Overseer J. Phillip Carroll, Pastor
Lady Tonia Carroll
Overseer James Phillip Carroll grew up in Kankakee, Illinois, the second of seven children. He grew up attending Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church under Pastor William H. Copeland Jr. It was in the fall of 1986, while attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where Pastor Carroll accepted the call to preach God’s Word.
Overseer Carroll is the pastor of Greater Shepherd Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana since May 2004. Before serving as pastor in 1998-2003 in Kokomo, Indiana at Jones Community Church, he served as Minister of Music for churches in Kankakee, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Peoria, Illinois and Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the years he has learned to embrace the lessons God has given to teach him to blend the call to Pastor with the gift of music ministry (organist and soloist). He strongly believes that God has prepared him to do a great work through successful marriage of the two gifts.
Overseer Carroll now serves as the Moderator of the Southern Fellowship Baptist District Association and as Overseer for the states of Indiana and Ohio for Kingdom Destiny Fellowship International, which is a fellowship of pastors for networking, training and empowerment.
Since being at Greater Shepherd he has truly been a Shepherd, Teacher, Leader and Visionary. In the time of his tenure he has lead GS to accomplish some great things, such as:
• Marched into a new worship facility in December 2012
• Purchased two houses
• Purchased 2 vacant lots for future expansion
• Purchased 2 new vans
• Started the Pastor Shep And Alberta Banks Legacy Scholarship Fund in memory of the founders of Greater Shepherd
• Community Day for the Neighborhood
• Pastor’s Basketball Game which raises funds for community outreach
• Increase in the number of youth graduating from high school
• Increase in the number of adults going back to school for GED and college
In Pastor Carroll’s 30 plus years of ministry he has had the awesome privilege of sharing the stage with some of the gospel industries greatest artist and musicians. He has also recorded with several ministries as a featured artist:
• Rodnie Bryant and the Christian Community Mass Choir
• Tyscot Records Live at Antigua
• Billie Lester and Prosperity
• Napolean Williams and True Friends True Praise
• Tommie Jones and the Christian Mass Choir – Louisville, KY
• Lyn Morris “Double Portion Project” – Bloomington, IL
• William Rimson and Let Praise Continue
He is currently working on three projects that will be released in 2014. He was recently voted as Indy’s 2013 People’s Choice Award Pastor of the Year.
It is the vision of Pastor Carroll to empower God’s people in the city of Indianapolis to experience spiritual growth, educational advancement and financial liberty through his preaching, teaching and obeying the divine orders from the Lord.
Overseer Carroll is married to the beautiful and talented Lady Tonia Deneen Clark and they are the very proud parents of thirteen children and ten grandchildren.
