John Harrison Young was born on August 20, 1965, in Buffalo, New York. He is the son of the late Reverend Guy J. Graves, Sr. and Marion Y Young.
He is a graduate of the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (1983) and has attended Erie Community College(1983); as well as continued his education through distant learning at Liberty University (1995) with a focus on Business Administration and Biblical Studies.
John Young accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized into the Christian faith in 1973 at the Antioch Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY under the leadership of the late Reverend Guy. J. Graves. He was an active member of the church participating in various church ministries. Most notable, at age 11, he became the pianist of the church and at age 14, he became the Minister of Music, responsible for the music ministry of 5 choirs.
The culmination of his tenure at Antioch Baptist Church was in 1981 when John Young accepted his call to Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He became a licensed minister of the Gospel in April of 1981 under the leadership of the Reverend William A. Bunton, Jr., and Ordained through a council of Baptist ministers at the Open Door Missionary Baptist Church in September 1986.
His focus and determination to learn, glean, and grow materialized in 1987, when the 22 year old ventured out on his own to began a career in broadcasting. His first venture was the production of an hour long television show called “Oh Give Thanks”. The local television program aired from 1987 to 1991 on two television stations in the Western New York area.
In 1991, John Young began a 4 hour weekend radio program called “Totally Gospel”. Over a period of 5 years, Young painstakingly grew the programming into a daily production on WHLD-AM 1270. In 1996, expansion of the Radio enterprise continued to then WHTT-AM 1120 as a daily morning drive show which culminated in the launch of the first full-time Black Gospel formatted radio station in the Buffalo New York area, “Heaven 1120” in 1997. The programming continued on the station for 15 years until it's move to a much stronger station WHLD-AM 1270 in 2006.
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Simultaneously, John Young also advanced in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the music ministry. He traveled extensively with the late Rev. John Robertson of Go Tell It Ministries of Pontiac, Michigan as an evangelist, minister of music, and business administrator (1984-1986). He served as Minister of Music of the 100 voice choir of the Greater Friendship Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY under the leadership of the renowned late Rev. A. Charles Ware and the 125 voice choir of the Mount Olive Baptist Church, Lackawanna, NY under the leadership of Bishop Robert L. Livingston. His affiliation with Mount Olive Baptist also garnered him the role of District Minister of Music of the Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship of Western New York.
John Young was called as the Interim Pastor of the Unity Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY in 1986. In 1988, John Young was installed as pastor of the Monument of Faith Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY. In 1997, Pastor Young was called to pastor the United Church of Faith.
In 2001, Pastor Young founded the Fellowship Christian Center (FellowshipWorld), a center and community for spiritual growth. Over the past 20 years, the multicultural ministry has grown and prospered. The ministry acquired and completely renovated a 19,000 square foot facility that housed not only the 4 weekly services of the ministry, but a credit union, Children church, Hispanic church, African (French Speaking) ministry, Radio & Television facilities, and Banquet Hall. In an unprecedented move, in 2013, the ministry moved it's worship experience to the Regal Cinema Theater in an unchurched area of Buffalo, NY. With the slogan... “It's not where you worship, but Who You worship”, the ministry is positioning itself for the 21st century, with a focus on ministering to those who cannot (or will not) attend traditional worship experiences due to work schedules, hardship, or church hurt.
In 2015, Fellowshipworld acquired it’s present location (878 Humboldt Parkway) and burned it’s mortgage in May 2020.
John Young has produced one Music CD, as well as authored “365 Days of Change”. He was the nationally syndicated host of The Morning Worship Club on the Totally Gospel Radio Network, as well as produces 2 preaching radio programs “Morning Manna” and “ Fellowship with John Young” and is seen live online weekly preaching and teaching.
He is the father of 8 children, Rayshawn, Jazeman, John Jr. Larry, Brandi, Terrell, Dejon, and Torri. He also is the grandfather of 15 beautiful grandchildren.