Reverend Dr. Lorenzo Carlisle was born and nourished in between the Baptist Church and the Church of God in Christ in Troy, Alabama. God called him to preach at the age of 6 years old. At age 14, Pastor Carlisle witnessed a preacher break his mother’s heart and take her for all she had financially. As a result, Pastor Carlisle left the church.

At age 26, the black and white mafia set Dr. Carlisle up in a murder rap in Hempstead, NY. During the same period, Pastor Carlisle miraculously survived three attempts on his life. Realizing that God had saved him for a divine purpose, Pastor Carlisle started his pilgrimage back to God.

From 1972-1990, Pastor Carlisle was a union and community organizer in the greater bay area of Oakland and San Francisco. During the same time period, Pastor Carlisle rededicated his life to God, earning a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. Conferred in 1989, In 2001, Dr. Carlisle received a non-credit diploma with a focus on prophesy and spiritual warfare from Oral Roberts University. Pastor Carlisle was ordained by First Universe Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend LL. Brice.

In March 1990, Pastor Carlisle started the Oakland Community United Church of Christ with one member, Pierre Labossiere. In 1996, under Pastor Carlisle's leadership, the church secured a $235,000 loan to buy a piece of property not knowing that an additional $500,000 or more would be needed to complete the project. This placed a lot of stress on Pastor Carlisle. The power of faith empowered him to organize 106 companies, 17 different unions and 600 workers to come together 100 consecutive Saturdays to complete this project debt free.