BENJAMIN PARROTT
Senior Pastor & Teacher
Benjamin H. Parrott Sr. is God’s visionary for Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church located in Miami, Florida. Serving as pastor since 2011, God has consistently blessed this union of church and pastor. The ministry has experience growth numerically, spiritually, as well as financially. Pastor Parrott was born in Miami, Florida, to Pastor Moses Blackman, and the late Athalie L. Parrott. He is the husband to Lawana Y. Parrott and has two lovely children, Athalie Ayana Parrott, and Benjamin H. Parrott II. He is a graduate of Miami Jackson High School. Pastor Parrott continued his education by completing his studies in Mortuary Science at Miami-Dade Community College and Biblical Studies at South Florida School of Theology in Deerfield Beach Florida.
Pastor Parrott was nurtured in a religious home thus accepting the Lord and was baptized at a young age. He was raised in the church and received early church training at the Christian Fellowship M.B. Church under the leadership of Pastor Purdy Brown, Pastor Cullen Felder and Pastor Charles Coleman. God continued to develop Pastor Parrott, and his Pastor and spiritual father in ministry ordained him as a deacon at the age of 19, and he soon became the youngest chairman of the Deacon ministry in the state of Florida at the age of 24. After God calling him into the ministry he later was appointed as Youth Pastor and was ordained in 1998 and carried out his duties as Youth Pastor/Assistant Pastor until he was called as the Senior Pastor of Christian Fellowship M.B. Church.
Pastor Parrott has achieved many triumphs in his life along with awards. He has worked within the Florida East Coast Association Southern Division Ministers and Deacon Union in the Youth Division, Coordinator of the Licentiate Workshop, and facilitator for the Pastors. He has served as the Associate Dean of Florida General Baptist convention, and now an instructor. His most recent responsibility was to serve as Dean of the District Congress of Christian Education, FECMBA.
It is his humble prayer that the Lord will forever lead him as he continues to do the will of the Master. He is always declaring Psalms 118:23 “This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.” So, he is on this battlefield for the LORD and has vowed to serve HIM until he dies.
Past Pastors
Rev. Purdy S. Brown
1967-1974
Reverend Cullen C. Felder
1975-1982
Reverend Charles E. Coleman
1982-2011
History
Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, circa 1979
In 1967, three strong God fearing women believed that it was God’s plan for us to find a new place of worship. They shared this desire and dream with others, and 250 people met to discuss the matter of not just joining another church, but in fact, starting another church. After a series of meetings at the late Deacon and Sister George Washington’s home, the decision was made to organize The Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. Until a permanent sanctuary could be constructed, this group of worshippers met at the Liberty City Community Center for worship services located at 6301 NW 14TH Ave. At this point an invitation was extended to Rev. Purdy S. Brown to worship with us and become our Pastoral Leader. Pastor Brown accepted this invitation and thus the journey to building this venerable sanctuary commenced.
Our first service was held on Sunday, November 12, 1967, at 11:00 am in the Liberty City Community Center auditorium to hear our first sermon as The Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. At this sermon, everyone present was amazed to see that the choir, under the direction of Sis. Isabelle Blue; the ushers, under the leadership of Sister Rose Munlin; the Deacons under the leadership of Deacon George Washington, and the Deaconesses under the leadership of Sister Mariah Shines were all on duty, functioning as though the church had been established for years. At the conclusion of the “soul stirring” message delivered by Rev. Cullen C. Felder, Sr., the invitation for membership was extended and over 100 people became members.
After worshiping together for five weeks, a request was made to the Florida East Coast Missionary Baptist Association to officially organize the Church and install our Pastor. On Sunday, December 17, 1967 at 3:30 pm, a formal organizational meeting was held under the leadership of Moderator O. W. Foster and the Chairman of the Board, Pastor L. J. Alford of the Florida East Coast Missionary Baptist Association for the official organization of our church. When the invitation for membership was extended, 139 more accepted the invitation for membership bringing the total membership roll to 250 worshippers. Pastor Purdy S. Brown was officially and unanimously elected and installed as the Pastor of The Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church on this day.
The initial officers of the Church were Pastor Purdy S. Brown Senior Pastor, Pastor Cullen C. Felder, Sr., Assistant Pastor; Deacon George Washington Chairman of Deacon Ministry; Sister Loreatha Peck, Church Clerk and Recording Secretary; Sister Rhunette D. Moore, Financial Secretary; Brother Wesley Culver, Treasure; Sister Maggie Scott, Registrar; Brother Monroe Collier Chairman of the Trustee Ministry; and Sister Sallie Collier, President of the Deaconess Ministry.
Under the dynamic Leadership of the illustrious Pastor, P. S. Brown, we stepped out on God’s Grace and in November, 1967 the process to purchase this land and build this magnificently beautiful edifice which we now occupy began. Our funds were limited however, Pastor P. S. Brown lead us with a strong will and great skills to build. Shortly after our triumphant march into this newly constructed edifice, Pastor Brown met his untimely transition on February 25, 1975. After the death of Pastor Brown, Pastor Cullen C. Felder lead the congregation from 1975-1981. On October 25, 1982 Pastor Charles E. Coleman was called to lead, and he did so until his retirement in March, 2011.
We were able to burn the first mortgage on June 24, 1990. However, additional financing became necessary in order to install an elevator thus, a loan was obtained in September 2006 to improve access to the main sanctuary by way of this elevator installation. We therefore have arrived at this Day - June 10, 2018 -where we are able to burn what we foresee as our second and final mortgage on God’s House.
Pastor Benjamin H. Parrott Sr., was called in March, 2011 to lead the congregation after Pastor Coleman’s retirement. Seven years into his pastoral duties, Pastor Parrott has lead a willing congregation to raise enough funds to liquidate the mortgage on this building again. We do not know what the future holds, but we the membership rest in the assurance that we do know who holds the future and having been freed from this debt —our prayer is that under the present leadership, we can remain true to our motto; “We are a Church in the heart of the city with the city at Heart.” We are striving to be a Matthew 25 church. To God be the Glory!”
