Spiritual and worldly intersect for Amos Atkinson

 

While the worldly and the spiritual are often seen to be colliding, the two intersect in the life and ministry of Amos Atkinson, Jr., pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Spokane.

As an extension of his ministry at Calvary, he is involved with AHANA-Multi-Ethnic Business Association and Carl Maxey Center, advising entrepreneurs, supporting their paths to succeed in business so they can support themselves and their families.

He reminded that churches have their spiritual side and business side.

"God is part of planning for all ministries, be it Christian education or the Trustees. They are God's ministries," he said.

At AHANA, for example, he assists people as they apply for Small Business Resiliency Loans and then helps them evaluate the impact of those loans.

"I love working with folks," he said. "When you love doing what you are doing it's not a job. I get to do what I enjoy, which is working with folks. I consider it an extension of my work at Calvary, where I have been in ministry for 24 years."

Along with advising others on starting businesses, he plans to start Tree Top Men's Fashion at Northtown Mall in April.

"As with everything I do, I prayed about starting it, asking if it's God's will," he said, noting he'll keep doing the other work he is doing.

Bringing insights from the business world to his role as pastor, Amos said his journey into ministry began with growing up in the church in Compton, Calif., and continued when attending just Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day while in the Army and the National Guard Reserves.

His career also included work with Labor and Industries at the Washington Department of Revenue, Geiger Corrections Center, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Walmart.

"Spiritually, my message to the congregation is to build up Christian love and fellowship," he said. "We have to trust, show love, communicate and be honest one to another to edify God's kingdom building.

"I seek to instill unity and fellowship in the church, so they show love—loving our neighbors as we love ourselves," he added. "We are to act on love, hope, peace, joy and forgiveness to help each other in our daily walks. First, we have to live it, because actions speak louder than words."

Amos attended church regularly until high school and thought he might go to seminary, but he detoured. He had a part-time job, was on the streets and ran track at a community college when the Army recruited him.

After the army in 1997, he worked with Labor and Industries (L & I), which moved him to Spokane to manage its offices in Spokane, Colville and Pullman, where he oversaw 32 employees.

When Amos settled in Spokane, he returned to church at Calvary in 1998. There, he met Dana Andrews, the daughter of Calvary's long-time pastor, C. W. Andrews. They married in 2000 and were together for 25 years until her death in 2024.

With L&I until June 2001, Amos oversaw business license renewals and restitution payments on expired licenses. He was recognized for his work on a four-member team that created a process to reduce the renewal time from six to eight weeks to two weeks or less—meaning contractors no longer lost bids on projects. They rolled the more efficient process out to six field offices in the state.

In 2002, Amos became booking manager at Geiger Corrections Center and that April was called into ministry.

"Before I was deployed to Iraq with the National Guard in Nov. 2003, I was ordained by the Eastern District Association of the Baptist Church to serve Calvary Baptist Church," he said.

In Iraq, Amos preached at Sunday evening services for 500 in his battalion and occasionally preached at the main service to 5,000.

On returning from Iraq, he became a deputy sheriff and started studies online for a bachelor's degree in business administration and business law at Kaplan University in Orlando, Fla. After completing it in 2013, he became assistant store manager at Walmart, while continuing as a deputy until he retired in 2017 from both jobs.

Now retired, he sees his work as doing what he loves.

In 2013, he began assisting his father-in-law in ministry at Calvary.

"I never changed my values. I came from a religious background and was raised to be in the church," he said. "I realized Jesus brought me through trials and tribulations and I owe everything to Jesus, so I rededicated myself to him."

"Ministry is not easy work. I'm able to do ministry because I know if it were not for God, I would not be here. Many did not come back from war," he said.

On April 1, 2025, Amos became minister, serving the 100-member Calvary Baptist Church, Spokane's first African American church.

"As pastor, I am a shepherd, spiritual leader and guide. I learned from my experience in business not to micro-manage. My job is to impart the Word to the congregation and allow opportunities for the other ministers, trustees, deacons and deaconesses, choir and education ministers to be in charge of the church," he said.

While Amos preaches many Sundays, he has other ministers preach as part of their training.

"Part of my role as a leader is to train them," he said.

Each has other work to support them. Lynn Andrews Watkins, assistant pastor, works with Child Protective Services. Mark Neufvil, associate minister, is a professor at Spokane Community College. Joseph Harris, a minister on staff, is an investment advisor. Etienne Nizerimana also works in janitorial services.

Amos said that one of the church's outreach ministries, The Soup Kitchen, has been going strong for 16 years. It is led by parishioners Betty Dumas, Nora Scott and Donita White.

"I lead, but I am not in charge. Others are empowered to do the work and let me know what they are doing," he said.

"I believe love empowers people to do what they are elected to do without a minister standing over them to make them do his vision. I instill empowerment and trust for the ministers to care for the church's finances, building, education and more," he explained.

"If something is not going well, I'll make a suggestion," he said. "My job is to lead the flock, let others do their jobs and keep me posted.

"I'm not into power. I lead the church where they want to go and where God would have us go," he affirmed. "We are all in this together. We need to put aside differences and come together as one. We are stronger as one than as individuals."

Amos found an outlet for his business skills in 2023 when he became involved in the Carl Maxey Center after the late Sandy Williams, who started it in April 2022, invited him to apply his skills as business services coordinator to advocate for Black businesses in the community.

"I help BIPOC entrepreneurs obtain business licenses, develop business plans, set up marketing and find finances," Amos said. "Among nearly 200 businesses I helped start from 2022 to 2025, were 48 women-run businesses.

"My role helping businesses start and grow fits in with my love for the business world and for people trying to achieve something," he added. "I know the ins and outs, the do's and don'ts for a business to be successful."

Amos' goal has been to share tools to help clients succeed. About 85 percent of the businesses he has advised have succeeded. He encourages many to continue their full-time jobs until their new businesses can support them and their families, because there are ups and downs for small businesses.

Absorbing federal budget cuts, the state made cuts that hurt many new small businesses, he said. The budget for training new small businesses went from $1 million from the Department of Commerce to $17,000 at the end of 2025. His job ended in October with those cuts, but he returned to the Carl Maxey Center in February.

His goal at Carl Maxey Center and AHANA-MEBA is to help people improve their quality of life and follow their dreams, desires and ideas.

That is coupled with forwarding the church's mission to bring in a new day of love, harmony, peace, fellowship and trust.

 

 

For information, call 990-1980 or email amosatkinson67@gmail.com.