Today we’d like to introduce you to ~Pastor Deidre Campbell-Jones, PhD.
Hi ~Pastor Deidre, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story is really one of searching for a place to belong. Growing up, I never completely fit into any group or club and always felt like an outsider, even with my two closest friends and “their” friends. So, I put my entire focus on singing (and secretly, a writer). I skipped around from college to college; audition to audition and then job to job – doing something in just about any industry I could qualify for. But still, I didn’t finish college; and I never found my place – or my people – even in church. 6 months after I was saved at the age of 25, I was teaching the youth and young adults; singing in the choir; winning oratorical contests and writing a faith-based newsletter for kids, but still felt alone and disconnected. On the side, I started publishing my own little teaching booklets and selling them for extra cash – but all the while, I thought it was no big deal. I had no idea there was a Calling and an anointing that God was working in me. 20 years later, my husband and our young son bought a house in the Valley where I met the Bishop of a church who got a hold of one of my publications, that was then a little mini-magazine. Amazingly, they asked me to teach at their small, Bible College. I became a Minister on Staff; finally finished my Bachelor’s degree and then went on to get my Masters. And all while I finally felt like I had found my place – even though they still told me I didn’t fit in – that I was a “square peg trying to fit into a round hole.” Well, in 2013 the Lord told me to quit trying to fit in anywhere. God had something else in mind for me and sent me to plant my own congregation. And just like me – The House of His Glory is different. It doesn’t fit in to the “norms” of church culture. We’re an entirely digital congregation and have been for 10 yrs – way before Facebook Live even existed! My Digital Church is often alone in a crowd of traditional churches, misunderstood and not accepted, but hey, that’s what God built me for. And, here I am 60 years old this November, I’ve gotten my PhD in 2023 and I’m a Certified Professional Christian Life Coach as well – and, I fit because God has made my own space to belong. And, that is the foundational truth that I try to incorporate in everything I now do for others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is never a smooth road – and if it is, then it’s time to be concerned! But for me and my family, the most hazardous terrain in our lives have (so far), always been places where God has shown us the power of His miracles and the results of our faithfulness. At one point, we almost lost our home in Sylmar – and the very day it was to be auctioned out from underneath us, the people told us our case had been closed! Some of our “survival” miracles were big and extraordinary like that, and yet for me – some of the most amazing miracles happened through long months of crying out to God because of my former ministry that persecuted and tried to ostracize me; leaders that once taught me turning around and betraying me; or bills that seemed like they would never be paid, suddenly were. And it is (sometimes still) the most difficult thing to be Called by God into a profession as a woman, where men are still “debating” as to whether or not women should be “allowed” to preach! The most excruciating trial in my career was being publicly humiliated, persecuted and judged on an unfortunately popular web show. But the Holy Spirit was with me, surrounding me with His Grace and I didn’t lose it until the “host” brought my husband into his nonsense! That show has ended up going viral – and then I got even more persecution afterward from people thinking they have the right to invade my world with horrible emails telling me who I’m not, and why I have no right to do what I do. My husband and I even had a former friend come to our house and tell us we were “out of order and living against God’s will” – all because I am a female pastor. And don’t get me started on being a Black woman too, especially in this political climate! It’s a constant battle that I refuse to fight in. But, when look back on ALL of those traumatic events I realize – I am looking back. I got through them. I survived, thrived and am actually better, stronger, more confident and even more blessed on the back end of it all.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
One of the things that makes my congregation so unique – and what I uniquely add to it, is my creativity. I’ve always been a little “crafty” as well as entrepreneurial. In the 1990’s I started my own publishing company since I couldn’t get published anywhere else; and I had a Desktop publishing company too – creating business cards and websites for small businesses in the Sacramento area. At one point I owned my own full-service event planning company! Now, as a pastor – I use all those skills (and many more I’ve learned since), and I do it all! I now create all the graphics for my services and online courses and workshops; I edit and upload video services; create worship music and even co-host a podcast with a friend in Sacramento. And of course, I am published author – no more creating little booklets out of my garage – I’ve got 4 books on Amazon (not including kids books), with more on the way. And I’m extremely exciting about launching my online series of webinars and coaching courses called The Total Soul Success Journey – that teaches people how to prosper and be in health through the success and prosperity of their soul! It incorporates all my teaching, pastoral, coaching, writing and creativity into one truly transformational collection. My prayer, hope and goal is that all people – no matter who they are or what they look like will come to know how to prosper and live in health and peace of mind the God’s word promises. Every person deserves to know how to do exactly what God has purposed them to do; how to be exactly who God has created them to be, and most of all, that they are loved and they belong!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Now that the Pandemic forced every church in the world to figure out how to put their services online, and now that they’ve all settled into whether or not they want to continue their online ministries or not, maintaining that unique nature of The House of His Glory and growing it digitally is a greater challenge than when no one knew what “online church” was. For me, branching out into more creative ways to “market” the church – through podcasts and online teachings will be my biggest focus over the next 5 years. My prayer is that these efforts will lead towards planting more digital congregations throughout California and one in Belize once my husband and I retire there where we bought land two years ago, and built a vacation rental property (Cozy Caye Casita – if I can plug that!) But the biggest trend I’d like to venture into is planting an interactive community in the Metaverse – something that goes beyond virtual church and deeply touches the lives of people who ordinarily would not set foot in a church with the everyday, life-changing truth and power of Jesus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thehouseofhisglory.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hohgchurch
- Facebook: https://faceboook.com/HoHGChurch
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hohgchurch
- Other: https://totalsoulsuccess.com
