Meet Pastor Michael A. Searcy
Pastor Michael A. Searcy is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the Senior Pastor of the New Direction Worship Center in Indianapolis, Indiana since November 1998; he is currently celebrating his 22nd year in the gospel ministry. He served as Interim Pastor of Greater Elim Missionary Baptist Church now known as New Direction Worship Center from 1998 until 1999.
He also served as Associate Minister of the Greater Elim Missionary Baptist Church from 1995 until 1998.
Pastor Searcy Community Relations involves IUPUI Men’s Division One Team Basketball team, where he presently serves as spiritual advisor, mentor and Chaplin.
Pastor Searcy is an alumni of Revelation Bible College of Jacksonville, Florida and Crossroads Bible College of Indianapolis, Indiana, achieving a degree in Bachelor of Ministry; he received his Master’s of Ministry Degree in the spring of 2007, and earned his Doctorate of Ministry Degree in 2008 all from Jacksonville Theological Seminary.
Pastor Searcy is blessed with three children Ryan, Michael, and Rheilyn.
Pastor Searcy is dedicated to Multiplying Faithful Men and Women for The Glory of God. His passion and love for the Lord can be heard and witnessed through his cutting edge preaching. Out of all of his achievements, Pastor Searcy really wants to be known only as a servant of God.
Our Staff
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Deacon Christopher Love
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
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Deacon Issac Hutchison
BOARD OF DIRECTOR, LANDSCAPER
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Dr. Crystal Morton
BOARD OF DIRECTOR, YOUTH MINISTER
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Sister Linda Williams
BOARD AND FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
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Sister Kimberly Smiley
CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR
Our History
1940’s
Pastor Haliburton chose to add "Greater" to the church's name to signify growth, expansion, and a stronger sense of purpose. The new name, Greater Elim Missionary Baptist Church, reflects the church's continued dedication to its mission.
1927
Elim Baptist Church, as it was known then, was organized in March of 1927. The church was located at 528 Agnes St. and Rev. Barnett Taylor was the Pastor.
1969
The church has relocated to our current address at 701 N. King Ave. The church at the time was excited to continue serving our community from this new location and looked forward to welcoming everyone to join them in worship.
2003
Pastor Searcy made an impactful decision to remove denominational barriers and rename the church to New Direction Worship Center to create a more inclusive worship experience for the congregation.
1998
Rev. Michael A. Searcy has been chosen to serve as the 12th senior pastor of Greater Elim. The church was confident that his leadership and guidance will bring growth and blessings to our community.
What Makes New Direction A Family?
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"For now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we who have been baptized into union with Christ are enveloped by him. We are no longer Jews or Greeks or slaves or free men or even merely men or women, but we are all the same—we are Christians; we are one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26-28
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1.) God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
2.) Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
3.) The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
4.) The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
5.) People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.
6.) Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
7.) Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.
8.) People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
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D – Driven by Purpose.
I – Intentional Preaching.
R – Reliable Leadership.
E – Every Member is a Minister.
C – Climate of Acceptance.
T – Timely Services.
I – Intentional Development Process.
O – Offer Jesus Christ.
N – Non - Christians.
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1) The church is a fellowship.
2) The church is a family.
3) The church is a body. The body of Christ.
4) The church is a flock, like a flock of sheep.