Greater Dimensions Church 3.25

Pastor Arnold L. Friend's Biography

Humble, Radical, Relevant, Anointed, Inspirational, and Provocative are just a few adjectives used to describe this Servant of God! Pastor Arnold L. Friend, Jr. is a native of Chesterfield County, Virginia, which is the homeland of his grandparents, his parents, aunts, uncles, and a host of other relatives; however, Petersburg is the place he unreservingly calls home. He is the proud son of Arnold L. and Arlinda Friend, Sr. – he has one brother and two sisters. Additionally, his life has been enriched by the marriage of his wife, Evangelist Tonya D. Friend and their three anointed and gifted children: Tierra, Cherelle, and Isaiah. They also have been blessed with three grandsons, Isaiah, Jr., Brandon, and Rahyon.

As it was with Jesus, Petersburg has been Pastor Friend’s Nazareth, a place that would later prove to be an integral part in developing the person that God would ultimately use for ministry. Through the experiences he encountered as a youth (some positive—some negative) while being reared in the inner city, God purposefully cultivated a man that would be suitable for relating to the spiritual needs of others and leading them through the challenges and adversities associated with life.

He was educated in the Petersburg Public School system and graduated from Petersburg High School with a collegiate diploma. He attended Virginia Union University for three years in the Evans-Smith Leadership Institute which is co-sponsored by the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology. In this program, he received Certifications in Religious Studies, Christian Education, and Advanced Theological Studies. He will continue to pursue his Masters of Divinity degree in Theology.

He served as an associate minister at the New Deliverance Evangelistic Church for nearly 10 years under the tutelage of Bishop Gerald O. Glenn, Sr. While working as an associate minister at NDEC, he received an abundance of spiritual impartations and training which prepared him to fulfill an assignment God would soon present to him.

In July 2003, a panel of leaders presented Pastor Friend with an opportunity to serve as the Pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. Zealously, Pastor Friend accepted the assignment and embraced the opportunity to feed, lead, and cultivate the persons God would place under his care. Relying on the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of other established leaders, he restored and created a plethora of ministries which enhanced the lives of the congregants of Mt. Pleasant. After seven years of diligently and faithfully serving the parishioners of MPEC, Pastor Friend turned in his resignation to embark on another journey mission now known as the Greater Dimensions Evangelistic Church (“GDEC”), now known as Greater Dimensions Church. The first service of GDEC was November 21, 2010.

Pastor Friend has a unique preaching style, and his sermons contain amazing insights, along with fresh and inspiring interpretation, enabling a diverse audience to understand and apply the teachings of Christ in their lives. Pastor Friend and his wife are addressing the cultural dilemmas we face today, "Empowering the World through the Word."