Rev. Dr. Jamal H. Bryant

Have you ever heard a Word from God so good that it resonates deep within your spirit and it almost actually hurt because it was so truthful to your life? No, just me. Cool. Well, that kind of exact Word is what you will get with our Melanin King Monday feature today, Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Bryant is the son of a preacher and it’s in his blood. His very essence breathes on the gifts that God has ordained him with. Dr. Bryant has most definitely been the topic of controversy both in and out of the pulpit, but that will never stop the call from God on his life. 

I have personally heard and received a Word from him and his presence is one you will never lose memory of. Although he is powerful in spirit, he also is very calming and kind. He prayed with me when I was asking God about leaving Florida and moving to Atlanta. We were the hosting church for a revival that another church was having and he was the speaker. After service he shook hands and spoke with everyone that was present. I was on the media team and after everyone was gone, I asked him for a picture and I also asked him to pray with me. My prayer was answered 4 months later when I packed up and moved to Atlanta. There was power in the agreement that he entered into with me and I am grateful that Dr. Bryant took the time to pray with me because it was very late and I know he was very tired. These are the kind of requests some “famous” men and women of God won’t indulge in. These are the requests that can have a lasting impression on people who may not know Jesus and due to a kind gesture get to know Him. Or, even if they still don’t become a believer in Christ, it may cause them to develop some sense of faith and may lead them to God later down in their journey of life, or just to believe in something…even if they just believe in themselves. 

Over a year later, God would send Dr. Bryant to Atlanta to become the lead pastor of New Birth MBC in Lithonia, GA. Father and Pastor are possibly Dr. Bryant’s most important roles in life, but he is also an activist. I liken him to dare I say, a modern day Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Bryant has ties to the Black Lives Matter movement and we never see an inkling of fear at the controversy that tends to follow him for his bold tongue and behavior when it comes to the mistreatment and injustice poured out and onto the black people in this country and around the globe. Dr. Bryant makes no apologies for wanting to see justice prevail for those that look like him and he is extremely vocal about his intention to change how the justice system treats people of color. Within the 6 months that Dr. Bryant has been at New Birth his impact in the community has been more than just lip service. He came and hit the ground running! 

Dr. Bryant, along with his congregation raised 9.5 million dollars to give to Bennett College. On Resurrection Sunday the church was able to assist in getting together $120,000 to post bail for first time, non violent offenders in four Georgia counties for their “bail out” program which will also assist with job readiness. Dr. Bryant and New Birth have also hosted a food truck food initiative feeding children in Dekalb county with the sponsorship of members of his church that own the food trucks. There has been a clothing drive and Dr. Bryant’s latest call to action is for a back to school shoe drive. He is asking for donations of shoes for school aged children NOW so that by the time the new school year has started, there will be enough to provide to the children of the community. 

Dr. Bryant has proven time and time again that his passion is truly for his people and he intends to uplift our communities. He supports black businesses and he openly and lovingly pushes us to do the same. He will get in the trenches and shows not one iota of signs to decrease his efforts to empower our communities. Thank you Dr. Bryant for your service. Thank you for being willing to literally go to jail for us and to fight for what’s right. Thank God He sent you to Atlanta because you are apart of the change that was inevitable. We stand with you and we are excited to see what else you have in store for the state of Georgia, these United States of America and the world. You are truly a Melanin King!