Rev. Christoper M. Todd

Christopher M. Todd seeks to be a dedicated servant of God with a tremendous zeal for God’s Word, united with a love for God’s people. In August 2023, Pastor Todd was overwhelmingly elected and called to serve as the 15th Senior Pastor of the Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Roswell, GA.

Pastor Todd was born in Oklahoma and reared in a Christian home. At the age of eight, Pastor Todd accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized at the Paradise Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. After his family relocated to Columbia, Missouri, they united with the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. While in Columbia, Pastor Todd began actively pursuing his gift for music, playing a variety of instruments both in school and in church. Pastor Todd also engaged in several youth ministry activities at Progressive and through their local association and state convention.

Pastor Todd’s official ministerial journey began in Missouri; he entered the preaching ministry in 1999 as a teenager under the leadership of Rev. Roderick L. Williams, Sr. In 2007, Pastor T was ordained by the Mt. Carmel District Association of Missouri.

Prior to his call to Zion, Pastor Todd’s breadth of ministry included serving as an associate minister, youth and young adult pastor, in music ministries in Missouri and Texas, and 13 years as the Pastor of The New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Hissop, Alabama. Under Pastor Todd’s leadership, New Home built on its rich legacy, with the Lord adding new members, increasing the church’s influence in the community, and experiencing exponential spiritual growth. Pastor Todd’s tenure also included the construction of a new sanctuary and fellowship hall, doubling the church’s worship space, engaging in a partial renovation of the church’s older building to expand office space, and eliminating the mortgage in a 10-year span.

Currently, in addition to his pastoral responsibilities at Zion, Pastor Todd serves as Board President of The Shiloh Project, Inc., a nonprofit organization established in 2019 with the purpose of developing affordable senior housing in Coosa County, Alabama. He also previously served in various denominational capacities at the district, wing, and state level in Alabama. Believing in community advocacy and representation, Pastor Todd has also served with several community organizations and agencies.

Recognizing the importance of formal theological education and training for pastoral ministry, Pastor Todd has pursued and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Missouri State University, a Master of Arts degree in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling: Marriage and Family from Liberty University. He is currently in the project phase of his Doctor of Ministry in 21st Century Ministry at Anderson University (South Carolina).

Above his service to Zion, Pastor Todd finds joy and balance in sharing life with his best friend, ministry and prayer partner, and wife of 21 years, Lady Shay, their daughters Anaya, Alani, and Avery, and son “Aziah.”

Shahita "Lady Shay" Todd

God’s grace, grit, and growth are a few words describing Lady Shahita “Shay” Todd. Born to teenage parents in Arkansas, Shay was reared by her great aunt in Kansas City. There, life had its challenges, but God’s grace carried them through. From early childhood, Shay was taught the importance of having a personal relationship with Christ. This relationship became real to her, and she was baptized at the Friendship Baptist Church, A Congregation of Jesus Christ, followed by actively serving in Christian ministry in her local church and district work. Shay excelled in school as a young student, emerging as a leader even in her youth. 

Triumph through tragedy also characterizes Shay’s life. When she was twelve, her great Aunt unexpectedly passed away, leaving Shay’s rearing in flux. Thankfully, Shay’s grandmother retired early and relocated to Kansas City to manage the home, caring for Shay and her great Aunt’s disabled adult son. Again, through economically challenging circumstances, their grit and determination, overwhelmed by God’s grace, enabled Shay to excel academically and spiritually. Shay graduated with honors from Raytown South High School, where she sang in the show choir and was the yearbook editor her senior year. 

Shay’s life as an overcomer continued as she attended Missouri State University on full scholarship; she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology. Also, following her freshman year of college, she married the love of her life, Chris. To date, they have been married for 21 years. In this season, Shay began to discover her vocational passion for youth and families. She worked as a supervisor of juvenile probation crews and then as a residential manager for the Ronald McDonald House of the Ozarks. 

Following their tenure at Missouri State, Shay and Chris relocated to Dallas, where he attended seminary. Shay actively supported her husband, being a consistent partner in life and ministry while exercising her gifts. She briefly worked at Exodus Ministries as a life coach and resident manager, followed by a stint at Bank of America. However, she returned to her passion for families working with the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, first as the night residential manager, followed by the assistant house manager. 

In 2010, Chris and Shay relocated to Alabama, where Chris served as the pastor of The New Home Missionary Baptist Church. God’s grace and grit continue to characterize their lives. Despite numerous miscarriages, God graciously gave them three girls, Anaya, Alani, and Avery, and a son, Aziah. In 2022, after a 6-year hiatus following the birth of her first child, Shay returned to school, completing a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling with an emphasis on Marriage and Family. 

Shay continues to use her testimony of God’s grace supporting her husband and sharing the joy of raising their four children, Anaya, Alani, Avery, and "Aziah." Additionally, she seeks to be a witness to other women, advocating for seeking a deep, growing relationship with God as a prayer partner, mentor to younger and older women, and facilitating women’s and young adult discipleship groups. Above all, Shay exemplifies in both word and deed the power of God’s grace and a heart dedicated to serving him by loving and serving others.