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 Bryan Crute began his public ministry in the 1980s by mentoring a small group of men on the campus of Virginia State University (VSU). He would pray with the men and challenge them to pursue their dreams and live up to a standard of holiness that God required. While a student on the campus of VSU, Bryan became known as a powerful encourager who had the faith to do things that others didn't believe could be done.
After graduating from VSU, Bryan began traveling from state to state to encourage college students to pursue excellence and holiness. He created an organization by which he could exercise this gift nationally by founding The Institute for Leadership Development (iLEAD) in 1993. He continued to train college students to be biblio-centric leaders by hosting leadership conferences every spring and Leadership Training School (LTS) every summer. It was during this time that Bryan and his wife Lanette were commissioned by church leaders in Virginia to start a church in the metropolitan Atlanta area.
That group was launched with a core of believers who met in the basement of the Crute's home from 1995 until the next year. In 1996, the church began meeting at area hotels. In 1997, the church became "purpose driven", and changed its name to Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church.
With this new name and ministry strategy, Destiny continues to grow. Under Pastor Crute's servant leadership, the core of 20 believers has grown to a church of about 6000 members.
Since 2001, Bryan has been recognized as a national church leader and pioneer in church health.
He began partnering with Pastor Rick Warren by teaching church health sessions at Saddleback Church's Purpose-Driven Church Conference. In 2002, Bryan was honored with Atlanta's Trumpet Award. The Trumpet Awards highlight the accomplishments of African-Americans in politics, law, public service and entertainment. He also received a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Regent University in May 2002.
In the spring of 2005, Bryan and Destiny were featured on CNN's "Faces of Faith" within a news expose that highlighted Purpose Driven ministries. That same summer, Pastor Crute and a core group of church leaders traveled to Rwanda with Rick Warren to train church pastors and expose them to the P.E.A.C.E. plan.
In December 2005, Bryan received a Doctoral degree in Strategic Leadership from Regent University’s School of Leadership Studies in Virginia Beach, Virginia. With each course emphasizing biblical principles from a Christian worldview, his studies included dynamic leadership theories, methodologies and concepts that seek to create, develop, and sustain transforming organizations.
Today, Pastor Crute continues to pastor Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church while helping people maximize their God-given potential. He and his wife, Lanette, have three arrows in their quiver… Kristen, Bryan and Austin.
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