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Bishop Christopher was born and raised in Shelby County, Tennessee. He graduated From Woodstock High School in 1964 and attended Tennessee State University on a baseball scholarship, where his desire was to pursue the sport of baseball. God had another plan and purpose for his life. Bishop Christopher enlisted in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War ended his paratrooper and professional baseball dreams when he sustained a debilitating injury from a grenade. He spent 18 months at the Walter Reed Army Hospital where he underwent seven surgeries to correct his injuries and provide this left-handed man with some usability of his left hand.
From Bishop Christopher's physical pain sprung forth a progressive spiritual fortitude, which birthed Emmanuel Church in Memphis, Tennessee with only five members in 1981. God gave Bishop Christopher a vision in which he saw himself standing in the middle of a river with people on both sides, on a bluff of sorts, with opposing positions. On one side were the people he called the People of Acts 2:38, ”Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ" and on the other side were the People of Romans 10:8-10, ”Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus...you shall be saved." God showed him that he was to "bridge the gap between the separated family of God" based on the scripture Acts 8:36-37, which reads, "what is to prevent my being baptized." He has been greatly concerned with the division in the body of Christ. The vision God gave him to bridge the gap of separatism within the body of Christ was clear and directed to him.
In 2003, Bishop founded Independents Fellowship International (then named God With Us Churches). i.f.i. was founded as a fellowship and support organization to independent churches, pastors and ministers. He currently oversees churches in Virginia, Iowa, Mississippi and Maryland. He has also been instrumental in mission work by supporting the people of Haiti, South Africa, Russia and Italy. He recently retired after 28 years as a mail carrier for the USPS in Millington, where he was the first African American postal mail carrier in Millington, Tennessee.
Bishop Christopher has Bachelor's Degrees in Theology & Ministry from International & Andersonville Seminaries, respectively. He also holds an earned Doctorate in Ministry from Andersonville Seminary.
Bishop Christopher is available for "WORD" Revivals and conferences by request.
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