Today we’d like to introduce you to Elton Young.
Hi Elton, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
God called me to preach at the youthful age of sixteen. One year later, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served our great country for four years on active duty and two years in the reserves. My decision to join the military has truly served as a cornerstone in my development into manhood, shaping both my values and discipline. Following the completion of my military tenure, opportunities to develop more spiritually were made available as I sat under the leadership of Dr. Virgil J. Caldwell. Dr. Caldwell enrolled me in the seminary and taught me all aspects of pastoral leadership, administratively and most importantly, spiritually. Dr. Caldwell’s pastoral support and leadership helped me obtain my degree in Christian Counseling and Psychology.
As I completed my seminary studies, I met a beautiful lady named Brenda. After three years of courtship, Dr. Virgil J. Caldwell married us in 1997. With Brenda as my wife and Dr. Caldwell as my father in the ministry, God thoroughly equipped and positioned me for ministerial services over the course of the next 20 years. It was truly a significant turning point in my life:
1. Successfully pastored two churches as an interim pastor and two churches as a senior pastor.
2. Served four years as Chaplain of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department (HQ Evatt’s Administration).
3. Mayoral appointment as Commissioner, Chattanooga Housing Authority.
4. Board member with the Domestic Violence Coalition of Greater Chattanooga.
5. Board member with the Southeast Tennessee Association for Childcare.
6. Faculty Lead Trainer, National Baptist Congress of Christian Education.
7. Sunday School Commentary writer, Sunday School Publishing Board.
8. President of LifeLine Ministries CRS, Inc.
Over the same time period, I was fortunate to receive numerous awards, including the Distinguished Military Service Award and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award, among others. After 19 years, I embarked upon another period in my life that was defined by grief, loss, and separation. The pastor I loved dearly and respected for my entire ministerial tenure died on April 22, 2015. Fifteen months later, my wife, whom I had been bonded to for 22 years, was diagnosed with cancer in June 2016 and died two months later (August 8, 2016). The losses led to my God-directed decision to resign from the church I then pastored, and approximately two years later, I left the state of Tennessee and relocated to the state of Georgia, where I have since remained.
Those two losses led me to self-evaluate many aspects of my life, where I’ve been, where I’m going, and how I plan to get there. Before my wife’s death, we were blessed to talk about many things. We were able to find peace with the things we accomplished as a married couple, and I had to gradually learn to live with the things we did not have a chance to resolve and/or achieve. To truly find healing and be able to move forward with life, I personally had to deal with many conflicts within. As I moved closer to wholeness, God led me to document some of that journey in my book, “Conflicts Within: A Journey Through Real and Lasting Change.”
Today, I have happily remarried, published my book, and am excited about pastoring LifePoint, A Transformational Church, along with the relocation and relaunching of the church.
That’s how I began and how I’ve arrived at my current position.
Pastor Elton L. Young, MA, Author
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road. It rarely is. I learned from my seminary professor, Dr. Dana Stoddard that Christianity is a free gift, but dischipleship cost something. Discipleship has cost me many things. I’ve experienced the tragedy of divorce, and I learned to function as a single parent successfully. I know what it feels like to experience the death of a spouse and then must pick up the pieces of your life and continue forward.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At LifePoint we Specialize In:
The Pure and Faithful Teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Love and Fellowship
Pastoral Leadership
Nurturing the Community and Equipping the Saints
Evangelism and Missions
Christian Education and Discipleship
Fostering an Environment Where People can Build Deep, Vulnerable, and Lasting Relationships
Our Purpose
“To know and worship God intimately; declare and experience His liberating power as we live out the favour and promises He has bestowed upon us through His holy Word.”
Our Mission
“To preach and teach sound biblical doctrine; demonstrate love and fellowship among the saints, and make disciples of Jesus Christ every place we go.”
God’s Vision
“To become a diverse, well equipped, mature and mobilizing church that meets people and communities where they are as we live out an empowered and triumph life in praise and glory to God.”
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Forward In Faith
A New Home In Middle Georgia
We are genuinely excited about God leading the LifePoint family to Middle Georgia and embarking on an exciting new chapter in the history of our church. LifePoint was initially planted 6 months before the COVID-19 Pandemic, bringing the world we live in to a crawl. The past few years have not been easy, but God has blessed us to survive.
We invite you to be a part of the Team at LifePoint by sharing your expertise in either of the following areas:
The Launch Team – Prepare for and execute the public launch event.
The Core Team – Forms the nucleus and culture of the new church.
The Advisory Board – Mentors the planter and provides an external perspective.
Ministry Team – Carries out specific ministries following the church’s relaunch.
Pricing:
- $13.95
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lifepointtransforms.org
