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Rev. Shawn D. Drains

Senior Pastor – M.Div.

Reverend Shawn D. Drains is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and currently serves as the pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Atlanta. He grew up in DeKalb County, where he worshiped at Greater St. Paul C.O.G.I.C. for over ten years. Leaving the church where he received his salvation was difficult, but Reverend Drains recognized that God had another purpose for his life.

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After months of prayer and fasting, the Lord led Reverend Drains to St. Paul A.M.E. in Atlanta. Though he spent over seven years running from his call to ministry, he ultimately accepted the call to preach the gospel in January 2005 under the leadership of the Reverend Dr. Thomas L. Bess, Sr.

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Reverend Drains is a graduate of Herzing University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting. Encouraged by his spiritual parents, Dr. Thomas L. and Dr. Gretchen Bess, he went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta on May 12, 2012.

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Over his 13-year tenure as a pastor, Reverend Drains has been blessed to serve several congregations. In May 2008, he received his first pastoral appointment from Bishop William P. DeVeaux to Gray’s Chapel A.M.E. in Yatesville, Georgia. On January 12, 2013, under Bishop Preston W. Williams II, he received his third pastoral appointment to the Mount Zion Network in Forsyth, Georgia, which included Williams Chapel A.M.E. and St. Paul A.M.E.

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On October 20, 2016, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson appointed him as the senior pastor of Antioch-East A.M.E. in Conyers, Georgia. On June 2, 2019, he was appointed to Saint Peter A.M.E. in Fort Valley, Georgia. On October 29, 2021, he was appointed to Trinity A.M.E. in Atlanta. Most recently, on June 4, 2023, Bishop Jackson appointed Reverend Drains to St. Paul A.M.E. in Atlanta, where he currently serves.

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Reverend Drains is committed to excellence in ministry, always striving to give God his best in gratitude for the countless miracles God has performed in his life and the lives of his family. His favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5–6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

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Reverend Drains is the proud father of three daughters—Daisha, Diarra, and Deana—and the loving grandfather of Mason Robertson, ZaRiyah Jackson, Mehlani Mosley, Zy’Rielle Johnson-Cyrmes, Makai Mosley, and Zy’Aire Hargrove.

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He is profoundly grateful to God for the opportunity to serve as pastor of St. Paul. He deeply loves and cherishes his congregation and thanks God for placing him in a church family that loves the Lord and is eager to move to greater heights under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.