Everything Must Change

Pastor Elbert Mondainé’s drive to enable others to help themselves began at a young age. When he was only the age of seven he decided that as he grew older, he would do everything he could to see that other people would have the opportunities that he did not. He was the 5th child of 6 who were raised by their single mother in the projects of St. Louis. They could not afford piano lessons, much less a piano, so on the 3rd floor of the 12 story-apartment building where they lived, young Elbert used the bricks on the windowsill as his map. Sometimes he would get the opportunity to sneak into the church across the street and play the piano quietly, in the dark. It was this life style that taught him he must never let any obstacle prevent him from achieving his dreams. Since then he has pursued his goals relentlessly, and he continues to this day. By the time Elbert Mondainé turned 18 his reputation for his musical and directorial ability was so well established that his future as a star seemed to be set in stone, however God had different plans. He never forgot his goal as a young boy of helping others, and once he came home from the military he immediately got to work on establishing a platform from which he could do just that. Under the careful tutelage of Pastor Allie Rains Sr. at Grace Baptist church in St. Louis, Missouri, he received his training and ordainment as a pastor. For the next several years he served in many capacities as youth pastor, minister of music, and associate pastor in various churches. Finally, in 1988 he founded Celebration Tabernacle Church, and the True Believers Assembly of Non-Denominational Churches, which would become the base from which he would launch several ministries and programs, all dedicated to the dream of enabling, inspiring, and helping others.