About the author
Pastor R.E. Phillips as born in Detroit, Michigan on September 8, 1983 and was moved to the city of Indianapolis., Indiana in June of 1996 at the tender age of 12 after the death of his grandmother. He confessed his hope in Christ and immediately devoted his life to singing praises to God.
At the age of fourteen he was abandoned and forced to live in the streets becoming both a seller & user of drugs. Shortly after he dropped out of school and was on a path of failure!
Being united with his father God began to open new doors for him. By seventeen he announced his calling to ministry and became a licenced minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Being compelled to be more responsible and accountable to the cross that he now represented, with the help of both his Heaven and Earthly fathers Rodney re-enrolled into High School where he remained until he graduated Valedictorian and first in his class at the age of 20 years old! He's story was such a success that Mayor Bart Peterson along with Governor Frank O'Bannon of Indianapolis attended his graduation and signed his diploma.
Shortly after Rodney attended Martin University and decided to marry in September of 2004. Rodney released a Gospel Album on June 5, 2005 that would eventually sell worldwide from Japan to Africa all the way back to the US.. He became an ordained minister that same year and fathered the first of his three children in December of 2006. Things couldn't seem to get any better for Rodney and they didn't for a few. He and his wife divorced shortly after, he abandoned his ministry and moved to New York in search of healing from God.
It was in this dark place where Rodney began to write. Having no more songs to sing and no more sermons to preach, he turned to the ink of his heart and out of these experiences came the book, "When A Child Skips." Just when he thought God has turned his back on him, the Lord was once again receiving Glory out of his life. He never imagined that God would use him in the capacity of Author. But God was not done blowing his mind yet!
On Sunday, February 13th, 2011 a group of faithful Pioneer Missionary Baptist Church members assembled together in prayer that they may elect a Pastor after God's own heart. Under the direction of Rev. Jimmy L. Bailey they pray, deliberated, and according to their faith reached their verdict and voted Rev. Rodney E. Phillips to be their shepherd; Breaking History in making him among the youngest Pastors in the Mid-West!
It didn't take long to recognize that they had made the right decision as God continued to prove Himself through this young man of God. His powerful preaching and charismatic ways quickly grew the church from an attending membership of 20-30 to 70-80!
With the incredible help of the Lord, Pioneer has experience tremendous accomplishment within the 7 year administration of Pastor Phillips. Especially in the Year of 2012 where they witnessed a soul saved 51 out of the 52 Sundays that year!
They upgraded their sound system, cemented a walkway for safety, installed an information desk, refurnished many locations in our building, we also added a projector and screen to enhance our worship experience. In 2013, they have remodeled our kitchen and fellowship hall and to accommodate our growth of youth we are building a computer science lab with state-of-the-art internet accessible computers to create both college and job opportunity of our members and community!
Pastor Phillips has not had it all easy, after the deaths of many of church members including former Pastors, his very own Grandmother, Aunt, and Cousins. Pastor Phillips has been faithful throughout the hurt and pain associated with this call. From being lied on, walked out on, and criticized for his non-traditional style of ministry, He has Overcame Triumphantly through it all with the Lord as his Redeemer.
With writing as a priority, Rodney has returned to release his new book, "I'm A Storm Survivor."