Soul Winners Baptist Church was founded by the late Pastor Paul F. Coleman. Pastor Coleman committed his life to the Lord in 1972 and plunged right into ministry. Pastor Coleman attended the J.W. Williams School of Religion. He was a member of Greater Open Door Missionary Baptist Church where he served faithfully. As an Evangelistic preacher, God led him in February 1979, to pioneer Soul Winners Bible Way Church, which he started in the living room of his apartment. With 14 members, the ministry moved to several store front locations; Alcy Road, Florida Street, and Georgia Avenue.

Through God’s direction, he became the Pastor of United Missionary Baptist Church in October 1982. He finished his assignment there and was lead by God in December 1987, to Pastor the newly organized Soul Winners Baptist Church, located at 806 East Bodley. By this time Pastor Coleman’s membership had grown to 58 members. Soul Winners continued to grow spiritually and numerically.

In October of 1989, Soul Winners moved into a more spacious building at 643 Wicks Avenue. Pastor Coleman ministered to the community through his outreach ministry of winning souls. On November 7, 1999, Soul Winners moved into their new building located at 4221 Crump Road, in the Hickory Hill community. Pastor Coleman and the Soul Winner’s family labored together with God, in the continuance of winning souls and spreading the gospel. Pastor Coleman faithfully served until the Lord called His servant home, on the morning of July 24, 2003.

On February 9, 2005, God sent another man after His own heart to shepherd the Soul Winners Baptist Church family, by the name of David M. Rhodes.

Pastor Rhodes accepted and began his walk with Christ at a very early age. He was a member of True Missionary Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Angus Brunson. Pastor Rhodes accepted his call to ministry in 1995. Prior to accepting his call to Pastor Soul Winners Baptist Church, he was a faithful member of Cummings Street since January 1997, where he was the Lay Pastor, under the leadership of Gary Faulkner.

Pastor Rhodes’ mission in life is found in Hebrews 6:1.: “There let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.”

Pastor Rhodes and the members of Soul Winners Baptist Church are still carrying out the vision of laboring together with God for the continuance of winning souls and spreading the gospel through out the Memphis Area and the nation.