Bishop Horace & Elder Kiwanis Hockett, Senior Pastors

Bishop Horace Hockett believes in preaching the Word and making it plain. That’s what the Lord told him to do when He called Bishop Hockett to found Born Again Church and Christian Outreach Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978. Since that time, Bishop Hockett has been diligently pursuing the vision God gave him to establish a “full-service church” which would reach out in faith and love, and offer hope to everyone who comes into contact with the ministry.

Bishop Hockett and his wife, Kiwanis, who serves as Associate Pastor, started Born Again Church with just eight members. Today, the church has grown into a large congregation with a myriad of outreach ministries and cutting edge ministry offerings.

A man of many talents, among them play writing and set design, Bishop Hockett has a special love for drama, which he taught on the university level for 12 years. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Tennessee State University, where he was on the faculty of the College of Communications. Realizing the powerful influence of television and theater, he founded the Living Parables Ministry, the drama outreach of the church, which he envisions as a major evangelistic vehicle. “Presenting the truth of the gospel in the form of a play is a relevant but non-threatening means of reaching those who might not know Christ,” he says. “They not only hear the Word, but they also ‘see’ and ‘feel’ the power and influence of the Word, and of course, we always give them the opportunity to receive salvation.”

That commitment to God and passion for souls is what energizes Bishop Hockett. He has garnered an outstanding reputation as a man of great compassion and wisdom, and is increasingly sought out by other ministers and pastors as a mentor and counselor. He serves as overseer of the Kingdom Builders Network, an affiliation of eleven churches in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In 2008, Bishop Hockett was consecrated to the office of Bishop by Bishop Tudor Bismark and Bishop Raphael Green.

An anointed preacher of the gospel, Bishop Hockett is widely known as a gifted teacher whose messages are delivered with great power and insight, often accompanied with inspired visual or dramatic illustrations. Indeed, this method of making the Word plain has become his trademark.

For all this, Bishop Hockett is essentially recognized by those who know him as a most humble man. He has proclaimed that the Lord has set humility, excellence and holiness as the watchwords and basic characteristics of his ministry and Born Again Church.

Sister Kiwanis "Kitty" Hockett, is a truly anointed woman of God and, as so many who have been touched by her life will attest, a committed and compassionate counselor, mentor and "spiritual mother."

Married at 19 to Pastor Horace, together they founded Born Again Church and held their first service in her parents’ living room. Known for her diligence and enterprising nature, Sis.Kitty, as she is affectionately known, has served the ministry since its inception in various capacities, including administration, worship arts, and women’s ministry.

A Nashville native and the sixth of eight children, she has a heart for young people and is also an anointed singer with a special love and an ear for music.

In 1982, Sister Kitty founded the women's ministry, Fashioned In His Image (FIHI), out of her desire to meet the needs of women within and outside of the church, by ministering to the whole woman: spirit, soul, and body. The organization provides outreach programs and services to thousands of women and families each year. FIHI was incorporated in 2000 and employs a full-time staff to better serve women and families and to bring its highly acclaimed programs to more communities.

Pastors Horace and Kiwanis Hockett have two sons, Horace II (LaTonya) and Brian (Rachel), both young men who are also actively involved in serving the church. For the pastors, family is one of the most important and significant aspects of life. Through the ministries and programs at Born Again Church they are committed to building strong families, believing that strong families make strong churches, strong churches make strong cities, and strong cities make a strong nation. Their ultimate goal is to see the Kingdom of God manifested in the earth.