Montgomery pastor celebrates 55 years at the same church
The pastor at a Montgomery church is celebrating a rare milestone — 55 years of ministry, all at the same church!
Lilly Baptist Church was founded in 1900 and has only had nine pastors in its 124-year history.
Rev. Thomas Earl Jordan became the ninth pastor in 1969 at the age of 23. The church is preparing to celebrate his decades of leading his congregation.
“I learned from a very young age from my parents that education is not always what’s in a book, or behind the alphabet,” Jordan told Action 8 News. “Education is also an art of learning how to get along with people and so that’s been a cornerstone of my ministry to get to know my members, get to know people in the community, be able to mix with them be myself, be the minister and the pastor they are looking forward to, but still being myself.”
Rev. Jordan was baptized in 1956 by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He says he has no plans to retire.
The church will commemorate his service on Sunday. The church is at 820 Hill Street in Montgomery.
