Gary and Solomon Wyatt are busy co-planting pastors at Surehouse II, an Open Bible church in Tacoma, Washington. Surehouse II is described by the local newspaper, The News Tribune, as a hip-hop church.
We were able to catch up with Solomon for an interview during lunch at a youth Bible camp.

Message:
     A couple of years ago you were playing basketball for Boise State University. What made you come back home?
Solomon:
     I went to BSU for two years. The first season was great, but the second season we had a coaching change. The coach and I didn’t see eye to eye. He was a great guy. It just wasn’t a good fit. God is God. He will squeeze you out of a situation to get you into the next level. I tore some ligaments but still finished the season. I prayed about [the situation] and talked to my dad. The next day I called a coach who “happened” to have just gotten a job at St. Martins University in Lacey, Washington, about 20 to 30 minutes outside of Tacoma. I had other offers but sensed I needed to go back home. A couple of years later I graduated with a B.A. in social work.
Message:
     Do you call yourself a pastor?
Solomon:
     Yea, but I don’t always tell people right away. I try to gain a relationship without them knowing that I’m a minister. The stigma is that pastors don’t know how to relate and that they’re always judging, so it depends on the situation.
Message:
     When you came back to the Tacoma area were you part of your dad’s church?
Solomon:
     I was serving there, doing whatever needed to be done. Coming back home it was good to be under a shepherd...who happens to be my father.
Message:
     So you were happy helping your dad at Surehouse I. What made you want to start Surehouse II?
Solomon:
     For school I did an internship for “Bishop” Doug Trentham (a district superintendent and senior pastor of Bethany Open Bible Standard Church), serving in youth ministry under Rob Mitton, a great guy. A vacant church was available in the Lakewood area and my dad had a concept for a church for that area. Lakewood has a high-class, a middle-class, and a low, poverty-stricken class – that’s the side we’re on. Dad and Doug felt they needed someone young, able to relate to that generation. They loved my spirit.
     My steps have been ordered by the Lord. I strive to be in the perfect will of God. It makes no point if you “just make it in” [to heaven]. I’m competitive. I strive to be the best. One thing they taught us in our household was whatever you do, do it all out.
Message:
     Would you call Surehouse II a hip-hop church?
Solomon:
     You could call it an urban church, not necessarily a hip-hop church. Our style of worship might be rap, R&B, jazz, but we worship Christ, just in a different fashion. There are many different styles of worship in different churches, but they still worship Christ.
Message:
     Is there anything else different about Surehouse II?
Solomon:
     We do songs, interact, play some games, and do ice breakers. After about 15 to 20 minutes of speaking we’re done. The songs we offer to correlate with the message are all original. That’s the thing that sets us apart – original music. You can go to many churches and they have good music, but it’s the same. To me that’s dull. If I go to Japan, I want to have Japanese food. I don’t want the same food we have here. We pride ourselves in being different – not better – just different.
Message:
     Whom are you targeting?
Solomon:
     The under-churched and the over-churched. Some people know absolutely nothing about Christ and some people have been scarred. That’s the over-churched. Their soul is thirsting but they don’t want to go back to the same thing, the same religious regime. They can relate to me. We target the 13 to 30-year-old age group ... little kids sometimes too. They can understand it.
Message:
     Do you offer discipleship training?
Solomon:
     We are joining Surehouse I and starting a program in September, using INSTE (Institute of Theology by Extension). We do a lot of mentoring. I see a lot of kids and try to be the light. We’re hooking the kids up with other guys to teach them the art of music and being a D.J. You have to understand the era and genre. Our goal is to teach the kids to run Surehouse II. Kids learn better from each other.
     For others on our team their [vocational] jobs are outreach. Two work for the Bill Gates Foundation and one works for the YWCA. My brother and I work with World Vision, so we do outreach that way as well. We are definitely “in the community.”
Message:
     You are always planning ahead, aren’t you?
Solomon:
     As long as I’m up, my mind is steady going. I try to be in the future and just live in the present
Message:
     What is your relationship with Surehouse I?
Solomon:
     Surehouse II is a branch of Surehouse I, with a younger twist to it. Surehouse I is a totally indescribable, unclassifiable church ministry. It is ridiculous how God moves. We have a good model to follow. We’re competitive, but loving.
Message:
     What is the “one” thing makes your church successful?
Solomon:
     The Spirit is there. We can’t do anything without the Spirit. There are a lot of churches going on where the well is dried up. Our well is just getting started. We are a very relational church, extremely relational. It’s not about the so-called “black” church or so-called “white” church. I’ve been raised to relate to anyone. That’s one thing I try to teach, to be relative and make sure the Spirit is in what you do, ‘cause if the Spirit’s not there, there is no point in even coming.
Message:
     How do feel about where you’re at right now?
Solomon:
     Wow! I’m enjoying this time. It creates a challenge for me, to say the least. It’s not something I’m used to. I can play basketball in front of thousands but speaking is different. Leading songs is different than preaching or teaching. I love challenges, being able to articulate [the teaching] on a level kids can understand and relate to. I get a kick out of little things they say they remember. They’re growing. They can use the stuff I’m giving them.
     And I’m not doing this by myself. I’m doing it with my family – my brother, his wife, people that I grew up with. The whole family-oriented thing, growing together, is priceless.
Message:
     Your parents must be very proud.
Solomon:
     My parents are happy, to say the least. Ministry is so finicky. You never know with people. To have your sons go into ministry after seeing what you’ve been through...I think that would make them smile. They’ve been through a lot, good and bad. It’s through nothing but the grace of God that we’re still standing. At first I didn’t want to do any ministry, so,
you know it’s God.

Solomon (on right) and Gary Wyatt II serve as co-pastors of Surehouse II.
Sons of Gary L. and Jocelyn Wyatt, pastors of Surehouse I, both are involved in the music industry, as is the senior Wyatt, a prolific recording artist. Log on to surehouselive.com; cdbaby.com; or garylwyatt.com to order one of their latest CDs, including their latest, Surehouse: Who You Gonna Serve?