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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 40 years, and
have five children James III (Benita), David, Rev. Jonathan (LaDonna), Rev.
Daniel, and Joanna, and eight grand-children Danielle, Daijah, Brittany,
Divine, Jonathan Jr., James, Cincere, and Lydia.
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