Reverend Michael De’ Vaughn Powell was born in Tuskegee, AL. He has been married to Paula Shaw-Powell for twenty-eight years, and they have one son, Marlovon L. Powell, and one daughter, Mallory A. McDaniel.  

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In 2016, Reverend Powell answered the call to ministry.  He began pastoring Asbury United Methodist Church in 2018.  In addition, in 2025, was assigned M. L. Harris United Methodist Church, both in Columbus, Georgia. 

 

He is a Veteran of the US Army.  His military accomplishments include “Soldier of the Year” 1987 DARCOM, the United States Army Maintenance Excellence Award Light TDA Category in 1989, and numerous other Awards and recognitions.  While on active duty in 1991, he played semi-professional football for the Hannover Broncos in Hannover, Germany. In 1993, he published a didactic children’s book entitled; What Do You Want to Be?   He has an extensive background in media sales as well as being a licensed realtor and real estate investor along with realty management holdings.

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Reverend Powell is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Troy University’s School of Business. Currently, he is a third-year student enrolled in Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, where he earned his License to Preach and is obtaining his Master of Divinity. 

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He recently chaired the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church’s Black Methodists for Church Renewal. He is a member of the South Georgia Conference’s Finance and Administration, the South Georgia Conference’s Northwest District Leadership Team and Chair of the Board of Trustees. He is also a Member of the Chattahoochee Valley Poverty Reduction Coalition’s Planning Team, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., the Homeless Resource Networking Group, the Columbus Board of Realtors, East Alabama Board of Realtors, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus and several other civic and social organizations.