"Ascending to New Heights: Bishop Miah White’s Historic Role, Impact and Influence"

Bishop Miah White is the Lead Pastor of The Worship Center STL in Saint Louis, MO., and a daughter of The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. In 2024, she attained yet another historic milestone by becoming the youngest consecrated African American female Bishop in the Lord's Church.

Bishop Miah White joined Nicci Roach for a conversation about her recent consecration as a bishop and her unique leadership approach. They also delved into strategies for fostering intergenerational worship, the vital role of empathy and compassion in leadership, and the evolving church landscape in the post-pandemic era. Additionally, their discussion highlighted the importance of education and empowerment, the need for rest and self-care, and the fragility of life. Conclusively, they underscored the value of mentorship, dedication, and consecration within their faith.

[Nicci Roach] Congratulations on your recent elevation! Tell me more about your elevation to bishop. 

[Bishop Miah White] Thank you. Gladly, on July 11, 2024, I was recently consecrated as a bishop in the Lord's Church in Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. I'm so excited and just so honored. 

[NR] What does this mean because you’ve served and are still serving in roles such as songwriter, singer, worship leader, pastor, advisor, and other related positions? I could go on….

[BMW] It gives me access to different tables and rooms, but it also re-affirms my effort and work done. I believe it brings even more legitimacy and credibility to just who I am in the kingdom and what God has graced me to do. Also, on the flip side, it provides an avenue for not just me, but for those I reach to see representation in the highest biblical office in the church. I believe that it amplifies all that I am and what I have done and lays a solid foundation for all that I will do.

[NR] So, we have this ‘daddy-daughter dynamic,’ the baton has been passed (from your father Bishop George White, Jr.), and you are now leading as the head of the congregation. I'd like to know what kind of expectations or demands you have had to navigate. 

[BMW]: It's quite an interesting and dynamic question. Of course, based on the daddy-daughter dynamic, many members have watched you grow up. Some of them watched and still remember when you were born. Already, they know you from a certain perspective, but after my consecration to this office, they have to learn to unlearn their ideologies about me and embrace this new aspect of me. In essence, they have to re-learn me in my new role, not expecting me to be a replica of my father, but to be myself. I find it fascinating because it is synonymous with an 18-wheeler. If the driver negotiates a bend too fast, the truck flips over. However, if the driver negotiates a bend slowly and follows the right precautions, he/she can successfully turn and go in the direction of God’s instruction. 

With that mindset, I believe that I've been blessed to have my father by my side and in an advantageous, beneficial position as the mantle was passed. As with any position in ministry, the people will have to re-learn you in a new way and, over time, learn to trust you. I have strengths and weaknesses, but overall, it's been a good thing to see the people learn to trust me as it relates to this new position. 

My father has large shoes to fill. Not only do we have the father-daughter dynamic, but we have the father-daughter-bishop dynamic. We’re the only ones with such a dynamic. I’m taking on a new legacy of father and daughter bishops, serving in the same reformation with the same apostolic succession. 

I’m confident I will approach this new terrain as best as I can. With what I have learned from my first tenure as a father-daughter-pastor, I'll use the wisdom that comes from that space with new innovative concepts to advance forward.

[NR] Yes, it's good that you bring up that dynamic. And the two of you have served in similar capacities, yet at different times. For the first time in history, we have five generations working side by side in the workplace, but the sixth generation is in the pews of our congregations. We have the Silent Generation (Traditionalist) 1927—1945; the Boomers Generation, 1946—1964; the Generation X, 1965—1980; the Millennials, 1981—1996; Generation Z, 1997—2012; and finally, the  Generation Alpha, 2013 to the present.

Considering all these, how do you create a worship experience that speaks to multiple generations simultaneously?

[BMW] Well, for one, thanks to my father, we have always had an intergenerational church. Hence, I grew up in intergenerational planning and things of that nature. Also, I have a blueprint for studying, but I'm not stuck on that. 

My best approach is to take some foundational principles and build upon them. I have a team with every generation on it who can speak to each generation, so we feed everyone and no one feels left behind. Personally, I dislike the idea that we went through this era as a church and as a kingdom, but everything was addressed to the Millennials.

Sometimes, we forget that we need the wisdom, stature, and discipline of the baby boomers to pass down to this generation. We can't forget about anyone, but I want to ensure that I always let the older generations know how valuable they are to me and how valuable they are to ministry.

