Meet Otis Petteway | Pastor and entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Otis Petteway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Otis, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting Victory Community Church was to create a Christ-centered community that did more than just hold Sunday services. We wanted to truly impact our community by demonstrating the love of Jesus to those we are called to serve, uplifting those who have faced hardships, and offering an example of Christ’s purpose. Deciding to start a new church instead of simply becoming a pastor at an existing one was difficult, but through prayer and God’s guidance, I felt called to follow God’s mission directly. This path allowed us to avoid organizational politics and focus on fulfilling our mission above all else.

What should our readers know about your business?
Being a founding pastor of a church has not been the easiest endeavor. It has come with significant hurdles, some expected and others completely unforeseen. For example, we initially lacked the institutional benefit of community recognition—people didn’t know who we were or even that we existed. Ensuring that everything we did was handled properly was a challenge. One particularly difficult obstacle was overcoming the negative reputation the church has in broader society. With news articles and blogs regularly reporting on pastors who have fallen from grace, financial scandals, broken trust, and misinformation, many have become reluctant to even enter a church building. This has required us to work twice as hard to positively impact our community. Simply claiming to be different wasn’t enough to win people over.
When God gave me the name Victory for our church, I never imagined it would become its own brand. From the pulpit to the pews and out into the streets, our goal is to show people that God wants to bring victory into every area of their lives. We’ve lovingly started to refer to our members as champions because we believe there is a champion in everyone—you just have to know where to look within yourself for that champion to arise.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The two people I would like to shout out are my father, Otis Petteway, Jr., who is currently battling cancer. This has caused me to reflect on many memories we share and the lessons he taught me over the years—how to be handy, the value of hard work, and the importance of a man’s name. While credit is important in the world, to a man, all you have is your name; it’s what precedes you in a room. The other person I want to shout out is my late pastor, Dr. Michael P. Williams. His impact on my spiritual life is unmatched and immeasurable. I am the preacher and pastor I am today because of the relationship and the continuous pouring into my life that he gave, often without recognition or reward. Of the many people who have shaped who I am, if I had to spotlight two, these would be the ones I would focus on.

Website: https://www.everythingvictory.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingvictory/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverythingVictory

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@victorycommunitychurch4920