How God Can Build a Legacy

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 from 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 that 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 which has now seen 25,000 new churches begun worldwide. Bethany contributed over $63 million dollars 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 now grown to five 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.

bet you didn’t know

Honorable Mentions & Cool Facts

Larry led worship at Bethany for 15 years as Senior Pastor

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

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