If it’s true that church is a like a hospital providing help and healing to the needy, then Justin A. Holmes, the current Senior Pastor of Rehab Church Charlotte is well on his way to assisting, reviving and saving more than souls.
His life is as full and diverse as his congregation. At only 36, Holmes, originally from Dayton, Ohio styles everything from personal wardrobes to Sunday sermons. In addition to his work with the church, he is also a renaissance man: a popular, in-demand fashion and hair stylist; a cosmetologist and an interior decorator.
Whatever he’s doing, one thing is clear, his motivation is love, understanding and acceptance.
During our interview, he candidly spoke about his love of God, supporting others and why welcoming everyone to experience spirituality is so important.
L’Monique King: How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Justin A. Holmes: Over 10 years. I love Charlotte. It’s the first big city I’ve ever lived in. I love the entrepreneurial aspects of Charlotte and how it’s so creative, open minded and a growing city. I really don’t have to worry about fitting in because like the city, I am growing and evolving as well.
LMK: What’s the proper term for what you do at JF Salons?
JAH: Master stylist. I’m someone that helps with putting clothing together, helps people decorate rooms and homes, as well as the cosmetology aspect of makeup and hair. I’ve been doing it for years.
LMK: What led you to ministry?
[During my youth] I was a Sunday school teacher, though not licensed at the time. I then went on to become YPWW (Young People Willing Workers) President and a whole lot of other [church related] activities as a young person. YPWW was designed to get young people together after church events and youth outings. The purpose was to cultivate [community] building.
LMK: What would you say made YPWW so special?
JAH: We understood that everyone learns differently, so coming to Christ as a young person (with) YPWW allowed young people to gain networking skills and a connection with peers in a manner that they could connect with and enjoy.
LMK: When did you become a licensed clergy member and what was the process like?
JAH: At 15 I went to my grandfather; he was the pastor of our church and told him I had been called [to minister]. I was licensed after being taken before the church board and elders. From there I began performing as a minister, doing outreach and learning the different departments in church. At the time I was still in school and also learning who Justin was.
LMK: Who was Justin at 15?
JAH: A boy that was battling with his identity; trying to figure out, was he gay, did I need to hide, and all types of questions [surrounding gender identity]. I grew up in a family where being LGBTQIA+ was not tolerated. At the time I wasn’t into the baggy clothes that were trending, I was more into bell-bottoms, colorful attire and a more feminine look.
LMK: Was there a moment when you’d figured it out, realized and accepted that you were gay?
JAH: Yes. Not long after and following a church service my dad asked me if I was gay. Somehow, I already knew he was going to ask me that question. I told him yes and he told me to pack my things that night and put me out of the house. I slept under a bridge in downtown Dayton by a McDonald’s. A few weeks later my grandmother came, bought me a cheeseburger [from that nearby McDonald’s], told me to get into the car and took me to her house where she had basically renovated her attic to be a room for me. By then I had already dropped out of school and was spending my time trying to figure out where I was going to eat and sleep. So, she re-enrolled me in school, a second chance school. From there I went on to do great and wonderful things.
LMK: Wow. It’s wonderful to hear how supportive she was at such a critical time in your life. Since it’s Women’s History Month, I’ve just got to ask, do you feel indebted to her?
JAH: I do, every day. But I also feel like I’ve done great by her. She tells me all the time that she’s so proud of me.
LMK: If you could go back in time and talk to 15 year-old Justin, what would you tell him?
JAH: I would tell him not to do some thangs! <Explosive laughter>. Don’t let that person lie to you. You will get past it, there will be some nights when you don’t think you’re going to make it and you think nobody cares, but many do; they just don’t know how to express it or show it. Just keep going, you got it, you’re gonna do some amazing things.
LMK: As an adult, what does ministry look like for you?
JAH: I am the Senior Pastor of Rehab Church Charlotte and I think that it looks like heaven. It looks like people that we live and breathe with every day that you might not [always] understand. They’re Black, they are white, they are short and tall, they are young, they are older. It’s a place of acceptance and love – where you are more than enough. I think my church is beautiful because it’s made up of everybody, straight folks, LGBTQIA+, folks from different backgrounds and religions.
LMK: Have you always pastored to such an inclusive congregation?
JAH: No. When I first became a minister, I wasn’t pastoring to an inclusive congregation and so I pastored in the closet. When I became an elder, I was attending a non-affirming ministry but the bishop was affirming. I saw him as a Spiritual Father. By the time I moved to Charlotte I was already an ordained elder and that’s how I started in the ministry I’m in today. Today I minister to people from many different backgrounds. I transitioned from my church background because I began to study [religion and the bible] and wanted to feel free.
LMK: What does that transition look like for you?
JAH: At Rehab Church Charlotte, the dress code shifts, we have themed Sundays and a fun time. It’s a necessary evolution, especially in reaching GenZ (born 1995-2009) and Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024). Many of the kids now haven’t had experience with church. Culture is different and everything is constantly moving. You have to be ready to move and shift – being my age and having grown up the way I did and having the ability to keep growing is a blessing and a benefit. My church shares a progressive Pentecostal ministry where people feel love and acceptance, while being spiritually fed.
LMK: How do you, or would you help those who aren’t Christian find spirituality?
JAH: My job is to plant a seed, love them and have them understand they deserve that. Before all that happens, I need them to trust me, know that they can be open with me and talk. You can’t do that by quoting scripture. It’s about becoming a friend, playing ball, connecting. When Jesus was alive he was in synagogues all the time, he was with the people.
LMK: What’s most challenging about being gay and clergy?
JAH: That we will never be accepted by people that just don’t like us. [To those people] we’ll never live up to the standard of being human, loving God and shooting for the same goal – winning souls, loving on people and helping people understand there’s something better out there.
LMK: Is it ever overwhelming, pastoring as gay clergy, the talk, the responsibility, the lack of acceptance from non-affirming clergy?
JAH: It can be, but then I think about why I signed up, why I do it and how, at the end of the day, I will have my reward. And I love people, I really, really do and I want all of us to win so it’s not a hardship for me.
LMK: Let’s talk a little bit about how you relax or spend your free time. What’s your preference, a concert or a play?
JAH: Concert.
LMK: Your top three concert performers?
JAH: Moonchild, Jill Scott and Eryka Badu
LMK: Fast forwarding about 20 years, what are you doing?JAH: At 56, hopefully, stable in my accomplishments and career. I want to be happy and the best Justin I can be.