Pastor Jamal Bryant, Mastering the Intersection of Church, Community, and Culture

Jamal Harrison Bryant has not lost faith in the cultural relevance of the Black church. Generation Z may not prioritize Sunday mornings spent in pews like their parents; and generation alpha’s childhood memories include being banned from church due to the covid outbreak of 2020, but Pastor and Dr. Bryant still believes in the church’s impact on the Black community. He acknowledges the “culture of church” has changed for many Black Americans, but insists its influence extends beyond any other organization or group.

“The Black church is the most powerful resource in our community,” Bryant says.

“It is more powerful than the divine 9 or any Greek organization. The way we engage with church today is of course different. More people are attending church online from home sipping a mimosa instead of driving in on Sundaymornings. The average person goes to church once a month, and some may even go once a quarter, but the church is still the most powerful entity we have,” Bryant explains.

Bryant himself is one of the most recognizable leaders in the urban community and his popularity has only increased since taking over the controversial New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. At the time Bryant was handed the rains, New Birth’s morale was on a respirator after losing its shepherd, and drowning in insurmountable debt. When Bryant accepted the seat of New Birth’s Sr. Pastor in 2018, the sanctuary was almost in foreclosure, and the congregation was sparse after undergoing several scandals and accusations against leadership. Bryant recalls the offer coming during a pivotal time in his personal life, while he was praying for direction on his next move. “I knew it was time to leave Baltimore, I’d done everything I could do there. I wasn’t sure what was next, but I was open. When I got confirmation that Atlanta was the right move, I was honored by the offer and immediately focused on getting the debt down.”

Bryant is proud that five years later, the church is debt free and has earned the reputation of being a true community partner. The dark cloud hanging over the church for years prior has all but been forgotten. Under Bryant’s leadership, the name New Birth is synonymous with community involvement and leadership. The church was one of the first resources for underserved communities during the covid 19 outbreak and health crisis of 2020. Bryant immediately aligned the church with the CDC, making New Birth one of the first to offer covid tests and vaccinations on the campus. “The church is where the people are. There is no separation when people are hurting and need our help,” he explains, detailing his decision to get involved in educating the community on the dangers of the virus and importance of being vaccinated.

As head of one of the largest congregations in a city known for its influence on Black culture, Bryant refuses to shy away from topics that affect traditional religion has avoided. Two years ago Bryant announced on an influential Atlanta podcast that the church needed to help Black men work legally in the cannabis industry. Initially, Bryant received a ton of backlash from naysayers, however after Vice President Kamala Harris 2025 agenda for Black Men referenced legalizing marijuana at the federal level to break down unjust and legal barriers, many realized Bryant’s ideas may have been ahead of his time. He announced his full support of Vice President Harris’ bid for president by welcoming her to New Birth two weeks prior to the election. “There is only one candidate that will work to unite this country and address the issues affecting most people. The other is working to divide and conquer.  The Bible says, ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him..’ That sounds like pro choice to me. The bible teaches us that God grants free will. It’s not the government’s place to tell a woman what to do with her body,” he says emphatically.

Harris isn’t the only 2024 presidential candidate with which Bryant is familiar. He acknowledges meeting Donald Trump almost two decades ago when he was asked to be an advisor on Omarosa’s dating reality show titled, ‘The Ultimate Merger’. “I met Donald Trump because he executive produced that show,” he laughs, “I figured I’d put myself out there before someone comes back with receipts from the past,” he jokes.

Extremely charismatic and committed to his community, Bryant has become a viral sensation with his timely commentary on pop culture topics and cultural conversations. Instead of avoiding A-list names and scandals, Bryant offers his perspective that aligns with the Bible. His answer to current scandals with Bill Cosby, Sean Combs and R Kelly is to point to stories in the Bible. “This is not to excuse their behavior, but most of the people who did amazing things in the Bible, came from a troubled past,” he shares. “The two most popular Bible verses are John 3:16 and the 23rd Psalm. Most people don’t realize, the 23rd Psalm was written by a murderer and an adulterer.  One of the most influential people in the Bible, Paul  spent half of his life murdering Christians. If you are looking for perfection, you won’t find it. Our God extends grace to all,” he says.

Practicing what he preaches, Bryant is transparent about his own life and past experiences including struggles with infidelity leading to the breakdown of his first very public marriage to RHOP star Gizelle Bryant.  Bryant and his ex-wife share three daughters and remain co-parents and friends. Currently he is looking forward to his second marriage to Pastor/Speaker and Author Karri Turner.  After being single for 11 years, Bryant says he found the woman that made him want to be a husband again. “Your needs are different at different times in life. I’ll be a much different groom than I was the first time around,” he explains. “I found someone that I want to experience life with. Someone that I know will look out for my children if I’m not there, someone that I know can hold things down for me if needed.”

Atlanta has given Bryant the ability to contribute to the pulse of Black America in a very different way than would’ve been possible back in his hometown of Baltimore. In a city recognized for its contributions to entertainment and civic/social justice, Bryant’s leadership has become a welcomed additive. His ability to remain unwavering in his Christian based-beliefs while embracing Black excellence and the culture have amassed Bryant a much bigger following than represented by the congregation at New Birth Missionary Baptist. From his new podcast to the release of his Empowerment Circle app which will grant access to his sermons, BTS videos and photos, and LIVE streams from his events and speeches, Bryant is connecting with a global audience as the conscious of the culture. His candor on real-life topics such as politics, racism and abortion have earned a trust with people that extends beyond the church.

“There is a saying that says ‘one can be so heavenly minded, that they are no earthly good’, to be that way is ineffective and it won’t work for the church today,” Bryant finishes.