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History of Our Ministry
Our Benefactor - Dr. John Lewis Powell
Dr. John Lewis Powell
Rev. John Lewis Powell, born November 2, 1901, was the son of John Thomas and Rachel Powell of McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
After completing his public school education in McKeesport, he received his secondary, undergraduate, and theological training at Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, North Carolina, and a Master of Education degree from the University of Pittsburg. He later received the Doctor of Humane Letters from the Tennessee Baptist School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Doctor of Divinity degree from Johnson C. Smith University.
Dr. Powell was ordained to the Gospel Ministry on September 17, 1927 by the Baptist Council of Allegheny County Pennsylvania, at the Zion Baptist Church in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. His fifty-one years of Pastoral Experience included pastorates at Friendship Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina; Progressive Baptist Church and Faith United Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. His founding and subsequent building of the Faith United Baptist Church has been a manifestation of Faith to Church leaders across this nation.
Dean Powell, as he was affectionately known to hundreds of students from American Baptist Theological Seminary, served that institution faithfully for thirty years. He held positions as Professor of Religious Education, Professor of Evangelism and Missions, Acting Dean of Men, Dean of Students, and Vice President.
On July 1, 1977, Dr. Powell was voted Vice President Emeritus by the Board of Trustees for the Seminary. After serving Faith United Baptist Church for eight years, he was also granted the title of Pastor Emeritus upon his retirement.
After his Home Going in 1983, to commemorate and enhance Dr. Powell’s love for Missions, under the initiation of his wife, Mrs. Ruth Marie Powell, the J. Lewis Powell Trust Fund was established in 1984, initially to send a Ministerial Student on the Mission Field.
Arrangements were made with Dr. Bentley Thomas, Pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and President of Virgin Islands Missions, Inc. With the partnership of the Trustees of the J. Lewis Powell Trust Fund and the Virgin Island Missions, Inc., over 15 students from American Baptist College have been blessed by that invaluable ministry experience.
Seeking to enhance the spirit and promotion of Missions within and among Local Church, District, State, and National Conventional bodies, the J. Lewis Powell Trust Fund Trustees organized the J. LEWIS POWELL MISSION MINISTRIES to expand and accomplish these mission efforts.
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Providing a venue for Mission Leaders and Members of Local Churches to be in harmony understanding and implementing the Biblical Principles of Missions, in July 2019 the J.L. Powell Mission Ministries initiated the Dr. Susie M. McClure Mission Conference. Commemorating the extensive Mission work done by Dr. McClure in the Nashville, TN community, the Stones River District Association, the Tennessee BM&E State Convention, the National Women’s Auxiliary and Foreign Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the Conference was so named in her honor.
The theme of this Conference was “Implementing the First Century Mission in the Twenty-First Century Church”. Various topics were addressed to help clarify the Biblical Principles and Implementation of Missions. A special feature of that Conference included presentations from Representatives the Women’s Auxiliary, the Laymen’s Ministry, the Home Mission Board, and the Foreign Mission Board of National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Each shared information on the Mission work being done by their respective bodies. The Question & Answer sessions which followed each presentation proved most informative and challenging.
A second project of the J.L. Powell Mission Ministries was to field a Mission Team of seven persons who had previous Mission experience to teach Vacation Bible School lessons to children and youth in several different villages on the Caribbean Island of Antigua. That ministry in August 2019 also proved to be quite successful serving an average of 142 children and youth in the Village of Bolans.
Other Mission Ministries, Workshops, and Conferences are being planned for various Church Communities throughout our Nation.
“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,
that he would send labourers into his harvest.”
- Matthew 9:37-38
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Thus, our Motto:
“Leading the Local Church into the World,
and Leading the World into the Kingdom of God”