Q&A Interview - Bishop Damion E. Berry

G&G: Bishop Berry, welcome to Grace & Glory Magazine. It is an honor to feature you for Black History Month. Historically the Black Church played a significant role in the Black community. What does Black History Month mean to you?

Bishop Berry: Black History has been an intricate part of who I am as a Father, Son and a Pastor. We are all aware of how the family has been affected by the absence of the FATHER in the house and being absent from the lives of our children. My MOM raised three boys in Perkins Projects by herself. I watched her struggle, and I made a promise to myself that if GOD gave me the chance at FATHERHOOD, that I would do my absolute best to be in their life. Was I perfect, did I dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘T’? NO, but I did my very best to show my Daughters that they are WIVES not girlfriends and my Sons that they are HUSBANDS and not boyfriends. I taught them with the help of their moms that they are leaders not followers. I truly believe if we focus on our PAST, we will affect our PRESENT, and we will destroy our FUTURE.

G&G: Bishop Berry, you are the founding Pastor of God’s Church Ministries. Let’s go back to when your journey in ministry first began. Would you share with us the vision and story behind God’s Church Ministries? Bishop Berry: This may sound disturbing, but it is the truth. GOD’S CHURCH MINISTRIES was birthed out of my pain. GOD created a ministry for people who had been hurt by people in the church. GOD’S CHURCH MINISTRIES was birthed to help those that no one wanted to see that GOD wanted them. For the church to be portrayed as a place where you can come to be HEALED, it can also be a place of much pain. The Pentecostal Church is a very JUDGEMENTAL place if we are going to be truthful in this season. The only way the church can begin to heal the people is if it BEGINS TO HEAL ITSELF FIRST. Before we talk about what is wrong in other RELIGIONS, we need to take a hard look inside of ourselves first. Am I saying the entire church is broken, no but there is a reason we have mastered CHURCH TRANSFERS.

G&G: Looking back at where you were when you started this journey, where did you think, it was going to lead you? Are you at all surprised at where you are today?

Bishop Berry: THE truth is I really did not have a thought of where I would be today. However, I did this so that more people would be connected to GCM. There have been many days where I thought I had failed my assignment and the answer I could produce was to close the church. Then there would be an influx of new people or the return of old ones. Either way it made me have FAITH that GOD was not done with us just yet. So, I guess yes I am a little surprised that we are still here. I cannot lie to anyone. There are only about thirtyfive of us at the ministry, but we are FAITHFUL TO GOD and OUR WORK.

G&G: Bishop Berry, what was the turning point in your journey when you realized God had called you to an assignment of this magnitude?

Bishop Berry: THE turning point was I was sitting in church one Sunday morning and it was like there was a glass wall between me and my PASTOR. Not a glass wall but more of a sound booth. I could hear his voice in the background, but I began to hear this other voice. I knew the voice, but I did not understand what he was saying. I had a meeting with my BISHOP and we both agreed that GOD was calling me to my NEXT. I really did not know what the next was, but it was different. I worked on this proposal and typed it up and presented it to my leader. It was made of how the leadership would begin to interact with him. I mean I put my heart, sweat, and tears in it. Some years have gone past and I finally asked my BISHOP what he did with my proposal. He replied, “I tossed it into the trash. GOD is not going to speak to you about the MINISTRY that he is overseeing.” So now I do understand what I was hearing was not for my home church it was for GCM.

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G&G: Bishop Berry, along with great assignments come great responsibilities, were there any hurdles during this journey? What would you say has brought you the greatest joy in building God’s Church Ministries?

Bishop Berry: I cannot begin to share with you the hurdles that I had to jump over and through to get to this point. Some of the greatest hurdles have been pouring into people that you think are yours until you realize they are HIS. But that also has become my greatest joy as they “go ye therefore into the world”. You see G&G and reader, we were not made for these buildings, but we were made to build. I honestly believe that GOD sent this PLANDEMIC. Nothing ever happens in the KINGDOM without permission from GOD OUR FATHER. Wait BISHOP are you saying that GOD wanted all these people to die. No, I am not. But I do believe that GOD does allow situations to occur so that He can get our attention.

G&G: Bishop Berry, you have pastored God’s Church Ministries with great passion. I have heard it said that great passion does not come without great pain. Is this a true statement for your journey?