I don’t operate based on the values of a generation but create a space so that their voice is heard and that you have an opportunity to be ministered to. Personally, the best way to do that is to have a team that represents each generation to help ensure that we don't have gaps. And if we do have gaps, they can help fill them and ensure we do better.

Most importantly, I can't do it by myself, and I don't know a pastor who can. If they say they can, they will be stressed out. In my opinion, teamwork makes the dream work. Who holds your hands up is vital to your progress. 

[NR] Interesting. Unpack that a little bit more for me. Who's holding your arms up?

How have you defined what’s needed to hold your arms up during this season?

[BMW] I'm always searching for that answer because there's so much transition happening in my life this season. So, I have to really trust my prayer time and meditation on what the Lord is saying as it pertains to me and being an asset to the kingdom of God and those that He has brought to help. One of my prayers is asking the Lord to send me destiny helpers and destiny investors, people who will see the vision and support it, and that He doesn't allow me to miss them.

I pray for character and grace, not to disrespect them, and for what they bring to help me. Rather, I would open my eyes so I could see and appreciate it. So, I try to create a space—like a pastor's council. I have a Wise Council, and then I have Overseers. My Wise Council is my father’s generation—the baby boomers, those who have served in ministry for longer than myself. The overseers consist of Generation X through Generation Z. They provide insight and perspective to help us create a healthy and well-rounded church. Being able to trust them and God functioning within them when they bring ideas to the table is essential. Also, it is imperative to trust them to lead while I'm gone or when something comes up, and I believe that they will resolve whatever issue arises and preserve every check and balance. I feel like if I do that as far as pouring into them, then they'll successfully hold up my arms and not be hit.

[NR] I listened to some of your past sermons. Yes, I poked around a little bit as I prepared for our time together. In December of 2019, you preached to a congregation in Alabama on the topic, “I Am a Disruptor.”

In that sermon, you said, “You can't get upset because God is using something to position you in a place where you can disrupt not only your current status but everybody that's around you.” What would you say that God has used to prepare you for such a season as this Ms. Disruptor?

[BMW] Yes, I've been a disruptor my whole life. But I would say the Lord prepares me in such strange ways. I feel that because I'm a born prophet, my senses typically trigger me and help me prepare for things. It's like having several emotional and physical seasons of suffering. I'm not saying this is the Lord doing. That will be a negative remark about God. However, I encounter different times of suffering that produce oil and a sight that can only come from times of crushing. So, I have encountered different seasons in my life that are either health-wise, relationship-wise, or financially-wise. As a matter of fact, the Lord would use several means to push and to pull things out of me just to prepare me for, to have that grit, to suffer well, to be able to lead well and to know how to lead people who are experiencing things that they may not be able to talk about. So, I have those personal encounters; I wouldn't say they're trials and tribulations. Rather, I would say that they are times of preparation because every time, every issue, every circumstance, and every situation has produced another aspect of me, which allowed me to see another aspect of God, which strengthened me holistically as an individual. And so, I allow God to disrupt my life because I'm a disruptor. Hence, I can't be a disruptor without expecting God to disrupt me. 

[NR] I always say, “You can't lead where you've not been.” And I tell people to check the receipts and the source.

[BMW] Yeah, absolutely! You lead better when you can have sympathy, and you can sympathize and empathize with people when you know what it feels like to a degree. You might not understand everybody's story and everybody's situation, but you have a heart. In my opinion, it matters when we have a heart for people. It exudes through everything we do. You're more compassionate. You're more understanding. You're able to lead with grace and mercy.

[NR] You talked about having compassion, empathy, and mercy and then extending that to others. It is interesting to me that we live in a time where there is a shift in leadership, and I find myself asking how these new leaders could lack a heart for the people. Far too many have the focus on self and not the people.

[BMW] Absolutely, I agree wholeheartedly. It's a part of the transition that God is working on right now.

All that you said about the guards changing, all that we see happening with the heart and without the heart of God, is all a part of the disruption that He is using to reset us. It has to happen.

We have to experience those who could lead without compassion and empathy. So, we can appreciate those who lead with a heart for people. It all has to happen because of what God is doing right now in the spirit. Well, it's already done in the spirit, but it's manifesting in the natural.

We must stick through it until we get to the other side. However, I believe it's essential to experience because it will illuminate so much that's needed for where we're going, really where we're at.

[NR] After researching you, I discovered some themes that ground who you are as a bishop. Those words were mindfulness, shifts and setups, ownership, positioning, influence, operable faith, and unapologetic urgency.

