TBGB Chat with Pastor Debra B. Morton

Dr. Debra B. Morton, Pastor of The Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans, and Co-Pastor of the church’s Atlanta location with her husband, Bishop Paul S. Morton, took time from her many responsibilities to talk with The Black Gospel Blog about her church upbringing and latest music project, My Better Half, reviewed by TBGB.

TBGB: How long have you been a member of Greater St. Stephen?

DM: All of my life! Actually, I have been at Greater St. Stephen since I was six years old. My grandmother, head of the usher board, was one of the church’s founders. I lived with my grandmother, so I just went to church all the time. My friends were there. I went to Sunday School and later taught Sunday School. I was in the choir. One of the lead singers would pull me and make me sing, even though I was very shy. But I also sang in other community choirs in New Orleans.

TBGB: How did you meet your husband, Bishop Paul Morton?

DM: Bishop Morton came from Canada to Greater St. Stephen when I was eighteen. We married before I graduated from college. So even during college, I had a commitment to Greater St. Stephen.

TBGB: When did you begin to develop your ministry?

DM: When I was a child, our pastor would take us to places all around the state. This drew me more to ministry. But my first call, the Women of Excellence ministry, was to draw women to holiness and teach them how to pray. I have been doing this now for fifteen years.

TBGB: Is this the conference at which your new CD My Better Half was recorded?

DM: Yes, the music was recorded at a conference from several years ago. Every year we’d have the conference and have such a powerful worship experience, but we wanted something to give to the women to take back home with them.

TBGB: What songs from the project are doing the best on radio?

DM: “Where There’s a Will There’s a Way” and “We Worship You” are doing very well.

TBGB: How did you secure soloists such as Pastor Nancy Wilson and Beverly Crawford to appear?

DM: Pastor Wilson brings a busload of women to every conference. And Beverly had sung at the conference a couple of years before, so we asked her to return.

TBGB: Tell us about the Power Woman Retreat and Summit.

The Power Woman Retreat and Summit is a different type of conference and another calling that God has given to me. We are bringing women from the church, and from Corporate America, and nurturing female leadership. To be effective, it’s going to be smaller in numbers. It will be held August 28 to 30 outside of Atlanta at Chateau Elan. It is for “women in authority yet under authority.”

TBGB: How is Greater St. Stephen doing after the recent fire?

DM: We are awaiting final judgement on the insurance so we can move forward. All is well, though, because we were invited to worship at a Jewish synagogue that is one of the most beautiful structures in New Orleans, so we’re very grateful to have such a wonderful worship environment. We will move at the end of this month to a high school auditorium — my alma mater. We will rebuild, provide new add-ons. We will build “greater,” as our name says.

TBGB: How is New Orleans doing post-Katrina?

DM: New Orleans is getting better. People are becoming more hopeful because things are rebuilding. There was a lot of disillusionment for a long time. Sadness. One disappointment after another. But the churches have played a great part in bringing the spirit back. Even though there’s still lots of craziness going on, I think New Orleans is a great city and we’re just continuing to pray. There are a lot more people coming together for one cause.

TBGB: With all you do and all that’s happened, don’t you need a vacation?

DM: Actually, the fire happened during the week of our vacation. We still went away, but we were on the phone 24/7. God is faithful and if he allows any of us to be up to something, we just need to keep moving. I have a goal and purpose in life and I can’t let circumstances stop me.

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For more information about Pastor Debra Morton’s Power Woman Retreat, go to www.mypowerwoman.com. For the CD My Better Half, go to www.lightrecords.com.