Bishop Darrell F. Sheares, Sr,

Bishop Darrell F. Sheares, Sr. is a native of Columbus, Ohio. Born the only child of Donna Elizabeth Sheares. He was educated in the Columbus Public School System concluding at Brookhaven High School.

Although raised in a single parent home, because of the influence of his grandmother, the late Overseer Hattie A. Thomas, great importance was placed on having a relationship with God, attending church and operating in ministry.

At an early age, Bishop Sheares accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, and as a young teenager, he became a member of Independant Missionary Baptist Church with the late Dr. William E. Binford as his pastor. Because he had a great zeal for music, Dr. Binford began to help develop the musical desire that had been prayed into him by his grandmother and taught to him by his uncle.

As his musical gifts and talents continued to grow and develop, Bishop Sheares began to share musically throughout the city of Columbus.  Independent Missionary Baptist Church Mass Choir, Power House Church of God in Christ, and Union Grove Baptist Church Youth Choir were a few among those that he was blessed to minister with.

In 1981, Bishop Sheares moved to Toledo, Ohio where he continued his music ministry. By this time, his musical gift had come to fruition. He started the Darrell Sheares Ensemble and began to minister throughout the country.  As God would have it, he became the Minister of Music of the LoSalem Missionary Baptist Church, with the late Reverend H. V. Savage, Sr. as his pastor, where he met the love of his life,  Lady Latonya Marie Sheares.

In February of 1987, he and Lady Sheares were united in Holy Matrimony and began a life of ministry together. In December of 1987, he accepteed the call of God on his life and preached his first sermon. Because of his affiliation with both the Church of God and the Baptist Church, he was licensed by Apostle John W. Mills, Tabernacle Churches of God, Inc. and the late Reverend H. V. Savage, Sr., LoSalem Missionary Baptist Church.  In addition to a strong music ministry, Bishop Sheares would now begin what would become a very powerful preaching ministry. To God be the glory!!!

The ministry of Bishop Sheares led him to be Minister of Music of the Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio (Reverend Fred L. Gilbert, Pastor); the Friendship Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio (Bishop Duane C. Tisdale, Pastor) and the Calvary Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio (Reverend Floyd Smith, Jr., Pastor).  After completing training in leadership, outreach, life development, counseling and evangelism, he was ordained at the Friendship Baptist Church by Bishop Duane C. Tisdale.

Bishop Sheares later moved to Saginaw, Michigan and became the Pastor of Worship at the Saint Paul Baptist Church of Saginaw, with Pastor William T. Hunt as his pastor, where he received much of the training for the mandate that God had placed on his life.

In 1998, God called Bishop Sheares to pastor the Progressive Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio.  In order to further educate himself theologically, he attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary Extention of Toledo.

Bishop Sheares has served as a State Minister of Music, a District Director, and a State Director of Worship.  In 2003, he preached at the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International held at Philip’s Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2005 God led him to change the name of the Progressive Baptist Church to Empowerment Temple Ministries.  In 2007 he again responded to the Kingdom calling of God on his life and birthed the Worship Center in Columbus, Ohio.  In 2010, in order to effectively function as one church in two cities, God led Bishop Sheares to change the name of both churches to Moving Forward Christian Ministries; a name that fully embraces the heart of the ministry.

In March of 2010, he was Duly Consecrated to the Sacred Office of Bishop, by Bishop Brehon L. Hall, to serve as Third Presiding Bishop of Covenant Ministries International Fellowship.

In 2011 Bishop Sheares received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.  In 2014 he received his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary of Forth Worth, Texas.

His extensive education and training combined with pastoral expertise and life skills have prepared him to effectively function as a powerful mentor, leader and Senior/Lead Pastor.

He is the proud father of six as well as many God given children. Bishop Sheares is a total package; leader, preacher, teacher, levite, psalmist, husband, father, brother and friend.  He is a stellar example of the Spirit of Christ and demonstrates all the virtues of a sincere, humble, dedicated servant of God.