Joseph L. Roberts Jr.

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.

Joseph L. Roberts Jr.
ChurchEbenezer Baptist Church
Personal details
Born (1935-02-17) February 17, 1935
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

Biography

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

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 a pastor at the United Presbyterian Church of Elmwood Park, 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

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

Awards and honors

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
  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
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