“To be a house of joy, where victims become victors, where failures become finishers, where sinners become saints, and where faith, family and favor from God are the focus of life.”
This is the mission statement of The House of Joy church that has been recently established in Indianapolis.
“No matter where you come from, you can find yourself in that somewhere,” said Michael Drane, The House of Joy’s founding pastor. “You’ve been kicked, stepped on, lied to and left out. We have a remedy for that and his name is Jesus.”
This past Sunday, Drane was officially installed as pastor of the new congregation with several ministers from around the area and elected officials in attendance. Other officers of the church were also installed.
Drane, 33, acknowledges that The House of Joy is entering an already crowded field of an estimated 2,000 churches operating in Indianapolis. Still, he maintains that the new congregation will offer something different and refreshing.
“We would like to fill a void by being a voice that is young and fresh, but also has a seasoned approach and view of our community,” Drane said.
He added that The House of Joy would like to bridge the divide between the generation of Christians who know old traditions and value systems, and younger believers who can translate those values for the next generation.
“We provide a very culturally focused, socially conscious presentation of the Gospel that is able to close the gap that has occurred so that we, as a community, can kind of get back to the basics, as it relates to church, community involvement and stimulating positive social change, not only in our city, but around the world.”
According to Drane, the church seeks to help the “last, least and lost,” just as Jesus did.
“The goal is to remove whatever is keeping you from experiencing the joy of the Lord,” Drane said. “That’s the challenge, that’s why I have given my life over to this work and why The House of Joy exists.”
The church’s opening is the culmination of a unique journey that began when Drane accepted his call to ministry, after overcoming a youth that involved gang activity and near-death experiences.
Drane, who grew up in a churchgoing family, knew that there was a side of him who loved God, and that God loved him, despite his poor choices.
“Going with the devil would have brought prison and death, but going with Christ has given me the opportunity to use negative events to help free someone else from a dead-end lifestyle. I can reach people that some pastors with a more polished background may not be able to reach,” he said.
Drane studied the fundamentals of ministry at New Baptist Church where, in 2004, he was ordained by Pastor James Williams. Drane felt the call to establish his first congregation, Joy of the Lord Christian Church, with an opening service on Easter Sunday 2005.
Within four years, Joy of the Lord Christian Church grew to over 200 families, acquired a new building on four acres of land and developed a popular radio ministry.
“Pastor Drane is a gifted young man who is very committed to ministry, to his church and to the people he has been called to serve,” said Dr. Preston Adams, pastor of Amazing Grace Christian Church, a mentor and “big brother” of Drane. “I have really enjoyed watching his growth in the ministry.”
In 2008, Drane had what he called a “divine” chance encounter with Dr. T. Garrott Benjamin Jr., resident Bishop of Light of the World Christian Church. Drane became a member of the Christian Ecumenical Covenant Fellowship (CECF), an organization of ministers who receive mentoring from the well-respected Benjamin.
Benjamin soon asked Drane to join the staff of his congregation, first as a youth minister, then as full time assistant pastor. Another pastor was selected to lead Joy of the Lord church upon Drane’s departure.
“What Bishop Benjamin offered me was a spiritual covering as a young pastor,” Drane said. “I served the Bishop for two years, and I was definitely blessed by that experience.”
When Benjamin announced plans to retire in last October, some observes expected Drane to succeed him.
“Succession was never part of what my experience at Light of the World was about,” Drane noted.
Eventually, the congregation, with Benjamin’s endorsement, voted unanimously to elect as senior pastor Dr. David Hampton, an Indianapolis native who was leading the historic Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“I was not involved in their deliberations, so I cannot speak to their selection process, other than to say that I believe in electing Dr. Hampton, they have chosen a very strong and capable leader,” Drane said.
Drane added that “everything has its season” and when his season at Light of the World came to an end, it was for Benjamin, the congregation and himself to pray about what steps should be taken next.
Drane placed his name in the running for pastoral positions at several established churches, but withdrew it after feeling a prompting from God to provide a new congregation.
“I discovered that the next step for me was The House of Joy,” Drane said. “I can’t explain why God chose to do things this way, but everything has been in divine order. It’s been confirmed that this is what God has had for me to do all along.”
Drane noted that The House of Joy has not pulled individuals from Light of the World or those who decided to stay at Joy of the Lord Church when he left. A handful of people who left Joy of the Lord Church after Drane’s departure have now joined The House of Joy, but most of the church’s members are people who joined after its formation in March, Drane said.
“Our goal is to reach the un-churched and those who do not have a church home,” he said.
Nicholas O’Rourke, selected as The House of Joy’s associate pastor of youth and protocol, believes that Drane made the right choice by moving forward with his vision.
“Pastor Drane likes to say that if two churches are alike, then one of them isn’t necessary, and I would agree with that,” O’Rourke said. “The House of Joy is definitely unique. It is a compilation of respect for tradition, but also engaging in the newness and progression of today’s people. We try to take un-churched people and allow them to maintain who they are, but instill in them a respect for the will of God. We want to put broken families back together, and build up people into the best they can be.”
Services for The House of Joy are held Sundays at 12:15 p.m. inside The Mosaic Event Hall, 3740 Lafayette Road.
Michael Drane at a glance
Role: Pastor, House of Joy Church
Age: 33
Family: Wife Maitsha and three children
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Crossroads Bible College; completing work on master’s degree.
Community involvement: Chaplain, board member and teen mentor, 100 Black Men of Indianapolis; substitute chaplain, Indiana Pacers; member, Marion County Community Corrections Advisory Board; re-entry education facility volunteer.
Favorite pastime: Mentoring youth. He is currently using the making of a DVD film, “The Sacred 7,” with director Marc Bessiyak to teach youth about film production.
