come with leading a church.
The struggles in ministry are real. And struggles are inevitable. They are part of the Christian life and journey. Some are divinely orchestrated for our good and maturation. Others are the result of misguided human relations, actions, and failures. Yet through it all, I have grown greatly in wisdom, been shaped deeply in my character and have learned invaluable life lessons that serve to better our organization and the lives of others.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Victory Church ATL – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Well, as I mentioned earlier, Victory is a thriving and lively church filled with hundreds of people and families, mostly millennials, and reaching thousands of other people through social media and our Victory podcast.
Since our inception, we have seen countless people make decisions to follow Jesus and have recorded thousands of testimonies and heartfelt stories of life change from attenders in Atlanta to as far away as podcasters in Australia. We have donated thousands of hours in city-wide volunteerism and have given away thousands of dollars in resources to serve our city in outreach efforts through our organization, Paint the City Green, along with a growing network of outreach partners all across Atlanta.
Currently, we are a portable church partnered with a local Atlanta High School to gather weekly for our adult, teen, and childhood experiences and contribute to their budget and vision. We operate out of modern office space in the South Atlanta area with a dedicated staff of high-impact leaders. Biblical teaching, passionate worship, intentional community, ongoing outreach and a deep sense of Gospel mission mark our church and organization.
We are known for our life-giving culture. We are known for our high-impact gatherings. We are known for being radical, authentic and loving. We are known for playing with fire and being uncompromising in sound doctrine. We are known for lifting up Christ, retrieving those who are far away from God and empowering people to be all God has called them to be. We are known for being a church serious about the Great Commission of Jesus.
When I consider where we started and the current culture and work of our organization, there is definitely a lot for me to be proud of it. But as the pastor of Victory Church ATL, I am perhaps most proud of the dedicated men and women who serve in our church faithfully, give generously, pray earnestly and labor passionately towards the mission of Jesus for His Church. The buy-in to Gospel ministry inside Victory is unbelievable and nothing short of God’s grace. And when I think about our people and the lives that are being changed, I am often driven to deep tears and solemn moments of thanksgiving to God. The unselfish sacrifices and work of our leaders and teams is what I am most proud of as it relates to Victory.
There is nothing pretentious about our church or our motives. We love Jesus. We love people. We love seeing lives saved and transformed by the power of God and community. We are a real and authentic gathering of imperfect explorers and Believers truly striving to spread the Gospel until all have it. We stand for truth. We speak out and refuse to be silent. We fight to make Jesus known. This passion truly permeates our prayers, our leadership, our meetings, and our gatherings. Real talk, Victory is as Christ-centered as they come. And as the lead pastor, I constantly fight to keep us tethered to these passions and burdens. It starts with my heart for Jesus, His global eternal mission, the love I have for people, and then flows downward throughout our organization. If there is anything that sets us apart, I believe it is these pervasive cultural realities above anything else.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In all honesty, my plans for the immediate future is to remain focused on becoming a better disciple, a better husband, a better father, a better pastor, a better communicator, and a better leader for my family and our church. I want to strategically guide our ministry towards increased health and efficiency in an attempt to continuously position us for everything God may have in store. I believe the aforementioned is critical to the success of all our future endeavors, apart from which one can strive to build something that appears to be far-reaching, yet it is toxic. In my estimation, personal and organizational health is essential to all future plans. So, I think it’s important to make mention of this first before we talk about the long-term future.
In addition to that, we recently created Philip Anthony Mitchell Ministries, a new organization through which we hope to impact more lives via upcoming workshops, trainings, events, speaking engagements and the distribution of transformational intellectual content.
As far as big changes, we are currently implementing a number of new systems and re-organizing some administrative structures for increased effectiveness and longevity. I believe it’s important to constantly evaluate our organizations with the goal of realizing necessary updates, changes and adjustments that foster optimal performance for where we are and where we’re going. I tell my leaders all the time, that the only thing written in pen is the Gospel and mission of Jesus. Everything else is always subject to enhancement or change. We want to be a church that is fluid and not static.
As far as the long-term future, I definitely have a vision for the impact I desire to see our church make in the city of Atlanta and beyond. But ultimately the future of Victory Church ATL is in the hands of God. Ours is to be faithful stewards pursuing the work of the Great Commission, He is to determine the scale of increase according to His perfect will. I am hopeful about our future and deeply burdened about the state of Christianity in America. And I earnestly look forward to how God will use to make an indelible imprint and difference in these times.
Contact Info:
- Address: Gathering Location: 1190 Northwest Dr, NW, Atlanta, GA 30318Gathering Times: 9:30am & 11:30am
- Website: www.VictoryChurchAtl.org
- Phone: 404.698.4788
- Email: info@VictoryChurchATl.org
- Instagram: @victorychurchatl
- Facebook: victory church atl
- Twitter: @iFollowVictory
- Other: www.PhilipAnthonyMitchell.org
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