[BMW] Hmm, I like that. 

[NR] You are a profound speaker, and one of the things that sets you apart is your ability to acknowledge and expose relevant life experiences. Where do you tap to get that? Because I see a generation that’s really close to you, but I see another that upholds you. 

[BMW] I think it's just me. I don't even know if I can answer your question correctly. I think part of it is how I was trained, as it pertains to just being relevant and influential, knowing what God is saying, and making that palatable for people to receive. Also, I like to stand on business. I don't know. That's a good question.

I work hard at just trying to be what people want to receive. My father would sometimes say, “You got to know the Bible, by listening to Miah because she's so deeply versed.” I know Miah belongs to one generation that is stellar. Yet, another generation finds it novel and difficult to accept. So, I am intentional about merging the two because I know there's a generation that I'm called to that no one else can reach. My authenticity in the word and culture has to merge for them to see the light of God through me. Because they will not get it by coming to church or reading the Bible by themselves. It's the way that the Lord has just designed me to deliver His message. I just try to work on being an effective communicator.

[NR] Yes, the work comes across.

[BMW] I work hard. Whether or not I know the setting, I am genuinely intentional about the rooms I enter— and ensure that I know what God is saying and how to deliver His message to that room, so everyone leaves impacted. 

[NR] I think that's exactly what people are looking for, considering we're coming off the pandemic four years now, and a lot of people left (the church) and haven't returned. Yet, I believe that’s because some things were exposed, and some things were introduced that will forever change the church. However, it doesn't take away from the Kingdom work we’re called to do and our ability to convey the messages in a palpable manner, as well as that which can be interpreted and then walked out.

[BMW] Yes, I'm very intentional about that. I appreciate you for acknowledging that you can pick it up and can tell. I just don't want anybody to not receive Christ because of religious systems, lack of understanding, or feeling that you're not loved, like there's no space for you.

In my church, I’m currently trying to figure out new ministries that aren't your typical ministries, so I meet people who don't do typical ministries. However, they can still be in ministry in a different facet because I don't want anybody to feel left out. 

[NR] I think the church as we knew it and the norms of how it was are no longer, but it’s noticeable with those who are struggling in this space. For example, you can see it in congregations without youth or young adults. It’s very startling to notice such gaps. So, it's great to know that you're aware of that. 

I'm a huge advocate for education and empowerment, and I understand you are, too. Also, you have a degree in Social Work; to me, it is an all-things-work-together situation, and it causes you to stand out. I'm not knocking anyone who has not completed a formal process of education, not at all. However, I will say it makes a difference when you have a teacher who teaches yet understands there are different learning styles and capabilities in their congregation. I applaud you for being intentional. It matters to you, and it shows.

[BMW] It does matter. I am a reader, and I love education and empowerment, as you stated. One thing I believe is that we need to educate our people.

It’s not just your typical Bible study; go deeper and help them learn the word for themselves and how it applies to every area of their life. So, one may ask how that relates to economic development. Or how do you take these principles and also learn what they didn't teach you on finance or health? So, I try to merge those capacities into the teachings, preachings, or just how I set things up because I believe it is impactful. Also, when you can make it practical and educational, you empower them to make a transformation.

[NR] What would you say is making your heartbeat fast, meaning it brings you some joy now that you're in this new season?

[BMW] Oh, my goodness. I'm just excited to do the work from a new seat. I have a new area that I'm leading in Full Gospel, which is Prophetic Development in the School of the Prophets.

I'm excited to birth that and to see people grow in understanding of the prophetic, whether they're prophets or not. But gain an understanding and an awareness and not make it spooky. Make it so that everybody understands what all flesh means and pneumatology and how the Holy Spirit is working, alive, and active. So, building this new space and the authority that it gives me to release it makes my heartbeat.

[NR] On the flip side, what's making that heartbeat irregular? Is the pace of that heartbeat slowing down, meaning a little heartbreak or a little strain?

[BMW] Well, right now, I don't, I haven't gotten it. I thank God, nothing has gotten me to this space. Like I said, I'm fresh into it. I don't have anything right now. It’s been an accelerated season since I've been in Episcopal school. So, it's just a grind, and I just got off of rest, so I'm just really getting back into the swing of things. I haven't had that encounter yet. 

