About Our Pastor

Joel Keith Leigh was born in Rochester, NY to the late Rochester, NY boxing Hall of Famer Calvin H. Leigh and Margaret Tyler Leigh. Although he felt called into the ministry while growing up in the streets of LA during the early sixties, he wasn’t quite ready to commit to all that God would have him to do. In fact, it would be another ten years before he would heed the call to surrender his life to Christ.

Upon returning to his roots in Rochester in the late sixties, starting his family and having been honorably discharged from the Army, he felt a void in his life. A void that only the love of Jesus could fill. So on the third Sunday in November of 1977 at the Sunday night service he surrendered his life to Christ, and received God’s glorious gift of the Holy Spirit at the Lilly of the Valley Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Elder Leon Dupree. After being born again into the family of God, he rolled up his sleeves and began working in the ministry. While serving as a Deacon he taught the Young People Willing Workers (YPWW) class on Sunday afternoon’s before Sunday night service, and sang in the mass choir.

Acknowledging his call to the ministry in October of 1980 he preached his trial sermon in February of 1981. Subsequently, he was ordained on the twenty fifth day of August 1985 by the late Bishop Leroy R. Anderson, Jurisdictional Prelate of Western NY. As Elder Leigh continued to follow the leading of the Lord, he moved back to the Washington, DC Metro area where he had served in the military. Soon after, he joined the phenomenal ministry of the New Bethel Church of God in Christ where he had the undeniable privilege of being mentored by a man who had been with God, in the person of the late Bishop Sherman Scott Howard. Elder Leigh served faithfully for the next twenty-two years in the ministry; saving the church thousands of dollars in repair and maintenance costs, as well as, serving as the Sunday School Superintendent for seven years. During his tenure as Superintendent, Elder Leigh was able to institute a litany of foundational Sunday School growth principles, which assisted many lay members in developing a firm understanding of the Bible. In addition, he also had the opportunity to sit under the new Pastor & Prelate of New Bethel Church and the Washington, DC Jurisdiction, Bishop Neavelle A. Coles, a great man who had a fresh vision to lead the church into the 21st century.

After prayerful consideration, Elder Leigh heeded the call to begin a work for God. In full assurance of faith and under the leading of the Holy Ghost, Elder Joel K. Leigh Sr. was led to open Moving in Him, Church of God in Christ on June 10, 2007. Being inspired by the writing’s of the great Apostle Paul as he preached to the Athenians and strangers in the midst of Mars Hill, according to Act 17:24-28, Pastor Leigh is determined to declare unto a dying world THE UNKNOWN GOD.

“Therefore seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands… and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation . . . . . . . . ” (Acts 17:24-26) we can not truly worship God in spirit and in truth unless we move in Him, for in Him we live, move, and have our being. Pastor Leigh’s vision for the body is; That we continue daily in the word of God, with one accord endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Giving all the glory to God, that we might have favor with all the people so that the Lord will add to the church daily such as should be saved.

Pastor Leigh successfully raised five children while operating a profitable Heating & Air Conditioning company. With the strength of the Lord, he will be able to fulfill the great commission to take the good news of the gospel to the entire world.