The Rev. Andrew Stephen Black, Pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church in Little Rock, was born March 30, 1995, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, his dad’s hometown. He grew up in Toomsuba where his mother was brought up. His parents are Melodie Smith Black, a middle school teacher at Southeast Lauderdale, and Charles Black, a teacher and football coach at Southeast Lauderdale High School. His sister Blair Black Shirley, a nurse at the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, is married to Trevor Shirley, from Whynot. Trevor is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist student in Knoxville.
Andrew played football and baseball at SLHS, graduating with honors in 2013. He attended Meridian Community College two years before transferring to Mississippi State University, where in 2017 he received his B.S. degree in Secondary Social Studies. He then taught 9th grade and football for two years, 2017-2019, at SLHS.
Andrew met his wife Rachel Lane Black from Collinsville, at Meridian Community College, and they married November 19, 2016. Rachel, born February 20, 1995, to parents Jeff and Tracy McDonald Lane, graduated West Lauderdale High School in 2013 and MCC in 2015, before finishing occupational therapist training in 2018 at UMC in Jackson. She has been serving in that capacity at Anderson’s Hospital ever since. Her father worked for YRC Freight in Jackson, and her mother is an accountant. Her brother Matt Lane is a Christian rock musician in Hattiesburg who has released several albums.
The Blacks both had convictions about adoption. They decided to go for it, and not for the reason that they could not have biological children. They chose Lifeline, a Christian adoption agency, loving its high emphasis on ministry to birth mothers. They had to wait for three years because of agency rules. John Owen was born August 22, 2022, and the next day, he declared, “the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen,” was brought to them. They plan to adopt again if possible, and they, of course, are open to having biological children, too. He shared, “We want to fill our quiver with as many arrows as possible, a comparison from Psalm 127:4-5, to be warriors for the Lord.”
He has enjoyed watching John Owen develop his personality, saying, “He loves to be silly, laughs a lot.” Their two sheep dogs, Edith and Rose, think they are lap dogs. He shared, “They love John Owen and think he’s their pup. He loves the dogs.” Andrew and Rachel enjoy reading, cooking together, going on walks, hiking in mountains, and kayaking, such as on Okatibbee Lake, the Chunky River, or Bonita Lake. They plan to continue these hobbies, “hauling the baby around.”
Andrew said of his wife, “She loves caring for people. It has given her a great opportunity to use her gifts, to care for people who have lost their mobility. She loves her job and really uses it as a way to glorify God.” He told me of her Christian faith and witness, saying, “She was converted at a young age, 7 or 8, and, as a teenager, was always faithful to her Lord, her entire life. A much more mature Christian than I was. She loves the Lord Jesus, His Church, and wants people to know Jesus.” He added, “As she raises John Owen, Rachel wants him to know he has a mother who loves the Lord Jesus.”
Andrew and his family attended Salem Baptist in Kewanee all his life, and he recalled, “At a young age, I thought it was the right thing to do, and walked the aisle and joined the church. At 17, I recognized that I was a sinner and needed a Savior. I remember April 2011, when I heard the gospel preached clearly at an FCA revival at the gym. Probably at least a dozen saved that night—I’ll never forget it. I repented of my sins.” He continued by speaking of the “grace of the Lord Jesus,” saying, “God can save any age. I’m so thankful for that. We had a six-year-old saved last Sunday.”
I spoke with Rachel Black about her husband, and she responded, “Andrew and I both felt called to ministry before we met, and it’s such an honor to serve beside him now. He’s a year and a half into serving as lead pastor at Hopewell. I know we have a lot to learn as we continue working in ministry, but I’ve got to say I’m incredibly proud of how he has stepped into this new role. Andrew is one of the most hardworking, selfless, compassionate people I know. He spends countless hours a week sermon prepping, ministering to our church members as well as others in the community, visiting in homes, hospitals and nursing facilities, all while managing online schoolwork as he earns a Master of Divinity. He’s a true gem of a person and an exceptional pastor!”
He explained his call to preach, “I knew God had given me a desire to preach right after I was saved. I had good mentors at Fellowship of Christian Athletes, my church, and Baptist Student Union at MCC. Justin Busby, Director of BSU, was a wonderful mentor.” Andrew was a student pastor at Pine Forest Baptist in Collinsville from fall of 2019, under Pastor Andy May, for two years. I asked what he had learned, to which he answered, “I learned a lot. I learned there are actual people you are preaching to. We’re called to love and shepherd them, and Andy was a great example of that.”
He started taking seminary online through Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary based in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He explained his choice of schools, saying, “Friends had gone there. Teachers are very pastoral. The professors are very good at interacting and caring for distance students.” As for how he became pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church in Little Rock, he remembered, “The Lord brought it to me. We were in the process of adopting, and a friend told Hopewell about us. The church had an adoption fund and asked us to come tell about ourselves.” The church gave the young couple the funds to help pay for the very expensive process of adoption and asked him to give them his resume. He subsequently became pastor September 19, 2021.
He shared, “The Lord has been so kind to us at Hopewell. He has blessed us so much. They’re wonderful people, and we love them so much. We have wonderful deacons. They are servants and some of my best friends.” He does expository preaching and is in the book of I Corinthians now. I asked about the size of the church, to which he replied, “It’s a medium-sized rural church, with 65-90 on a Sunday morning. There have been recent salvations and upcoming baptisms.” He told me, “Hopewell is a very flexible church, willing ‘to know God, to worship God, and to make Him known.’” It is a pleasure to discover what God is doing in different churches with pastors, such as Rev. Andrew Black, who love God and love people.
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon! You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
