Our Vision
Higher Praise Outreach Ministries vision is to be a group of baptized believers in Christ Jesus, which represents churches, ministries as well as promote greater outreach into our communities so as to serve the people. According to the words of Jesus in the gospel recorded by St. Matthew 28, where He gives the great commission to the disciples, "Go Ye into all the world and preach the gospel and to make disciples of men" by doing so we can promote the unity of the body of Christ during this final dispensation of Grace.
Our Visionary
Apostle Pete McKinnis is an anointed preacher, a highly talented songwriter and vocalist who has been charged with the calling to preach the ever-life changing gospel of Jesus Christ and to sing His praises. Equipped with everything he needs for the journey, in 1995 he founded and Pastors the “Higher Praise Outreach Church”, Higher Praise Ministries. He is also the President of Music Ministry of Pete McKinnis And Company for which he started in 1989 headquartered in Washington DC.
This young Pastor has been called a living epistle, read of many, thereby influencing the lives of young and old alike. Through his exemplary lifestyle, he strives to reflect the nature and character of God to all in whom he may come in contact with, even if only a passing moment. Endeavoring to minister in every God given occasion, he leaves an unforgettable impression and imparts the legacy of Jesus Christ the Saviour whether through the spoken Word or through musical renditions. Pete endeavors to leave you with a message of hope and restoration. His life’s influences, to whom he gives great tribute, are his late Grandmother and Grandfather, Deacon and Mrs. Robert O. Cork, the late Bishops J.N. and L.M. Bell, Dr. Lorenzo Dupree, the incomparable Pastor Shirley Caesar, the late Rev. James Cleveland, along with the continued support of his mother, Mother Mattie Morris, aunt, brothers, sisters and a host of relatives and friends.
Apostle McKinnis’ voice echoes his life experiences and his vocal spectrum ranges from spirituals and traditional hymns to contemporary gospel music. Therefore, he has released two recordings, and has appeared as a guest artist on other musical projects.
Traveling as leading male actor with the gospel stage plays “How I Got Over” and “I’d Rather Have Jesus, he also played in “He Say, She Say, But What Does God Say” with Kirk Franklin. Through this Apostle McKinnis has gained renowned fame nationwide. In 1994, he along with Minister Danny Graham was invited to perform at Buckingham Palace for the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth. The Lord has blessed him to land on the shores of Africa and thus establishing ministries there along with partnering with Pastors in the Philippines as well as in India to further carry out the mission of the Kingdom of God in all the world. Apostle McKinnis received his Doctorate of Divinity in August 2016, from St. Thomas Christian University, Jacksonville, Florida. To God Be The Glory!!!!
Regardless of what recognition Apostle McKinnis has received, he remains humble to the work of the Lord. His passion for the senior citizens, youth, and those whom society has caused to be driven away from opportunity, he seems to always have time to reach out and help those who are in need. In the Vision and Mission Statement of Higher Praise Outreach Ministries, Apostle McKinnis has incorporated programs and sponsored feeding the hungry and providing clothes to families that are less fortunate along with assisting those who are in search of housing.
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Apostle McKinnis lives and breathes the scriptures by exemplifying Christ in daily living…. to live in Worship will always cause you to walk in Praise. Thus, forever being reminded by Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Church at Rome “If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us”. Romans 8:31.
Our Mission
The mission of Higher Praise Outreach Ministries International Fellowship, is to reunite the Body of Christ, to point people to Christ as well as assist in the development of strong relationships with the members of the body. We vow to develop a people that turns seekers into saints, church goers into disciples and to empower every member to come into the House of the Lord to be serviced and to go out to provide service for those who do not know Christ in the pardon of their sins.
Our name epitomizes our purpose and further confirm our call to God. It was by divine direction that we be called to Worship and Praise. The Greek word for Higher: HUPERECHO "to exalt as superior"; Praise: EPAUBIS "to speak well of or to bestow". The name promotes the need for the people of God to give back to Him that which He has created us for and to stop merely existing but to accept Him and begin living abundantly.
Higher Praise Outreach Ministries further promotes reaching out to people through mass media, counseling, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and to focus on the development of the total man; spirit, soul and body for when the total man is developed, it is then that we are empowered to go out and win souls for the kingdom.
We are a non-denominational fellowship, which means we endeavor to cross all racial, ethic, orientations, lingual or any other wall of separation that causes the body to be incomplete. For we realize that according to Apostle Paul's letter to the Church at Corinth where he explicitly states "We are many member in one body working together for the edification of the Body of Christ".
We extend to you who desire to be a part of a fellowship of ministries, where Christ is the center of our mission. You too can be enjoined with a body of believers who are focused on kingdom building by operating in the five-fold ministries so that we are living Epistles for Jesus Christ in a modern society.
The Ministries
Annual Conference
