Joseph L. Roberts Jr. (February 17, 1935 - February 15, 2015) was an American Baptist pastor. He was the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1975 to 2005.
Biography He was born in Chicago (Illinois) on February 17, 1935.The HistoryMakers, Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, thehistorymakers.org, USA, September 14, 2007 He studied at Knoxville College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1956. He then he studied theology at the Union Theological Seminary, where he received a Master of Divinity.Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015 He also studied theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and earned 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.Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015 Subsequently, he became pastor at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church in East Orange, New Jersey.
In 1975, he became the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.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 He founded a ministry for teenage mothers, tutoring programs and a food cooperative.Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015 During his ministry, the church welcomed over 2,000 new members, prompting him to plan the construction of a new building with a 1700-seat auditorium, across from the old one. The new sanctuary's dedication took place in 1999.Kevin Sack, A New Place to Nourish One Dreamer's Legacy, nytimes.com, USA, March 8, 1999
He left his position as senior pastor in 2005.Mark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof, Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Volume 1, SAGE, USA, 2012, p. 324
Personal life He married Esther Wortham and had three children.The HistoryMakers, Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, thehistorymakers.org, USA, September 14, 2007 He died on February 15, 2015.Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
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.Kalamazoo College, Joseph Lawrence Roberts, Jr. Honorary Degree Citation, kzoo.edu, USA, June 1992
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