How God Can Build a Legacy

50 years of hearing the voice of God.

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Meet Our founder

Pastor Larry Stockstill, D.D.

Larry Stockstill, D.D., is a pastor, author, and worldwide church planter. Raised in a pastor’s home, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelors in Theological and Historical Studies in 1975. He became the Associate Chaplain at ORU after graduation and pioneered the ORU Missions Program in 1976. Two weeks after marrying, he and his wife Melanie led an ORU team to Ghana before spending eighteen months living in Ghana and Nigeria. They returned in 1977 when he joined the staff of his father’s church, Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After serving Bethany as Missions Pastor for 5 years, Larry became Senior Pastor in 1983 at 30 years of age. Under his leadership, Bethany grew from 1500 members to 7500 members by 2011.  

Bethany’s growth in those 28 years was owed in part to a small group church movement he began in 1993. His book, The Cell Church, has greatly influenced churches in the United States and other nations. In 2001, he began the “Surge Project,” an international church-planting movement that has now seen 25,000 new churches begin worldwide. Bethany contributed over $63 million to foreign and local missions during Larry’s pastorate. 

In 2011, Bethany’s overseers installed Larry’s son, Jonathan, as the Lead Pastor and the church has grown to six campuses and 10,000 members. Two further books, The Remnant and Model Man, have been reprinted in numerous languages worldwide. Having recently been awarded a Doctorate of Divinity from ORU, Larry and Melanie reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and have six married children and 16 grandchildren.

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Honorable Mentions & Cool Facts

  • Worship Leader

    Larry led worship at Bethany for 15 years as Senior Pastor

  • Multi-Site Pioneer

    Larry’s second and third campuses made Bethany one of the first multi-site churches in America

  • Influential In The City

    Larry spent 6 years doing a weekly Bible study for the Louisiana governor and his 15 top staff

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“God doesn’t need decision makers. 
He needs hearers. 
He makes all the decisions.“

—Pastor Larry Stockstill, D.D.