Meet Our Minister

Minister Brother Christopher Turner is a native of Florence, Alabama. Near his home was the International Bible College, now the Heritage Christian University. While not even considering being a preacher, he became a friend and associate of the students as they worked with local congregations. Their zeal and love for the gospel would prove as inspiration later in life for Turner.

Chris was baptized at the Westside Church of Christ in Florence under the tutelage of Brother Earnest Cobb. Brother Cobb was former student of Brother Marshall Keeble at NCI Nashville Christian Institute. The Westside Church of Christ was also established by Brother Keeble. While at the Westside congregation, Brothers Jeffrey Boddie and Russell Cobb took him under their wings and taught him the art of congregational song leading. A few years later Turner placed membership at the Southside Church of Christ in Rogersville, Alabama, where Bro. Freeman Malone Jr. is minister. There, he also joined their noted song group, The Southside Singers. For years, they traveled together, singing and writing soul stirring tunes. While attending college in Birmingham, Alabama, he performed with the spirited Inner City Singers, a traditional gospel quartet. The group, led by dynamic gospel preachers Elijah Bush Sr. and Robert L. Ivory kept him spiritually focused while away from home.

Turner sang with the internationally known Straight Company. For five years Turner traveled with the missionary gospel team full time throughout the United States, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the Republic of South Africa.

Throughout his career, Chris Turner has attracted a young following. Nicknamed ‘the pied piper’ by Jesse Murrah (also known as ‘Essej’ of Straight Company), he realized another calling in being a youth minister. For fourteen years he served the Southside Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina where he mentored the young people at his congregation as well as youth in the larger community of Durham.

Chris is married to the former Karena Mayes of Sheffield, Alabama. They have three children, one son, Jalen, and two daughters, Kristina and Jamie.

Brother Turner is presently the Minister at the Sunset Rd. Church of Christ in Burlington, New Jersey. There he enjoys the full spectrum of ministry. He can be found hanging with the seniors, singing with the singers, running with the youth, and bringing the word to the congregation. The Sunset Road congregation is rapidly growing. Turner hopes to continue to minister to others in a manner that is historically astute, morally upstanding, and spiritually correct. Whether by singing, teaching, preaching, or other means, he desires to encourage and enlighten others that they may learn to live as the Creator would have them, and through him they may realize their God-given potential.