[NR] As we know, leading is very demanding. In the past, it has not been the norm to consider a sabbatical, a season of retreat, or summer breaks; as you said, you've been resting. However, more leaders have come to understand that rest is needed to serve excellently and to protect our well-being. Hence, what is Bishop Miah White's strategy for rest? 

[BMW] I believe rest is a weapon. It's essential to me to stay top tier. I try to schedule time away before I put stuff on the schedule. So, as I prepare for 2025, I already scheduled when to take breaks, so I pull away before I pull away. Apostle Hilliard will always say in a sense, “Pull away before you break away.” He means…, “take care of yourself before you try to do too much and take care of others.”

And so, every quarter, I try to take a couple of days off just to rest. One thing I have taught my church is July is our sabbatical month. And so, we do church differently in July. This year, we did two weeks in person and two weeks virtually. In July, we had no meetings and no rehearsals. The only thing we did was a fellowship to bring us together. We had family time activities such as movies on the outdoor screen. Another activity was breakfast with the bishops—with me and my dad. 

They are now used to July being our rest month. And that's the time I'll just give the word. There's no singing. It's a little bit different this year, but typically I get up, I lead prayer, and then we go straight into the word or hold an online fellowship. I'm trying to get them to understand that rest is a weapon. I want them to know that I value them and give them rest because ministry is not just taxing for me. It's taxing for all of those who are helping to carry the vision forward. So, when I take a break, I want them to take a break as well. Outside of July, I try to do a little something every quarter. I pull away to go either out of town to just rest, but I typically am gone in September. That's my time to rest. That's my time to prepare for the next year that's coming in. I'll take two weeks for vacation, as you could say, and then the last two weeks to hear what the Lord is saying for the coming year.

Having a therapist is vital. I try to do something every week that just caters to me, whether it's a massage, whether it's the movies, whether it's absolutely nothing or the park so that I at least have a small reset every week. But I try to do at least something for a couple of days, once a quarter. And then September, I typically, I'm gone.

[NR] In navigating all this, you named a couple of people, and you've talked about intentionally setting up the councils and the advisors. How has mentorship influenced your journey to this point?

[BMW] I think mentors are essential. Personally, I can watch and learn from my mentors, so I don’t undergo a similar negative experience. It allows the capacity within me to be deepened by gleaming from them and allowing them to pour into me.

Of course, I'm pouring out all the time. So, I need to have people who can pour into me. I don't just limit it to my mentors—my close friends and those around me who have capacities in different areas that might be deeper than mine can pour into me as well. Not necessarily as my mentor, but I believe it exudes some mentorship value from which I can grow my capacity. I believe that it's essential to have mentors, but impactful people are also around you because they are vital to growing your capacity.

Apart from your efforts, who you allow in your inner circle and who you allow to pour into you impacts you. Hence, ensuring you're always getting fed so you're not pouring from an empty well is vital.

[NR] Please share one key insight for a new pastor in ministry. What would you share with them?

[BMW] I would say take your time, hear God, pray, meditate. But take your time. It's exciting when you're a new pastor with a big vision, having a new seat of authority. Indeed, it is exciting.

However, take your time, and spend a lot of time with God, a lot of time in prayer so that the Lord is using you to shift the church, to bring a new perspective, and to bring the church into a new space, you're seeing clearly and understanding God's timing. Your fellowship with God is vital to everything you do as a pastor. Once you know God's timing, you can keep your cadence; no matter what people say or do, you can keep your cadence because you know what God says. You understand His timing and are able to abide by His will—the perfect will of God and the permissive will of God.

[NR] Based on your current knowledge, what advice would you give yourself about leadership if you could go back five years? 

[BMW] I would have told myself five years ago, don't take it personally. These are God's people, and when you deal with people, you have to look at them like broken glass. When glass is broken, its edges are sharp and it's very fragile. So, you have to be careful how you handle it and handle it carefully. If you handle it knowing that this is a broken piece of glass, that this is a broken life, this is a broken person, then they can get whole a lot faster. Don't take it personally but be responsible.

[NR] What’s one word to describe the season of life you're in right now? What would that one word be? 

[BMW] Acceleration. 

[NR] What scripture do you go back to for encouragement, strength, and re-centering?

[BMW] Ooh, just one? Psalms 34, Psalms 27, Psalms 91. Any of these Bible verses tend to remind me of my place in God, to remind me who God is to me, and to remind me He's in control. I’m centered and I’m safe. 

Learn more about Bishop Miah White 

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Learn more about Nicci Roach