From an Upstairs Bedroom to East Shelby Drive
New Growth in Christ Christian Center traces its roots to 1983, when a young Sidney P. Malone says he heard God speak through an audible voice, calling him to minister the Word. After seven years of biblical study inspired by the Holy Spirit, Malone began teaching the life-changing principles he had uncovered. On August 4, 1990, he founded New Growth in Christ Christian Center. The first gathering was a weekly Bible study of six college students in an upstairs bedroom of his mother, Evangelist Myrtle Malone's house, where they were eager to hear and do God's Word.
The ministry grew quickly. Pastor James Rhodes opened his church building on Friday nights for a weekly service, and when the room filled again, the group moved to the home of Malone's late grandmother, Evangelist Christine Bell. A gymnasium housed the next phase of growth. On March 10, 1994, the church settled into its own building at 2568 Sparks Road. Ten years later, in November 2004, New Growth in Christ moved into its current home at 7550 East Shelby Drive in southeast Memphis.
Today the congregation numbers more than 800 members and e-members. Bishop Malone, as he is now known, calls New Growth in Christ a Global Ministry fulfilling the plan of God in Memphis and throughout the earth.
Anointed, Multicultural, Contemporary
The church's tagline, "Anointed. Multicultural. Contemporary.", sets the tone for everything that follows. Services are described as a place "where the Spirit of God always manifests His glory." Worship is contemporary, expressive, and charismatic in feel, with a choir, musicians, and a praise team, alongside dance, drama, and poetry ministries that lend creative texture to gatherings.
The teaching vision is anchored in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV): "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Out of that verse the church draws its motto of the "Whole Person" (Spiritually, Mentally, Physically, and Finally) and extends that wholeness outward into "Whole Relationships, Whole Families, Whole Communities, Whole Cities, Whole Nation."
The mission statement reads: "Our purpose, as given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is to deliver and minister God's Word to Leaders, so that the applied Word of God can prosper them in every area of their lives: Spiritually, Mentally, Physically and Financially." The vision statement declares the church "Nonjudgmental, Walking in God's Love, Full of Mercy, Givers and Soul Winners!"
Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights
Two weekly services anchor the rhythm of life at New Growth in Christ. Sunday worship begins at 9:01 a.m. Central Time, a deliberately unusual start time that fits the church's "cutting-edge" identity. Wednesday night gathering convenes at 7 p.m. Central. Both services are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, with viewers invited to participate in chat and submit prayer requests online.
The church describes itself as "an anointed, contemporary, cutting-edge church on the move," and the livestream feature allows the Memphis congregation to reach partners around the country and the world. Recordings of past messages from Bishop Malone and the pastoral team are archived on the church's YouTube and Vimeo channels, drawn from Romans 10:17: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
NGIC Cares: From Children to Seniors
The community outreach arm of New Growth in Christ goes by the name NGIC Cares, and its scope is unusually wide for a single congregation. The church describes the work as "a movement of compassion, strategy, and faith in action," spanning seven primary areas of impact.
Children are a major focus. Each week, more than 150 children receive mentoring and spiritual enrichment, academic and emotional support, and practical life-skills training in a safe environment. Veterans are served through rental and utility assistance, groceries, and emergency financial support. Mental and emotional health care, including counseling, therapy, and wellness programs, is offered to children, teens, adults, and seniors alike.
Marital counseling, relationship coaching, and family support help strengthen homes, while a student program builds confidence, purpose, integrity, and personal identity. Seniors receive practical assistance, social engagement, emotional and spiritual care, and advocacy for their ongoing needs. Finally, financial literacy and entrepreneurial training covering budgeting, wealth-building, business development, and entrepreneurship round out the outreach. The church frames all of this as a single practice: "Where service becomes transformation."
