|
Dr. James C Blackburn Jr. is the Pastor of the Greater Hope Missionary
Baptist Church. A native of Lackawanna, NY, he is a product of the
Lackawanna and Buffalo Public School Systems. Dr. Blackburn has
several degrees; His Bachelors of Theology degree is from Central
Baptist Theological Seminary of Indiana, His Masters of Divinity is from
Marks-Caldwell College, and his Doctorate of Divinity is from the
Baptist Bible School of WNY.
Dr. Blackburn is foremost a minister of the Gospel. Preceding his call
to the pastorate of Greater Hope, under the leadership of the late Dr.
S. W. Williams, Jr., he served as the Co-Pastor of the New Zion
Institutional Missionary Baptist Church of Buffalo, NY and the
Greater Galilee Institutional Missionary Baptist Church of Indianapolis,
IN. During his tenure in Indiana, Dr. Blackburn was especially active in
religious and community affairs. He served on many committees and
held various positions, notably that of President of the Baptist Ministers
Foresight Alliance of Indianapolis. He served as a Member of the
Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Urban League, and Dean and
State Director of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of
Indiana, Inc.
On April of 1984, Dr. Blackburn was called to Pastor the Greater Hope
Missionary Baptist Church and since his arrival, the church has
experienced both physical and spiritual growth. Under his leadership,
the church building has been completely renovated, and numerous
properties purchased.
Dr. Blackburn currently serves as Chairman of the Executive Council of
the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist
Convention, USA, Inc. He serves as President of the Great Lakes
District Congress of Christian Education, and is serving his third term
as President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Buffalo and
Vicinity. He is also the Dean of the Empire Baptist State Convention of
New York.
Dr. Blackburn has become an eminent Television and Radio
Personality in the Buffalo area where he presents the International
Sunday School Lesson encouraging the viewing audience to first
attend their church.
Dr. Blackburn’s gift has certainly made room for him as he is sought
after throughout the country for his ability to rightly divide the word of
truth.
Dr. Blackburn is a Man of God, nevertheless a man with a vision. The
members of Greater Hope have taken encouragement from our Pastor’s leadership. Dr. Blackburn’s favorite
sayings are: “God has a way with promises, He keeps them”, “God blesses a tither and a tithing Church,” and “He
that winneth souls is wise.”
Dr. Blackburn and his wife Barbara have been married for over 35 years, and have five children James III (Benita),
David, Rev. Jonathan (LaDonna), Rev. Daniel, and Joanna, and seven grand-children Danielle, Daijah,
Brittany, Divine, Jonathan Jr., James, and Cincere.
|
|
|
