Chief Executive of New Jerusalem Apostolic Church Ltd, Author, International speaker, Mentor and Overseer of Churches in Scotland, India and Birmingham, Bishop Melvin Alphonso Brooks was born to Catherine Rebecca Howard and Joshua Emmanuel Brooks on 7th October 1955 in St Catherine, Jamaica, W.I. In 1971 he emigrated to England at the age of 16yrs, joining his family in Stafford.
Bishop Brooks progressed through the ranks of Deacon to Assistant Pastor for the Mount Peniel Church in Stafford, where he served for many years. In 1981 he took up the mantle as Pastor for the Birmingham branch. At this stage the church had only eight members, including children. In 1997, not deterred by having a minimal 30 members he followed the Lord's leading and decided to enter the ministry full-time. Today with a new name, New Jerusalem Apostolic Church has a membership in excess of 200.
Bishop Brooks and his wife Yvonne (the Associate Pastor) conduct a variety of counselling sessions. Having co-authored a pre-marital counselling manual entitled "Prepared For The Future", they have assisted numerous couples through their counselling ministry and marriage seminars, which they have presented throughout the United Kingdom and various other countries world-wide.
Bishop Brooks currently holds several positions, all of which ensure the church is in a position to influence change. He has personally served on the Board of Parole for Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is currently a Chaplain at Draken Hall Women’s Prison. He has seats on the boards for the Nechells Development Programme, the Nechells Redevelopment Committee Group and also on the governing body of two inner city schools. He is chairman of Windrush Training and Education Consortium, in addition to which he is a Race Relations Independent and Diversity Development Officer. Bishop Brooks has also served in the capacity of Chaplain for Wolverhampton University and Stafford College. In 2004 he received an award from the House of Commons for his astounding work in Prison Ministry. A very influential man, Bishop Brooks has advised many politicians and religious leaders around the world. This is a pastor who sincerely believes that the church has much to offer to both it's congregation and the wider community and has particular interests in reaching minority groups, single parents and juvenile ethnic youths, especially those who have been excluded from mainstream education. In a bid to assist these and other groups in the community Pastor Brooks initiated a supplementary school in his local assembly which offers extra curriculum tutoring, a venture which is sponsored by the Birmingham Education Department and the Birmingham Partnership for Change. In 2001 he initiated New Jerusalem’s first Youth Conference, catering for the 10-25 age range, with the aim of giving young people hope and purpose.
Happily married for over twenty-five (25) years, Bishop Brooks and Pastor Yvonne Brooks have three very blessed and talented children, Rebecca, Adam and Matthew, who are all involved in the praise and worship ministry. Adam being a very accomplished keyboard player, Matthew a very skilled drummer, and the psalmist Rebecca, widely renowned for her powerful and dynamic vocal talents.
Bishop Brooks progressed through the ranks of Deacon to Assistant Pastor for the Mount Peniel Church in Stafford, where he served for many years. In 1981 he took up the mantle as Pastor for the Birmingham branch. At this stage the church had only eight members, including children. In 1997, not deterred by having a minimal 30 members he followed the Lord's leading and decided to enter the ministry full-time. Today with a new name, New Jerusalem Apostolic Church has a membership in excess of 200.
Bishop Brooks and his wife Yvonne (the Associate Pastor) conduct a variety of counselling sessions. Having co-authored a pre-marital counselling manual entitled "Prepared For The Future", they have assisted numerous couples through their counselling ministry and marriage seminars, which they have presented throughout the United Kingdom and various other countries world-wide.
Bishop Brooks currently holds several positions, all of which ensure the church is in a position to influence change. He has personally served on the Board of Parole for Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is currently a Chaplain at Draken Hall Women’s Prison. He has seats on the boards for the Nechells Development Programme, the Nechells Redevelopment Committee Group and also on the governing body of two inner city schools. He is chairman of Windrush Training and Education Consortium, in addition to which he is a Race Relations Independent and Diversity Development Officer. Bishop Brooks has also served in the capacity of Chaplain for Wolverhampton University and Stafford College. In 2004 he received an award from the House of Commons for his astounding work in Prison Ministry. A very influential man, Bishop Brooks has advised many politicians and religious leaders around the world. This is a pastor who sincerely believes that the church has much to offer to both it's congregation and the wider community and has particular interests in reaching minority groups, single parents and juvenile ethnic youths, especially those who have been excluded from mainstream education. In a bid to assist these and other groups in the community Pastor Brooks initiated a supplementary school in his local assembly which offers extra curriculum tutoring, a venture which is sponsored by the Birmingham Education Department and the Birmingham Partnership for Change. In 2001 he initiated New Jerusalem’s first Youth Conference, catering for the 10-25 age range, with the aim of giving young people hope and purpose.
Happily married for over twenty-five (25) years, Bishop Brooks and Pastor Yvonne Brooks have three very blessed and talented children, Rebecca, Adam and Matthew, who are all involved in the praise and worship ministry. Adam being a very accomplished keyboard player, Matthew a very skilled drummer, and the psalmist Rebecca, widely renowned for her powerful and dynamic vocal talents.
