Pastor Signorelli has had his fair share of setbacks. Originally from Hammond, Indiana, he had to drop out of high school to take care of his mother and four siblings. However, he scored high on his SATs and got his GED before attending college.

Growing up, Pastor Signorelli was undecided about the place for religion and spirituality in his life. All of that changed after he attended a conference where the speaker suggested that the way the world was headed, with the necessity of access becoming the norm, it would become even more important and crucial for humanity to reach into its spiritual side. It helped him understand that no matter what people are trying to succeed in, whether it be a business or a hobby, they are always looking for “meaning” in everything they do. This meaning probably has nothing to do with religion, but it is a search for something above and beyond the self.

As a result of the Coronavirus, more and more people are seeking guidance. This unprecedented situation affects the spiritual and free-thinking alike and encourages people to work together to find solutions. Therefore, Pastor Signorelli advocates finding personal peace in these turbulent times and that faith can be a very soothing balm on the mind when one is feeling emotionally stressed. People need to find emotional and mental balance. Through faith, this may be possible.

The conference that Pastor Signorelli attended changed his life. So, after he graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and English in 2005, he became an Ordained Minister at the age of 22 as a non-denominational Pastor.

The Pastor founded V1 Church, a multi-church site in Long Island, New York. The church serves as a conduit for generosity in the world and has helped to raise $300,000 through business leaders to provide Christmas presents to local shelters and families over the last three years.

Pastor Signorelli even has a podcast where he hosts sermons. To date, the podcast has accumulated over a million listens.

Recently, in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis, the Pastor began advocating social distancing by encouraging churchgoers to stay at home and to avoid mass-gatherings. He even stopped service at the V1 Church and said, “Our church is not closed, just our buildings.”

This proves true as the entire church congregation switched to social media for sermons that Pastor Signorelli delivers from his home.

The Pastor has a strong message of deliverance and hope—one that has helped the V1 Church to grow. It’s a unique approach to invite free-thinkers and atheists have been influential and will help it to spread its message.  

The post Our Church Is Not Closed Just Our Buildings Says Pastor Mike Signorelli appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.