About the Author

Pastor Andy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The family moved to Boston, Massachusetts in the fall of 1972, for his father, Bishop Gilbert “Gideon” Thompson to assume the Pastorate of the First Church of God on Shawmut Avenue.  The church was a part of the denomination based in Anderson, Indiana.  Pastor Andy began preaching at the age of 15 and after graduation from the prestigious Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, Ma, decided to dedicate his initial higher learning pursuits to God and attend Rhema Bible Training Center.  The School was an intense 2-year ministry program founded by Kenneth E. Hagin.  Pastor Andy was only 17 when he first attended Rhema.  While there in Tulsa, Andy began to attend and serve in the youth ministry of Higher Dimensions Christian Center, under the leadership of Bishop Carlton Pearson.  Bishop Pearson became a mentor to Andy, and Andy served in several capacities within the church.

Andy returned to Boston to attend the University of Massachusetts (B.A. English/Education) and to serve with his father, Bishop Thompson at New Covenant Christian Church. While at NCCC, Pastor Andy worked in almost every area of

the church.  He became the Youth Pastor at the age of 20, then served as Pastor of Evangelism and Follow-Up, and eventually Senior Associate Pastor.  In 2000, after several years of faithful service, Pastor Andy realized that Boston was not his final destination.  He returned to Tulsa to work for Bishop Pearson, and became the Senior Associate Pastor at Higher Dimensions, as well as providing assistance to the Azusa Christian Fellowship.  Bishop Pearson was running for mayor of Tulsa at the time, so Pastor Andy was the primary preacher on Sundays and Wednesday nights.  Even the television program featured Pastor Andy.  This was significant for it was to become a foundation for the birth of World Overcomers.

In 2002, Pastor Andy and his family moved to Durham North Carolina with the intention to plant World Overcomers Christian Church.  Their first move was to start the television ministry before starting the church.  The broadcast showed services from Higher Dimensions with Pastor Andy preaching.  After 4 months on television, the church was launched.

 In January 2003, Thompson founded World Overcomers Christian Church, a vibrant, non-denominational ministry in Durham, North Carolina. which now has close to 10,000 members. WOCC started a North Raleigh church in September 2015, which already has hundreds of people in attendance. With forty-eight percent of the congregation comprised of men, World Overcomers has been recognized for serving underprivileged youth and families in the Triangle area. In addition to his leadership at World Overcomers, Pastor Andy provides oversight and counsel to pastors in his Overcomers Christian Fellowship.  WOCC was recently named the 20th fastest growing church in America and ranks as the nation’s 46th largest church according to Outreach Magazine.

Andy Thompson also shares his inspirational faith message through national and international media outlets and conferences. He has appeared on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Daystar, TBN, TCT, the WORD network, The 700 Club and the Leon Show in Winnipeg, Canada. A highly requested speaker, Thompson has received speaking invitations from the likes of TD Jakes, Kenneth W. Hagin and organizational leaders around the world.  In 2014, Universal Studios asked him to provide a testimonial promoting Unbroken, a major motion picture. As a result of the Relationship series he has taught and the books he wrote, “Real Love – Real Dating” and “Real Marriage – Handle with Care” he has been recognized as a life strategist and relationship expert.  Faith and Family has been a particular strength of his ministry, and He and his wife Lashawn have done Real Love seminars around the world, instructing couples on what it means not just to love each other but to like each other.

Andy Thompson has been married to his wife Lashawn since 1991 and they live in North Carolina with their Children and grandchildren.