With a dream of a church in the city that was multiethnic, the vision of Christ Central Church began with a young preacher from Uptown Church Charlotte named Giorgio Hiatt. Knowing that to truly become a church known for its diversity, Pastor Giorgio had to find a Senior Pastor who could lead in a way that was energetic, dynamic, and most importantly a person who could exposit the Holy Scriptures in a way that could relate to the eclectic neighborhood of the Noda area. God provided a person when Pastor Howard Brown was called to be the Senior Pastor of Christ Central Church. “I wanted to build a church that I wanted to go to” Pastor Giorgio Hiatt.

At the time when Pastor Howard Brown was called to Charlotte, he was pastoring an older African American church in Baltimore that was in need of revitalizing. After much prayer and a heart for church planting, a year and a half after Pastor Giorgio first called Pastor Howard about coming to Charlotte, the vision for Christ Central Church was becoming a reality.

Christ Central opened it’s doors unofficially in November of 2003, but officially in February of 2004 at the Neighborhood Theater in the Noda are of Charlotte, North Carolina. Rev. Howard Brown and his wife Kellie alongside Rev. Giorgio Hiatt and his wife Amanda, helped build Christ Central Church into a vibrant multi-ethnic church that would stand on God’s word.

Planting a multiethnic church in a city that is very segregated was not easy. Some of the principals that the Pastor Howard would champion was making sure Christ Central Church was not a plantation model, meaning this was not a church led by majority culture and there to help underprivileged minorities. Christ Central focused on being a church that was diverse socioeconomically, and in that there is diversity of ethnicity. That founding principal was so strong that to this day, Christ Central Church is a church that is diverse in its ethnic diversity and its socioeconomic diversity.

In conversations with Pastor Howard and Pastor Giorgio, they emphasized that the success of their church plant hinged on a few key qualities: keeping short accounts, practicing humility, leaning into challenges, and developing a close relationship with one another. These attributes were essential in fostering a strong, united leadership team and a thriving church community.

The success of any church plant often lies in how God uses the gifts of those who may not always receive the recognition they deserve. Pastor Howard and Pastor Giorgio both emphasize the significant impact of Amanda Hiatt and Kellie Brown. Amanda's visionary leadership in the nursery and children's ministry laid a foundation that continues to shape Christ Central Church today, fostering a community where every member participates in the discipleship of our children. Kellie’s musical talents helped craft a Neo-Soul sound that perfectly resonated with the diverse and eclectic spirit of the NODA community. Kellie would later be very instrumental in instituting Women Shepherd’s in the church. Today we have eight Women Shepherds who play a pivotal role in the life of the Christ Central Church.

Without our founders, Christ Central Church would not be where we are today. We are deeply grateful for your vision and sacrifice. We honor you and praise God for the gifts He has bestowed upon you for the glory of His Church.