Jemison Delivers Chapel Message April 20

April 20, 2016

Dr. Major Lewis Jemison, senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, delivered the chapel message April 20 at OBU. The service took place in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium. In keeping with this year’s chapel theme on the Minor Prophets, Jemison preached from the Old Testament book of Malachi.

In addition to serving as St. John’s senior pastor, Jemison also serves as CEO of the St. John Christian Heritage Academy, a private, accredited Christian school serving students in pre-kindergarten through the sixth grade. He first came to St. John in 1984 as assistant to the pastor, later serving as co-pastor with Rev. Dr. Walter K. Jackson, then ultimately becoming senior pastor in 2003.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from Bishop College in Dallas, Texas. He then earned a Master of Theology with special emphasis on Church Ministries, Pastoral Care and Counseling from the Perkins School of Theology, also in Dallas. He learned earned a Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 2006, he completed a four-year term as president and chief executive officer of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, an association of approximately 2,000 Baptist churches around the world with a collective membership of more than 2.5 million. As president, he led the convention in advocacy and support of a number of civic issues and concerns, especially those directly related to the plight of African Americans.

Jemison has been married to his college sweetheart, Jacqueline, for more than 30 years. They are the proud parents of one son, MaKinsley, a college senior.