Bishop Berry: This is absolutely a true statement. There is no joy without the pain. You cannot enjoy the good days but cannot manage the hard days. I served for 15 years, no 26 years as my BISHOP’S ADJUTANT. I remember my PASTOR sharing with me in one of our conversations on the road, "DAMION there will be days when everything is going right, but then there will be days when things seem like all is falling apart around you. That is the moment you cannot just teach and preach the word. You must believe the word for yourself. You cannot tell the people to have faith that it will not always be like this but behind closed doors your faith waivers." You have to remind yourself that your pain is going to push you to your greatest PRAISE. Our pain is part of our growth in GOD. That is why GOD says to us in (2 CORINTHIANS 12:10), “When we are weak GOD is strong.”

G&G: Bishop Berry, like many pastors I’m sure your ministry was affected by the pandemic. So much changed in the dynamics of how we had to do ministry, what was the greatest lesson you learned doing the work of the Lord during the pandemic?

Bishop Berry: Yes, we were affected by the pandemic like most ministries. The truth of it is if you are not a forwardthinking LEADER then you and the ministry will always be in a difficult position. If not for the pandemic then another storm of some sort could have popped up out of nowhere and put the ministry in a predicament and pushed you out of your comfort zone. I am so happy that I had a leader who had to endure storms early on as a PASTOR and because I was afforded the opportunity to walk alongside HIM, it helped to prepare me for any storm that would come my way. Now it is very true that we will deal with our own storms but the answer for each storm is the same.

“LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING, BUT IN ALL OF YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.” This is one of my go to scriptures that I turn to when I see a storm out on the ocean.

G&G: Bishop Berry, what would you say it takes to be a successful pastor today? There are some pastors who have chosen to leave ministry, have you experienced instances where you wanted to quit and walk away from ministry?

Bishop Berry: I don’t think you are being honest with yourself if you have not considered walking away from ministry in the season, we find ourselves. Church today is a lot different from our grandparents’ church. No matter where they found themselves, they knew how to trust and lean on GOD. For some reason they had less but had more. They did more with less. They did not have fast food but could make a home cooked meal last for days at a time. They knew how to disagree as adults and keep children out of adult’s business. We on the other hand have more money but have less. Sunday dinner is now spent at GOLDEN CORAL. Instead of spending time with our children we now allow our TV’S and TV SHOWS to raise our children. So, I say all of that to say this, what they considered success we now consider failure and what we consider success they would consider failure. They said numbers determined your success but for us you could have less numbers and be more effective in ministry.

G&G: Bishop Berry, how do you plan to build upon your accomplishments as pastor, as you continue to lead the God’s Church Ministries? What are your hopes and plans for the future of the church?

Bishop Berry: Early last year in my prayer time I heard GOD speak to me about why there was a hindrance in the ministry. I began to pray every morning asking GOD for guidance, on what I was hearing from HIM. HE told me to remove all titles and ministries as we knew it in that season. GOD began to speak to me about FAITHFUL, FOCUSED, AND FORGING. We had been setting the family up to fail by teaching them all different things but expecting them to grow together. GOD said it was time for the church to return to (EPHESIANS 4:11-13) kind of ministry. It was time to teach the church about their gifts and not about their titles. (FOR WE ARE NOT JUST A CHURCH, WE ARE A MINISTRY) that is the slogan we have lived by for the past 5 years and that will be the saying we will grow with for the next 50 years with the help of GOD on our side. There is a PASTORAL TEAM in place, so I don’t have to try to do it all on my own. This team is made up of PASTORS in training who will eventually go out to be planted in GOD’S CHURCH EAST, GOD’S CHURCH SOUTHWEST, AND GOD’S

CHURCH PASADENA, just to begin. GOD wants to spread HIS word over this city, then move to this state and then this country that WE ARE NOT JUST A CHURCH. If you are looking for a place to be loved for who you are, then this is the HOME for you.

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G&G: Bishop Berry, my last few questions are a little more personal, first what three words would you use to describe yourself?

Bishop Berry: FAITHFUL—To God. TRUSTING— People too much. LOVING—Too hard too fast.

G&G: Would you share with us something most people would be surprised to know about you?

Bishop Berry: I am shy.

G&G: Bishop Berry, many pastors have shared with me that ‘Preaching the Gospel’ was not what they had initially planned for their lives. Was this the same for you, did you also have other plans for your life?

Bishop Berry: Yes, I did. I wanted to become a sports manager for the NBA (The Los Angeles Lakers).

G&G: Bishop Berry, is there anyone who has had a tremendous impact in your life?

Bishop Berry: My Godfather had the greatest impact on my life. In all of my life I don’t think I ever remember him getting sick. He worked to take care of his family no matter the cost.

G&G: Bishop Berry, lastly, if you could go back to the beginning, is there anything you would do differently?

Bishop Berry: The one thing I would do different is run for the hills. . .LOL!