Our Servant Leaders
Rev. Dr. Von S. Merritt
Founder & Pastor
Rev. Dr. Von Merritt Was Born On February 19, 1962 The Youngest
of 3 Sons Born to John L. Merritt, Jr. and Lillian Beatrice Merritt, He
Was Raised In Brooklyn, NY Where, At The Time of His Birth, His
Father, A Career Navy Man Was Stationed At The Famous Brooklyn
Navy Yard.
He is Married to Evangelist Mary Merritt and They Are The Proud and Loving Parents of 3 Adult Children; 2 Sons, Dontae Vaughn and Awhani John Merritt and 1 Daughter, Their “Baby Girl” Tiffany Anne-Beatrice Merritt.
As of This Posting (February 2026), They Are Grateful, Proud and Loving Grandparents of 7 "Grandbabeez" Kaori Brown, Kyro Borders, Zayden Merritt, Naveya Merritt, Awhan, Awhani Jr., and Av'Heir (Pronounced A-V-Air) Jai'rell Merritt
Dr. Merritt Answered The Call To Ministry in 1999 And Prides Himself In Being A “Sanctuary Trained Rather Than A Seminary Sanctioned” Pastor/Preacher. Dr. Merritt Was
• Ordained As A Baptist Deacon At The New Hope Institutional Baptist Church in Amityville NY Under The Leadership and Pastorate of The Late Rev. Dr. John A. Jackson In September 2005; He Then Obeyed God’s Direct Command to Move His Young Family To Birmingham, AL In 2006 Where He
• Was Licensed To Preach and Became A Candidate For The Baptist/Pastoral/Preaching & Teaching Ministry At The Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church In April of 2008;
• Dr. Merritt Obtained His Doctor of Divinity Degree From Cambridge Theological Seminary in August of 2009; And After 4 Years of Discipleship He Was Then
•Ordained Into The Baptist Clergy In May of 2012 and Has, Since His Ordination, Faithfully Served as An “Associate Pastor” Alongside Several Well Known and Well Regarded Pastors, Preachers and Church Leaders.
• In 2019, Dr. Merritt Surrendered to His Calling and Committed Himself To Entering Full-Time Pastoral Ministry.
• On May 1st of 2020, In Response to The Calling and Command of The LORD and Under The Leading of The Holy Spirit, Dr. Merritt and His Wife, Evangelist Mary Merritt Launched Word Alive Church In Christ, A Non-Denominational, Christian/Hebrew Church and Dr. Merritt's Own Personal Online Preaching & Teaching Ministry.
They Are Now "Making Ministry Moves" In The Background To Make Manifest A Vision That God Has Given Them To Actually Build "A Church In The Heart Of The Community With A Heart For The Community!"
Watch This Space For Updates...
Dr. Merritt Is A True Servant Leader “Called To Preach & Teach God’s Word to God’s People.” His Devotion To That Calling Is Embodied In Word Alive Church In Christ's Mission Statement:
"To Preach The Whole Word of God To The Whole World of Men... With Clarity and Simplicity That Enables The WORD to Come ALIVE In The Minds, The Hearts, and In The Daily Lives of God's People!"
He Is A Pastor With A Heart For The Church Who Genuinely Loves God and Demonstrates His Love For God Through His Love For, And His Service To God’s People.
His Ministry Scripture Is What He Calls “The Other John 3:16”
1st John 3:16 Which Reads:
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren,"
Evangelist Mary Merritt
First Lady & Co-Pastor
Evangelist Mary Denise Allen-Merritt Was Born On February 1st, 1963 at Lloyd Nolan Hospital in Fairfield (Birmingham) AL. She Was The Only Child of A Decorated Vietnam Veteran, Charles "Jody" Vandiver and Ms. Bettie-Anne Allen.
When She Was 5 Years Old, Her Mother Married Paul Jones, Who Would Later Become Rev. Paul Jones and They Moved To Brooklyn, NY Where Mary Was Raised.
She Graduated from High School with a GED In New York and Received Her Bachelor's Degree in Social Science From Audrey-Cohen College (Formerly The College for Human Services) in New York NY. She Also Received An Associate's Degree In Christian Studies and A Bachelor's Degree in Church Ministry From The Sure Foundation Theological Institute.
On February 16th of 1991, Mary Went On What She and Dr. Merritt Nowadays Call "The First Date That Never Ended" Because They Have Literally Been Inseperable Since. They Married In August of 1993. In 1995 Mary Was Diagnosed With A Disability That Forced Her to End Her Career As Managing Director of A Drug Rehab Facility and A Group Home in Harlem, NY.
In February 1997, Their First Child, Dontae Vaughn Merritt Was Born and Mary Committed to Being A Stay-at-Home Mom While She Continued Running Her Own Business By Converting The Garage In Their Home on Long Island NY Into The Open Door of Hope Daycare.
In 1999, When Dr. Merritt Answerd The Call To Ministry, He Joined Mary at The New Hope Institutional Baptist Church in North Amityville, NY During The Pastoral Ministry of The Late Rev. Dr. John A. Jackson, Where She Was Already An Active Member, Serving As Assistant-Director of The Senior Adult Choir.
Since March of 2003, When Dr. Merritt Was Nominated and Became A "Walking Deacon" at New Hope Institutional Baptist Church to His Licensing in 2008 and His Formal Ordination Into The Baptist Clergy in 2012 At The Mt. Ararat Missionary Baptist Church In Birmingham, AL Under The Pastorate of Rev. Dr. Roderick Jones...
Continuing Through The Virtual Launch of Word Alive Church In Christ and Her Elevation to Co-Pastor in May of 2020, and Continuing Even To This Day, Evangelist Mary Merritt Serves As An Associate Pastor Alongside Her Husband In Their Local Home Church, The Shiloh Baptist Church Norwood in Birmingham AL Under Their Bishop and Pastor, Rev. Kelvin J. Anthony...
A Published Author (Since The 2025 Amazon Release of "Evangelism: An Exposition of Hope"), A Dilligent And Dutiful Wife, A Stern, Yet Loving "Momma" To Her Own Children As Well As to Other Kids In The Neighborhood, Evangelist Mary Merritt Has, Over The Last 25 Plus Years Dutifully, Faithfully and Honorably Earned The Affectionate Title That Rev. Dr. Merritt Has Given Her Which Is:
"My God Sent Help-Meet,
My First And Only Lady,
My Partner In Ministry and In Life,
My Forever Faithful, Loving Wife."
Word Alive Church In Christ Takes
A Special Kind Of Pride In Having
"A Dunamis Duo" Who Lead God's
People With Humility and With Integrity
Enabling WACIC To Truly Be...
The Church In The Heart of The Community
With A Heart For The Community
We Introduce To Some and Present To Others...
Our True Servant Leaders.