TACOMA, Wash. — At Shiloh Baptist Church, Pastor Gregory Christopher takes a long look around his office, gazing upon photographs and news clippings that hold pieces of Tacoma’s history.
“They all tell a story,” he said. “I have a special relationship with just about all of them.”
Now, another chapter of Tacoma’s story comes to a close. After more than 24 years, Pastor Christopher is stepping away from Shiloh’s pulpit.
Originally from Chicago, Christopher moved to Shreveport, Louisiana as a child with his mother.
After some time in college, he joined the military, which eventually brought him to Tacoma.
“When I first got here, I hated it,” he jokingly recalled. “I even called my Mom and said, ‘I’m getting out of the military, I’m not staying here, this place is crazy!’”
However, Christopher’s mother convinced him to give Tacoma a chance. Eventually, once he and his daughter’s mother were able to connect to the local community, Christopher says he fell in love with Tacoma.
But the challenges would continue. Christopher says some bad decisions landed him in Pierce County Jail. However, someone came in with an opportunity that would help turn Christopher’s life around.
“There was a minister, Dr. Archie Luck, who attended this church, he used to come and attend my Bible Study meetings,” Christopher recalled. “I was leading Bible studies while I was incarcerated, and he would come in a join the Bible study meetings and he said to me, when you get out, I want you to come to Shiloh and meet Pastor Brazill.”
After he was released, Christopher took that offer and met with Pastor Earnest Brazill, who led Shiloh Baptist Church. As time went on, Christopher became more involved in Shiloh. He also went on to receive a Doctor of Ministry and a Master of Theology at A.L. Hardy Academy of Theology.
All the while, the bond between the two men grew.
“There’re so many things that he shared with me that you don’t learn in Seminary,” Christopher remembered. “As he began to get older, he pulled me in. I didn’t know that he was actually setting me up to take his place.”
Christopher would become Shiloh’s senior pastor in 2000, and he relied on the lessons he learned from his predecessor as he moved the church forward.
During his tenure, Christopher would guide Shiloh to stand at the forefront on issues such as police reform and affordable healthcare. He even ran for Tacoma’s City Council in 2017.
Christopher's advocacy extended beyond the church's walls. He also served as president of the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance and the NAACP's Tacoma chapter.
“The heartbeat of this church is community, so that means everything we do has to be about community,” he said.
Currently, part of Shiloh serves Tacoma’s male homeless community as a shelter, and is currently building affordable housing for the city. Christopher says when Tacoma city leadership needed a space for homeless men, he was happy to help.
“I’ve always wanted to empower men,” he said. “I know what it is to be homeless, my brother died homeless, so I just wanted to reach out to these men, and share my story with them and hear their stories and find out how we could help them.”
Now that work is being highlighted for all of Washington to see. On Friday, Washington lawmakers passed Resolution 8666, recognizing Pastor Christopher’s work in Tacoma.
“His contributions have not only uplifted Shiloh Baptist Church, but have been instrumental in addressing systemic issues, and championing social change, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of so many,” said Senator T’wina Nobles.
But although Pastor Christopher is stepping away from the pulpit, he’s not ready to stop fighting for the city he loves. He says he’s now focused on helping people get registered to vote.
"I believe Tacoma can get there, but this next election is going to tell a big story,” he says. “I’m retiring as Senior Pastor, I’m not going to find a rocking chair, you know? There’s a lot of work to do, and for me to just sit down in a rocking chair is to let my daughter and my grandchildren and my great grandchildren down."