District Elder Maurice Southern is Pastor of the Grace Apostolic Faith Church. He is also a District Elder within the Illinois District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. His father, Suffragan Bishop Cornelius Southern was the founder of this great ministry. Before Bishop Southern was called home in May 2007 to be with the Lord, he ensured that his God given vision was understood, by leaving the church in the capable hands of the new visionary, his son Maurice Southern. District Elder Southern served as Associate Pastor until being ordained as Pastor of the Grace Apostolic Faith Church in August of 2007 by the late Bishop Arthur M. Brazier. Pastor Southern started working in the church as a youth. His many talents and involvement in the ministry included playing the drums at the age of nine, serving a church janitor, participating as a choir member, becoming a member of the Junior Deacon Board and organizing many youth sports teams. Pastor Southern was called to the ministry in 1984 and worked alongside his father for more than 20 years. Pastor Southern is the 6th of seven children born to Suffragan Bishop Cornelius Southern and Founding First Lady, Evangelist Gussie Southern. In 1989, Pastor Southern married Rhonda Millington and they have four children, Cornelius, Lavell, Elisha, and Paula, as well as twin grandsons, Maurice and Malik. In addition to pastoring the Grace Apostolic Faith Church since 2007, Pastor Southern has also been employed as a Chicago Firefighter for over 20 years.