Victory Tabernacle’s rich history started with very humble beginnings.   In the 1960’s, Franklin Walden began evangelizing across the country with his home base set in Conyers, Georgia.  Over the next 30 years he would preach the gospel to thousands of people, but his desire was to train people for ministry.  In 1979, Doug Nelms was asked to travel with Franklin Walden during his summer break from school. It was that introduction to ministry that fueled the heart of Doug to preach the gospel and reach the lost.

In 1982, Doug married Newana Walden, and they began to travel across North America preaching the gospel. From church meetings to tent revivals, Doug and Newana traveled for over 10 years.  Newana’s dad had started a headquarters church in Conyers, and it was growing in attendance and excitement. Franklin wanted to provide a Christian School for the church’s members, as well as for the people in the community. One night while in prayer, Doug felt led to make an offer to the board to become the principal of Victory Christian School. The board accepted, and Doug and Newana came to work in the school.

As the school began to grow, Doug was promoted to Associate Pastor of Victory Tabernacle. The school grew to over 400 students, and God blessed the work of the many people that were coming to minister in the church. Then the unthinkable happened!

In 1996, Pastor Walden suffered a major heart attack.  Unable to preach, Pastor Walden placed Doug in the pulpit on Sunday mornings. Doug remembers those difficult times. “I would preach the Sunday morning message and then run to the back room and cry and pray, asking God to heal my father-in-law”. The heart attack was so severe that his dad would never return in full time capacity to the church. Doug says, “In those initial years, I wasn’t planning, growing or trying to take over. I was just maintaining. I didn’t want the ministry to collapse because my father-in-law had done such a great work, and I didn’t want to be the one to mess it up.  So my philosophy was, ‘No body moves. No body dies!’”

That philosophy changed in 2003 when Doug had an experience with God that would forever change his goal for ministry. “It was time to go into the Promised Land, and for the first time I felt like I was Joshua. I had a job to do, and that was to make lives better.” 

Doug accepted the responsibility of Senior Pastor and became the president of the MHCI Corporation in the early part of 2004.  Presently, the church ministers to over 800 family members who enjoy powerful messages and presentations each Sunday from Pastor Nelms.  He has authored his first book entitled, “It doesn’t always stay in Vegas.” The book covers principals for church growth. Pastor Nelms also conducts crusades and mission trips, and the “Making Lives Better” Podcast is heard by scores of people each and every week.

Pastor Doug and Newana are blessed with four wonderful children that are active in ministry: Doug Jr, Jason, Haley and Carley.