Our Pastor
Pastor James McCallister
Pastor James McCallister is an Anointed Man of God, who has dedicated his life to empowering, developing, encouraging, and equipping believers for Kingdom Living. He is a natural-born leader with a boldness to speak the truth. He is the founding Pastor of Legacy Christian Center; a new church with a growing membership of young adults and seasoned saints who are hungry for transformation and discipleship.
Pastor McCallister was born in Tampa, Florida, and spent his formative years in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Maryland as an adolescent. Though he had given his life to Christ at eight years old, his early teenage years were troubled. Struggling to adjust to life in Maryland, Pastor McCallister spent a great deal of his time at home suspended form school for fighting so much in school.
One afternoon, when Pastor McCallister was 17 years old, someone brought the fight to him. A man came to his home with the intention to take his life, BUT God had other plans. A confrontation took place at his front door when the man put his gun on his temple. When his father heard the commotion, he rushed to the door and pushed it closed, in an attempt to save his son’s. The gun went off, as the door was being closed and the bullet lodged in the second-floor bedroom of his brother’s dresser. At that moment Pastor McCallister knew that his life had been spared for a purpose. At just 18, he began preaching at The International Church of Praise and Deliverance. He had a testimony and a fire to preach the Gospel.
Pastor McCallister has studied to show himself approved, a workman not ashamed of the Gospel but rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15.) Received his Evangelism license in 2007; was ordained a Minister of the Gospel in 2010 by Bishop Larry H. Jordan at The Believers Worship Center. In 2019 He started and completed the Brothers in Discipleship three-year program at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden. He was installed as the Founding Pastor of Legacy Christian Center in 2021, by Pastor Ervin Fuller of Together as One Covenant Outreach Center.
Pastor McCallister serves both within and outside of the four walls of the Church. He’s a Master in Barbering, having served in Prince George’s County for more than 30 years, with countless men having given their life to Christ in his chair. Whether ministering in his barbershop, through prison ministry, men’s ministry, or serving as a mentor to countless teens, his love for God’s people is evident. His service is often focused on troubled youth and young adult men, recognizing that his life could serve as a testimony to God’s Amazing Grace. He has served youth in the Departments of Juvenile services and the department of Social Services through his work with Charlotte’s Web Boxing and Mentoring program & Lead4life, two thriving nonprofit organizations in his community. Though his gifts for mentoring troubled youth are paramount to Pastor McCallister like being recognized by Freestate Teen Challenge, he takes the greatest pleasure in the titles given to him by the youth he serves, as Big Brother, Uncle, OG, and Godfather.
Pastor McCallister is a family man. A loving husband, father, and grandfather. He feels blessed to have married the Love of his life, a woman who matches his servant's heart, First Lady Rochelle McCallister. The First Lady is no stranger to hard work having founded Single Parent Achievers in 2012, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of single parents through education and empowerment. They have grown a loving blended family of nine children and four grandchildren with unwavering love, unflinching faith, and unparalleled compassion. This powerful Man and Woman of God have counseled couples on the brink of divorce to reconciliation, opened their hearts and home to those who needed care, and offer themselves now in the service of their church, Legacy Christian Center.