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Paul Morton is an American Baptist pastor, gospel singer, author, and founder of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.
Paul Sylvester Morton, born in 1950, is an American Baptist pastor, gospel singer, and author. He established the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, which began as a Charismatic Baptist movement within the National Baptist Convention, USA. This movement became an independent denomination in 1994 after Morton and his followers were asked to resign from the National Baptist Convention. Morton also co-founded the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops in 1993.
Morton's father, Bishop C.L. Morton Sr., pastored Church of God in Christ congregations. Paul Morton moved to New Orleans in 1972 and became an associate pastor at Greater St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church, eventually taking over as senior pastor. Under his leadership, Pentecostal and Charismatic elements were introduced to the church. He married Debra Brown, and they have three children, including musician PJ Morton. In 2005, Morton founded Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta. He announced his retirement as Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in 2013, officially retiring in 2015.
Founding of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
Paul Morton was instrumental in the establishment of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. This movement originated as a Charismatic Baptist initiative within the National Baptist Convention, USA. In 1994, the fellowship officially separated to become its own denomination after leadership within the National Baptist Convention requested that Morton and his affiliated members resign, fearing the movement's potential to form a distinct denomination. This transition marked a significant organizational shift, allowing the fellowship to operate independently.
Episcopal Consecration and Church Growth
In March 1993, Paul Morton was consecrated into the episcopacy by George Augustus Stallings, an Independent Catholic episcopus vagans associated with the African-American Catholic Congregation. This event preceded significant growth at Greater St. Stephen, which expanded to encompass 18,000 members across three locations by 1997 under Morton's pastoral leadership. His brother, C.L. Morton Jr., had previously been consecrated as a bishop for the Church of God in Christ in 1962.
Founding of the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops
In November 1993, Paul Morton, alongside J. Delano Ellis, Wilbert Sterling McKinley, and Roy E. Brown, co-founded the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops. This initiative brought together leaders to establish a formal institution for African-American Pentecostal bishops, contributing to the organizational structure and theological discourse within that specific religious tradition.