Jump to content

Joseph L. Roberts Jr.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph L. Roberts Jr.
ChurchEbenezer Baptist Church
Personal details
Born (1935-02-17) February 17, 1935 (age 89)
Chicago (Illinois), U.S.
DiedFebruary 15, 2015(2015-02-15) (aged 79)
DenominationBaptist
SpouseEsther Wortham
Children3
OccupationPastor
Alma materKnoxville College
Union Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary

Joseph L. Roberts Jr. (February 17, 1935 - February 18, 2015) was an American Baptist pastor. He was the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1975 to 2005.

Biography

[edit]

He was born in Chicago (Illinois) on February 17, 1935.[1] He studied at Knoxville College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1956, then he studied theology at the Union Theological Seminary and obtained a Master of Divinity.[2] He also studied theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and obtained a Master of Theology.

Ministry

[edit]

He served in the administration of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and also served as pastor of Weequahic Presbyterian Church in Newark, New Jersey.[3] Subsequently, he became pastor at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church in East Orange, New Jersey.

In 1975, he became senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.[4] He founded a ministry for teenage mothers, tutoring programs and a food cooperative.[5] During his ministry, the church welcomed more than 2,000 new members, which caused him to plan the construction of a new building including a 1700-seat auditorium, opposite the old one, whose dedication took place in 1999.[6]

He left his position as senior pastor in 2005.[7]

Personal life

[edit]

He married Esther Wortham and had three children.[8] He died on February 15, 2015.[9]

Awards and honors

[edit]

He has received 5 Doctorates of Divinity (honorary doctorates) from the following universities: Johnson C. Smith University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College, Franklin College (Indiana) and Kalamazoo College.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ The HistoryMakers, Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, thehistorymakers.org, USA, September 14, 2007
  2. ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
  3. ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
  4. ^ Paul Finkelman, Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century Five-volume Set, Oxford University Press, UK, 2009, p. 119
  5. ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
  6. ^ Kevin Sack, A New Place to Nourish One Dreamer's Legacy, nytimes.com, USA, March 8, 1999
  7. ^ Mark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof, Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Volume 1, SAGE, USA, 2012, p. 324
  8. ^ The HistoryMakers, Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, thehistorymakers.org, USA, September 14, 2007
  9. ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
  10. ^ Kalamazoo College, Joseph Lawrence Roberts, Jr. Honorary Degree Citation, kzoo.edu, USA, June 1992