A Choir, a Cafe, and Twenty-Four Ministries
Inside the building, more than twenty ministry teams operate, comparable to a small city's volunteer directory. Bishop Malone is supported by what the church calls the New Growth International Ministry of Helps, a network of volunteer teams that allow members to serve according to their gifts. Among them: the Music Ministry (Choir, Musicians, and Praise Team), Dance Ministry, Drama Ministry, Poetry Ministry, Audio Ministry, Television Ministry, Media Ministry, Photography Ministry, Greeters, Hospitality, Ushers (male only), Customer Service Associates, Church Administration Volunteers, Facility Maintenance, the Interior Decorating Committee, Graphic Design and Marketing, Marketing and Public Relations, Social Media, the Management Information System team, First Response Medical Ministry, and Traffic Controllers. Children and teens have their own dedicated spaces: NGI Children's Ministry and NuYouth Teen Ministry.
The Sidney P. Malone Ministries (SPMM) carries the pastor's name beyond the local congregation, and Café G Bookstore offers a gathering spot on campus. Outside the building, e-congregation members (virtual attendees) and Memphis members are both considered part of the same family.
Bishop Malone's Wider Work
Bishop Sidney P. Malone's ministry extends well beyond the East Shelby Drive campus. He is an internationally known Prophetic Trailblazer, artist, and developer of leaders, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance (1990) and a Master of Science in Education Administration and Supervision with a concentration in Crisis Counseling (1992) from the University of Memphis. In 2004 he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Saint Thomas Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Memphis and is affiliated with the Coaching Compass Association.
In civic life, Malone serves as Chaplain of the Shelby County Tennessee Board of Commissioners and the City of Memphis Mayoral Advisory Board. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and a host of other civic organizations. In 2016 he was consecrated to Bishop with International Bishops Conference Incorporated under Archbishop LeRoy Bailey, Jr., and now serves on its Executive Council. He is also affiliated with Global United Fellowship (GUF), a Christian fellowship of more than 1,800 churches worldwide under Presiding Bishop Joel Peebles, Sr., where he serves on the Executive Council as Director of Business Enterprise.
Malone is also a certified Executive Leadership Consultant and the Founder and CEO of Malone Consulting Group, recognized as a skilled Leadership Trainer, Motivational Speaker, and Workshop Facilitator. He hosts a nationally known radio podcast, "Life Coach Corner with Dr. Sid," on WHAL 95.7 Hallelujah FM, airing nationally on iHeart Radio every Monday at 6 p.m. Central, and available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify. He is a proficient pianist and organist with several musical projects to his name. His books, including "Motivation In A Minute," are available through AskDrSid.com, with two e-books, "Speak It Into Being" and "Graduate Into Financial Freedom," offered by the church.
Leadership and Pastoral Team
Bishop Malone has served as Senior Pastor for more than three decades and remains the founding pastor of New Growth in Christ. He is supported by Pastor Kennis Sewell, the church's Executive Pastor, and a pastoral staff of Pastor Deneice Davis, Pastor Danny Cole, Pastor Verna Frye, Pastor Immanuel Morris, Pastor Reginald Andrews, and Pastor Cornelius Freeman. Malone is also an Apostle and Spiritual Father to more than 30 sons and daughters in ministry nationally and internationally. Jordan Malone serves as Media Director.
First Lady Leslie Malone leads the church alongside her husband. Together they are the parents of four girls and a son, and grandparents of three.
Finding New Growth in Christ
The church sits in southeast Shelby County, between Hacks Cross Road and Riverdale Road, at 7550 East Shelby Drive, Memphis, Tennessee 38125. The phone line is (901) 624-2424, and the general inbox is info@ngic.org. First-time visitors can fill out a contact form, and prospective members can begin the process of joining the church through the Become a Member section.
Giving is available through the NGIC app or in person at the church, and giving statements are accessible through the NGIC or Givelify apps. Two e-books by Bishop Malone, "Speak It Into Being" and "Graduate Into Financial Freedom," are available for purchase online, and recordings of past sermons can be watched on the church's YouTube and Vimeo channels.
New Growth in Christ Christian Center is led by a pastor who has been preaching for more than 40 years and a team that has served the Memphis community since 1990. The building on East Shelby Drive is open, the livestream is on, and the welcome is extended locally and globally.