"If
I can help somebody as I pass this way, then my life will not
be in vain.”
The simplicity, humility, and undying love for all mankind infused
within these words ring so beautifully true that their sincerity
and steadfast devotion are unmistakable. The same is attributed
to the man whose mouth utters these same words at the break and
dusk of each passing day. Reverend Jimmy Sypho is a mentor, a
brother, a friend, a counselor, a teacher, a pastor, an inspiration,
and in this age, a breath of fresh air.
Born February 2, 1952 in Lithonia, Georgia, Jimmy Sypho is the
youngest of fifteen children. He and his siblings were taken into
foster care after the death of their parents and Jimmy went through
two foster homes before journeying out on his own at the age of
sixteen. Jimmy had been reared in the church, but when the call
to preach the Gospel began caressing his soul at the age of fourteen,
he fought it. The caress soon became a tug, and the harder he
fought it, the more powerful the tug became. This internal battle
waged on until he became spiritually incapacitated; his grades
fell, he withdrew socially, and he felt sorely burdened. Finally,
after a year of denial, Jimmy Sypho went to his pastor for advice.
As soon as the words “I believe I am getting the call"
fell from his lips, this tugging, this battle, this great burden
was lifted from his heart, soul, and mind. He accepted the call.
On June 4, 1967, Sypho preached his first sermon at the Brown
Chapel Baptist Church. He declared his membership at Salem Baptist
Church soon after, where he worshipped and further strengthened
his relationship with the Lord. At the age of twenty, Sypho was
called to pastor Arbor Grove Baptist Church in LaGrange, Georgia.
Under his leadership, this church became the first Black church
in the community to have a radio broadcast. Because of his age,
Reverend Sypho had a strong connection with the youth in both
the church and the greater community, and succeeded in bringing
young people to the church in droves.
After
two years in the LaGrange community, Sypho resigned and returned
to Atlanta to begin the next phase of his career. He saw an extreme
necessity for leadership, counseling, and healing amongst the
families of the London Townhomes community. He began to adopt
the neighborhood children as his nieces and nephew, and their
mothers as his sisters. He served as a positive male role model
and mentor for much of the community and assisted numerous neighborhood
youth in realizing their dreams. These dreams run the gamut from
a simple Christmas wish to becoming practicing lawyers and other
professionals. Reverend Sypho also began "bussing" the
youth to church every Sunday in a fleet of taxicabs. This bussing,
mentoring, and counseling phenomenon that began in the London
Townhouses evolved into the highly effective local and international
Jimmy Sypho's Outreach Ministry, officially established in 1989.
Among other things this ministry to date has served as the catalyst
through which twelve young men have received the call to preach
the Gospel. His exceptional Outreach Ministry now offers mentoring
and Christian counseling programs for single parents, juvenile
delinquents and foster children. Most importantly, Reverend Jimmy
Sypho has succeeded in freeing the word from within the confines
of the church and has brought it out to the people of the world.
To
Contact Reverand Sypho email him at: info@jsoutreachministries.org
