Page 4 - Pastoral Installation Service Booklet(8.5" x 11")

CONFERENCE HOMILIST

DR. MAY E. DUPREE
Dr. May E. DuPree, born to Sylvester and Annie DuPree on April 22, 1951, the oldest of 13
children. May’s position as the eldest child uniquely positioned her to be the second
mother to her siblings. Unknown to anyone at that time, this began her preparation as a
Mother in Zion.
Mother DuPree’s mother recalls hearing trumpets during her birth as if the Lord was heralding the birth
of someone very special. This became evident at a very early age when she dedicated her life to God and
to the job of serving His people. She faithfully worked at the Zion C.O. G.I.C. in Toledo, Ohio. She was
involved in the music ministry, the Young People’s Willing Workers and became one of the youngest
Junior Missionaries at the church. The Lord gave evidence of her calling early in her ministry when the
Power of God would routinely flood the church and leave the saints enraptured, healed, delivered from
evil spirits and in many cases slain under the power of God when she ministered.

In 1990, Mother DuPree graduated from New Life Bible College in Cleveland, Tennessee under the
ministry of Dr. Norvel Hayes, a highly anointed and gifted man of God. Mother DuPree went on to meet
Mother Estella Boyd where she was introduced to higher level of power with God. Mother DuPree has
ministered across this country and in several countries including Africa, and is not only a pastor but a
Mother in Zion. Despite her natural age, through fasting and prayer, by the Spirit, she has attained
wisdom and understanding beyond her years.

PASTOR REGINALD W. SHARPE JR.
The Reverend Reginald Wayne Sharpe Jr., first born child of Reginald, Sr., and Fay
Phillips-Sharpe, serves as Senior Pastor of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in
Chicago, Illinois. Sharpe is a proud native of Lithonia, Georgia, and a son of the The
Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church ~ The House of Hope Atlanta.
Sharpe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia (2013),
a Master of Theological Studies degree from Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville,
Tennessee (2016), and a Master of Theology degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia (2018). Reverend Sharpe is one of the proud charter members of the Academy of
Young Preachers and was one of the youngest inducted into The Martin Luther King Jr. Board of
Preachers at Morehouse College in 2018. He also taught as an adjunct Professor in the Religion and
Philosophy Department at Morehouse College. Among his many distinctions, Reverend Sharpe is a
member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in African American
Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Reverend Sharpe faithfully served as Campus Pastor of the House of Hope Macon for 3.5 years. Under
Sharpe’s dynamic and Spirit-led leadership, the church experienced astronomical growth both spiritually
and numerically. Because of his service to the church and community, commitment to bridging the gap
between spirituality and social activism, and his unique approach to multi-generational ministry, Sharpe
was awarded a “Key to the City” in January 2017.
Since December 31, 2019, Reverend Sharpe has faithfully served as the Senior Pastor of the historic
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. Sharpe is honored to follow in the pastoral lineage of the late
Reverend Clay Evans and Pastor Charles Jenkins. Under the leadership of Reverend Sharpe, Fellowship
Chicago has experienced astonishing growth in all aspects of ministry, in spite of the COVID-19
pandemic. After suspending in-person worship in March 2020, Fellowship launched #TheVirtualShip, a
virtual extension of the church's ministry, which engages an average weekly audience of 25,000 people.
During Sharpe’s two year tenure as Senior Pastor, Fellowship Chicago has welcomed over 800 new
members, experienced record growth in finances, advocated the importance of mental health, and
impacted countless lives through community partnerships. During the global pandemic, Sharpe
unrelentingly believed that, “Although the building was closed, the church was still open.”
While Reverend Reginald Wayne Sharpe Jr. is mostly known for his preaching ministry, those closest to
him know that he values quality time with family and friends, is a committed student of theology and
homiletics, and believes in the virtue of kindness. In December 2015, Reverend Sharpe married the gifted
and talented, Brianna Sullivan Sharpe. Together they serve in ministry and currently live in Chicago,
Illinois.