Bishop was born on April 20, 1957 to Monroe and Elease McLaughlin. He attended the public schools of Jacksonville, Florida graduating from William M. Raines Senior High School. He attended the University of Tampa, and later transferred to the University of Tennessee. He holds a Master’s and Doctorate Degree in Theology from North Florida Theological Seminary.

It was not until the age of 25 that Bishop McLaughlin made a personal profession of faith and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In just a few months after his conversion he was called by God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Bishop McLaughlin began preaching the gospel anywhere and everywhere there was someone who would listen. He began working with youth and was later staffed at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church where he served the local body in any and every capacity imaginable. In 1987 at age 29 Bishop McLaughlin pastored his first church in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Eleven months later, Bishop McLaughlin resigned to answer the call of God to pioneer a local church that would reflect the biblical pattern of a non-traditional and kingdom focused ministry.

In 1988 he founded The Potter's House Christian Fellowship. Starting with only about 40 members, today The Potter’s House is home to well over 4,000 members. Bishop McLaughlin reaches the masses through daily radio as well and numerous outreach ministries. Bishop McLaughlin and The Potter’s House have been acknowledged and awarded by local, state and federal agencies for its outstanding and consistent work in the area of jails and prisons, nursing home and hospital ministry.

After years of mentoring other pastors and demonstrating a father’s heart, Bishop McLaughlin was set aside as bishop-elect by Bishop Donald Hilliard, Chief Presiding Prelate of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies and was consecrated into the office of bishop on March 6, 1999. In preparation for the office of Bishop, he submitted to the tutelage of the Joint College of Bishops and successfully completed the courses of study required for graduation from the Joint College at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Bishop McLaughlin, through Covenant Fellowship International, is now a covering for over 100 ministries and pastors around the globe. Churches have been birthed from the Caribbean to the India. Covenant Fellowship India is now establishing new local churches and orphanages, training and equipping new preachers and leaders for the end time move of God.

Bishop McLaughlin is the founder and Chancellor of The Potter’s House Christian Academy. The Academy is a fully accredited education institution and has currently enrolled over 600 students from grades K-4 to 12th grade. The academy began in 1996 and had its first senior class graduation in 2005. The Potter’s House Christian Academy also set a standard during the accreditation process by becoming the first private school to attain unanimous approval for accreditation without any recommendations for improvement on its first application.

Bishop McLaughlin’s numerous accomplishments encompass both the secular and the spiritual realms. In 2001 he was the recipient of the ‘Entrepreneurial Excellence Award’ given by the Jim Moran’s Business Institute and Florida State University. This prestigious award was given to acknowledge the innovative and creative model of economic empowerment that was responsible for the starting of several church owned and operated businesses (The Potter’s House Café, Angel’s Hair Salon and The Potter’s House Bookstore, The Potter's House Federal Credit Union, The Potter' s House Recording Studio, The Potter's House Dance Studio, The Potter's House Game Room, Graphic Design Studio). Other member owned stores were incubated and housed in The Potter’s House Multiplex. The Multiplex has been a draw and model of ministry for both church and secular groups worldwide. This 42,000 square feet structure was designed to spawn Christian businesses and foster economic synergy within the church and community.

The elementary school portion of the Academy is also located in the Multiplex. On the same grounds of the Multiplex is a fully operable day care, staff housing and an outdoor basketball facility that seats over 800 spectators with state of the art basketball courts known as the Black Top. Hundreds of youth and adults are taught the game of basketball and life skills through workshops and camps year round. PSAT and ACT training is also offered year round.

In 2002, Bishop McLaughlin led The Potter's House in the purchase of the first fully enclosed shopping mall in Jacksonville’s history. A 414,000 square foot facility sitting on 48 acres of property, now valued at over 30 million dollars was purchased by The Potter's House for 4 million dollars. Approximately 150,000 square feet of the mall, a former Sam's Wholesale building, is now home to the main auditorium and church facilities which include a 4,000 plus seat sanctuary, a 1,000 seat children’s church, a 12,000 square foot nursery with two indoor playgrounds, a teen restaurant called the Rock Cafe, Java Rock coffee shop, a state of the art recording studio, administrative offices, a lecture hall, conference rooms and much more. The purchase and renovation of this mall, formerly the Normandy Mall now called Kingdom Plaza at Normandy Mall, has brought national attention and recognition from news media of every form and has taken Bishop McLaughlin around the world via several national appearances on The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and BET.

In January of 2007 a portion of the remainder of the mall purchased opened to two of the eventual 30+ businesses that will be housed in the mall. The Potter's House Soul Food Bistro which seats close to 350 has already become one of the most popular eateries in all of Jacksonville. The Bistro has received outstanding reviews from local food critics and has been featured in local papers as the best soul food in town. Also housed in the Kingdom Plaza is a state of the art 15,000 square foot fitness center called Temple Builders. It is a million dollar facility equipped with cardio theatre, an aerobics suite, lap swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam rooms, spas and the latest in exercise equipment. The remaining stores opened in August of 2007. They include a 22-lane state of the art cosmic bowling center, huge game room, jewelry store, medical service supply, ladies shoes, full daycare services, florist, spa and salon, health food store, cellular services, and much, much more.

Bishop McLaughlin’s anointed and skillful exegetical handling of the Scriptures, along with his personal and ‘down to earth’ approach to the Gospel has drawn followers locally, throughout the U.S. and abroad. Bishop McLaughlin travels the world sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Over 3000 recorded messages of Bishop McLaughlin's powerful preaching are available through The Potter's House audio/video ministry. The nation's leading Christian magazines have all featured his accomplishments and the ministry as cover stories. He has graced the covers of Charisma Magazine, Ministries Today, Leadership Journal, Church Executive Magazine and even been featured in the Wall Street Journal just to name a few.

Bishop McLaughlin’s duties are far reaching and more than what has been listed here. He lists his greatest of all accomplishments as being happily married to Narlene Jackson, his college sweetheart for 29 years. His wife assists him in the ministry as the church and school administrator. They minister together at conferences and workshops and serve as a model couple to pastors and ministry leaders around the world. They have two children, Angel Narlene and Stephen Vaughn McLaughlin