Called to ministry.
Equipped to lead.
Committed to serve.
Rev. Anthony N. Houston is an ordained elder, preacher, and chaplain whose ministry brings together pastoral leadership, theological reflection, and care for people in the fullness of their lives.
ABOUT ANTHONY
Preaching, leadership, and care.
Rev. Anthony N. Houston is an ordained elder whose work brings together congregational leadership, preaching, chaplaincy, practical theology, and care for people in the fullness of their lives.
Faith takes shape in how we show up.
Anthony’s ministry is grounded in pastoral leadership, preaching, and care, with a commitment to meeting spiritual needs alongside material and mental health concerns. He has served people and families in congregational, hospital, and hospice settings.
He was licensed for ministry at Joy Road Temple of Faith in Detroit on June 12, 2012. On June 22, 2013, he was ordained an elder through United Christian Education Fellowship, Inc., in Detroit and awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity, marking a meaningful milestone in his ministry.
He served as Assistant Pastor at True Vine Temple of Christ in Detroit under Archbishop Joshua J. Ward and as an associate pastor at Joy Road Temple of Faith under Bishop James F. Fox. In chaplaincy and hospice work, he has accompanied patients, families, and care teams through grief, serious illness, and transition.
At True Vine, Anthony partnered with the senior pastor in worship leadership, church administration, strategic planning, outreach, youth formation, and congregational care. He helped coordinate church life while visiting sick and homebound congregants and connecting families with support.
He also served as a ministerial intern at The Temple Church in Nashville, Tennessee, under the Rev. Darrell Drumwright, M.Div., and as an intern and associate minister at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, under the Rev. Aaron L. Parker, Ph.D. Those settings gave him experience in preaching, Christian education, worship, and community ministry.
His approach to leadership begins with listening to a congregation, honoring its history, and working with others to turn shared priorities into faithful action.
Anthony’s passion for community work took shape in his hometown of Detroit. He served as a founding partner of the Detroit Network of Future Leaders (DNFL) and the Detroit Youth Leadership Conference (DYLC), helping build community partnerships and create opportunities for civic engagement and community-led projects. These experiences continue to inform his commitment to investing in people, strengthening local partnerships, and contributing to the well-being of the cities and communities he serves. In 2011, he received the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council.
A life of faith, study, and service.
Anthony’s ministry has taken shape in congregations, theological study, hospitals, and hospices. These experiences inform how he preaches, leads, and accompanies people through the ordinary and defining moments of life.
Anthony earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Morehouse College and a Master of Divinity with a Certificate in Black Church Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School. At Vanderbilt, he received the Robert Lewis Butler Award in recognition of his service, leadership, and commitment to ministry in the African-American church while pursuing the study of Black religion. He continued postgraduate work in practical theology through the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology.
He is a Doctor of Education candidate in Leadership Studies at Trevecca Nazarene University, with a concentration in Organizational Intelligence. Building on his practical theology formation, his research focuses on leadership in the Black Church, particularly how leaders make meaning and respond when tradition and change meet. He brings these strands together in ministry by listening to a community’s lived experience, interpreting it alongside Scripture and tradition, and helping people act with care for spiritual, material, and mental health needs.
Whether preaching, accompanying someone through grief, or supporting a team, Anthony seeks to make room for honest questions, shared wisdom, and practical hope.
Anthony is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Anthony is married to his college sweetheart, Kristina, and is the proud father of Khalil.
MINISTRY
Preaching shaped by faith and life.
For Anthony, preaching is a way of attending to Scripture, the church’s tradition, and the questions people bring to worship.
Prophetic clarity. Pastoral hope.
Anthony’s preaching draws on Scripture, lived experience, and practical theology. His sermons engage both personal and communal life, with attention to justice, compassion, and faithful action.
His preaching has been shaped by ministerial service in Detroit, MI, Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Columbia, SC, and Denver, CO. He values careful preparation, an honest word, and the hope that the gospel can speak to the lives we actually live.
Anthony welcomes invitations to preach or speak at worship services, gatherings, and conversations about faith and care. The contact form is a place to share the occasion and what you hope to explore together.
Discuss an invitationPASTORAL & SPIRITUAL CARE
Care that sees the whole person.
A steady, compassionate presence through grief, change, and the questions that rarely have easy answers.
Listening is part of the work.
Anthony’s hospital and hospice chaplaincy experience has shaped an approach to care that begins with a person’s own story, beliefs, and needs. He has served in a hospital setting, including a Level I trauma center, and in hospice programs supporting patients, families, and care teams.
He has completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE): three at CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga and one through Sankofa CPE Center in Chicago. All four units were completed through ACPE-accredited programs. His work includes grief support, spiritual care, and care for employees and teams.
He values spiritual support attentive to family, community, and the practical realities people face. For a ministry or organizational invitation, share a little about the setting and the kind of support you have in mind.
Start a conversation
CONTACT
Let’s begin a conversation.
For preaching, speaking, pastoral care, or ministry collaboration, reach out by email. For an invitation, include the occasion, location, date, and what you hope to explore.
Prefer email? Contact Anthony directly.