Grace Church Celebrating 83 Years “Loving God, Doing Good”

Community news from Grace CME Church

Grace Church celebrates 83 years “Loving God, Doing Good” this Sunday! New Britain, April 27, 2025 – Pastor Thomas A. Mills, Jr. and congregation are pleased to announce that the Reverend Olu Brown of Atlanta, Georgia will preach this Sunday, April 27, 2025 at the 10 am worship service. There will be great music by the University of Hartford Gospel Choir and an inspiring message! The service will take place at the Three Angels SDA Church, 580 Church Street, Newington, CT. 

Olujimi (Olu) Brown, a native of Lufkin, Texas, is married to Tami, and together they have four children: Taylor, Daya, Kyle, and Langston. He graduated from Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas, and earned a Master of Divinity from Gammon Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. 

As the Lead Pastor of Impact Church in the East Point community of Metropolitan Atlanta, Olu guided the church from its founding in 2007 (impactdcd.org). Under his leadership, Impact grew from a core team of 25 to a vibrant congregation of over 5,000 worshipers, both in person and online. With a $4M budget, Impact was recognized as the 5th fastest growing large United Methodist Church in the 2018 edition of the “25 Fastest Growing Churches” report. 

Olu’s leadership at Impact centered on fostering an active, inclusive and multicultural church community, committed to the vision of “Doing Church Differently™.” The church redefined the worship experience through engaging weekly gatherings, relevant messages, unique events and impactful community outreach. Under his guidance, the church’s youth programs and volunteer initiatives helped bring healing, justice and compassion to individuals and communities alike. 

On May 16, 2021, Olu announced his retirement from pastoral ministry, effective June 2022. As he entered this new chapter, he introduced the concept of Normalizing Next®, a framework designed to help organizations, particularly churches, navigate change and transition with confidence and strategy. Normalizing Next® encourages leaders to embrace the future, unafraid to plan for and thrive in what comes next. 

Since his retirement, Olu has transitioned into a role as a coach and consultant, advising business leaders, church leaders and teams on strategic growth and leadership development.

On August 26, 2024, Olu announced his candidacy for Governor of Georgia in the 2026 election. His campaign marks a historic moment for Georgia, and further details about his platform and vision can be found at OLU BROWN FOR GOVERNOR 2026. 

In addition to his extensive leadership background, Olu is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He continues to offer speaking engagements, leadership resources and coaching services. 

(Access olubrown.com to purchase copies of his latest resources and see details) 

After worship, there will be Soul Food to Go catered by Lilly’s Soul Food. All are invited and all are welcome! For more information, contact Grace Church at (860) 803-3977. 

Grace Church is a member congregation of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church based in New Britain, CT and has been a part of the New Britain community since 1942. Weekly Sunday service starts at 10 am at the Three Angels SDA Church, 580 Church St., Newington, CT. This year’s theme is “Loving God, Doing Good.” Our mission is to faithfully serve Jesus in our city and proclaim the transformative message of God’s grace to all people.