Fifth Ward’s New Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church (NPGMBC), affectionately known as “The Grove,” has a millennial pastor with an old soul: Dr. Charles Turner.
Turner, a Houston transplant, has ministry experience beyond his years and a commitment to scholarship and community service. This focus makes him a formidable opponent to the forces that seek to disrespect members of his congregation or anyone in Houston, especially the historically underserved.
While beaming with pride about NPGMBC (3221 Bain St., Houston 77026), Turner shared with the Defender insights about his road to ministry, main areas of focus, and more.
Road to ministry
Turner’s calling to ministry officially came during his sophomore year at the other TSU (Tennessee State University). But truth be told, he was literally born for the vocation.
Though Turner’s family tree is littered with pastors (father, two brothers, grandfather on mother’s side, great grandfather on dad’s side), he was never pressured to pursue that path.
“As a child I had visions of becoming an architect or maybe going into business,” said the Nashville, TN native.
But destiny had other plans for him. After accepting his ministry calling and graduating from seminary school at Vanderbilt University, he got his first taste of Houston.
“Pastor Dennis Jones of Gethsemane Baptist Church in Pleasantville was the one that initially brought me to Houston for a staff position. I served there a little over two years before being called to pastor a church in Hartford, CT,” shared Turner.
Upon his return to H-Town, Turner hit the ground running as pastor of “The Grove.”
Ministry defined
Turner’s approach to ministry is crystal clear.
“I believe that we have to be incarnational. Jesus showed up. He embodied the things he taught that he was about. He showed up. He was a presence,” said Turner, whose vision for how The Grove shows up in the Fifth Ward community and beyond is captured in the acronym DREAM.
“D” represents daycare/childcare. Regarding meeting peoples’ needs amid natural disasters or “just some people’s everyday lived experiences,” “R” represents NPGMBC’s role as a relief center. The “E” highlights the church’s emphasis on education, while the “A” and “M” reflect the congregation’s commitment to building affordable housing and erecting a multipurpose community center.
Beloved by his congregation
“During the last freeze, Pastor Turner was made aware that one of his sick-and-shut-in members’ lights were out and she didn’t have any form of heating,” said Rhoda Fitzgerald. “Pastor Turner went into his own finances and purchased a generator for her, a sister who recently had her left leg amputated. She is now able to stay warm in this freeze we are facing.”
“Pastor Turner is involved in the community, helping any way he can to help better the community, said NPGMBC Deacon Willie Beck. “He is involved helping at two schools: Betsy Ross Elementary School (2819 Bay St, Houston, TX 77026) and Fleming Middle School (4910 Collingsworth St, Houston, TX 77026). He is a great leader and teacher.”
Centering social action
That said, Turner prioritizes showing up and speaking out on issues impacting people. He has been front-and-center on community demands for post-storm relief, criticizing the TEA takeover of HISD, and calling for Houstonians to flex their voting power.
“Historically, pastoral theology, particularly from an African American perspective, all the way back to the antecedents of African religion, when we got on those slave ships, that congregation on the slave ships still looked to the priest as a leader, to speak a word, and to represent God in those trying circumstances.”
Turner says that the priestly role was transferred to the Black preacher, making pastoring from a Black perspective different than other communities.
“We have a lens that has always been engaged and invested in social transformation… Our lens is not one that only looks at salvation in terms of personal piety, where you’re saved and go to heaven, just worrying about your spiritual condition. We always look at it as being interwoven. It’s biblical. When God delivered Israel from Egypt, he didn’t just say, ‘Have faith in me and y’all straight; stay in slavery.’ No, he literally freed them from oppression. It’s a spirituality that is grounded in our experience that also has to see social transformation.”
Ministry joys & challenges
Turner shared an interesting answer to the twin questions: “What’s the most joyous and most challenging parts of ministry?”
“I’m a preacher, so I love preaching. But my favorite part is people. They’re the challenge and the joy,” said Turner, who credits his father, the late Pastor James Turner Sr., for instilling in him a heart for humanity.
“Being close with him and watching him pastor, a lot of my view on ministry, he exemplified. He was very community-oriented. And just down to the practical sense, he showed me everybody is human; it doesn’t matter your education, the money you have, your position. He treated everybody the same way.”
Advice for future ministers
As much as Turner loves his profession, he knows it’s not for everyone, even many who are considering that path.
“Make sure it’s a calling. One thing social media can do is warp your understanding of what it’s about. It’s not about your popularity or how many likes you can get. It really is about service. Oftentimes people see pastors on the platforms. That’s a big part of what we do. You communicate to a lot of people. But that’s only one aspect of ministry. If you’re not serious about learning, if you’re not serious about serving, then stay out of the ministry. You’re going to do the people a disservice. You also have to have a lot of humility.”
