Written by L. M. Land with Jowanne Carrigan
Photos by L. M. Land
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. –1 Timothy 4: 14ESV
Floyd Uriah Haze Fuller preached his first sermon at the age of 17 in his father’s church, Pastor Floyd Fuller of Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church. Uriah Haze grew into teaching Sunday School, Bible Study, becoming a youth minister, minister of music and associate minister under the proud eyes of his father. Uriah Haze attended Midwestern Theological Seminary and Mott Community College.
25 years later, Pastor Uriah Fuller has come full circle. At his installation at True Light Missionary Baptist Church on May 7, 2023, Pastor Danyiel Griffin proclaimed that Pastor Uriah “has been called by God to pastor this church.” Pastor Uriah’s father, Pastor Floyd Fuller, gave the installation sermon. It was a spiritually emotional moment, this transition of father to son in the name of Jesus Christ.
True Light also welcomed new First Lady Nichole Fuller, and their two sons, aged 15 and five.
The True Light congregation was full of joy and excitement to have a new pastor after three and a half years without one. Pastor Uriah Haze is proud of the history in his new church home, where member histories, like the Whitacher family for example, reach back three generations for 93 years.
Along with his pastoral education, Pastor Uriah brings an extensive background of experience and community service to support his new ministry. He has worked for 17 years as a Correctional officer, shift sergeant, lieutenant and captain, where he learned how to de-escalate tense situations without force. Fuller has also handled essential administrative functions and worked with special populations, such as the incarcerated, mentally ill, youth and incarcerated women. Pastor Uriah Haze is also a mentor in the Flint Community Schools.
These past experiences have led Pastor Uriah Haze to True Light MBC with a vision of increasing and diversifying the membership by reaching out to the community.
But it goes deeper than that. He desires to restore and facilitate success to those who have been labeled outcasts by society. As an official of the law, Pastor Uriah Haze had an immense amount of diversity training and worked with many diverse populations. True Light MBC is located in a very diverse neighborhood, and he would like the church membership to reflect the neighborhood.
“People tend to reach out to those who are like us, female to female, males to males, the same ethnicity, the same economic status,” explained Pastor Uriah. “I want to work with the congregation to get us comfortable reaching out to people that are different than us on every level…No matter who comes through the door.”
One way he plans to reach out is by “going old school” and “going out into the neighborhood and get to know the neighborhood myself and introduce myself.” He has been volunteering at Flint Community Schools, and plans to incorporate some of the programs he ran there, like anti-bullying, raising money for families during the holidays, violence prevention programs and mentoring. In fact, a young man he mentors attended the Installation.
Pastor Uriah Haze explained that his youngest son is on the autism spectrum.
“It affected me in a different way with ministry, because I understand there is a need different families have that we are not tapping into as a church,” he stated. “That is another demographic I would like to reach out to. Especially the fathers, as men don’t talk about their emotions.”
Another goal is to make a special area in the church where a person with sensory issues can make it through a service.
“Most families with special needs children on the spectrum don’t go places…because they have to stay home with the child…they become hermits.”
He saw the special area and congregational training at Bishop Urundi B. Knox’s church, Ebenezer Ministries, while serving as director of music there. The congregation was able to handle special needs cases and the families with special needs children were finally able to come to church services.
Pastor Uriah Haze also wants to initiate a project to have law enforcement liaisons in the True Light MBC area come and sit down with the local community. He wants to establish a rapport on the front end.
“Sometimes we wait [to make connections] until tragedy happens and emotions are high.”
People have a negative impression of police. “I want to do my part to break that barrier” between the police and the people, Pastor Uriah Haze explained,
Pastor Uriah Haze pointed out that we have a unique ministerial situation in Flint. Two Flint senior pastors have sons who are now also senior pastors at the same time in Flint. Pastor Floyd Uriah Haze Fuller, now True Light MBC’s Pastor, is just down the road from his father’s church, Pastor Floyd Fuller at Mount Taber. Pastor A. J. Harris, Sr. is Pastor at Saints of God Church, and his son, Pastor A. J. Harris, Jr. will be installed soon at New Jerusalem Full Gospel in Flint.
“We’re also all friends, I think that is beautiful.” smiled Pastor Uriah Haze.
True Light MBC is located at 6917 Martin Luther King Avenue, Flint, 48505, 810-787-5931.
