Dr. J. Gerald Harris was born November 26, 1940 in Hickory, North Carolina and born again October 21, 1950, and then united with First Baptist Church of Valdese, North Carolina. God called him to preach as a high school senior and he was ordained January 29, 1961, by First Baptist Church of Valdese.
Dr. Harris graduated from Valdese High School, 1959; Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, 1963, B.A. Degree; Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina, 1966, Master of Theology; Luther Rice Seminary, Jacksonville, Florida, 1977, Doctor of Ministry and was Alumnus of the Year in 1997 at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. That same year he was elected President Elect, National Alumni Association, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as President in 1998.
He is married to the former Martha Jean Maxwell of Newnan, Georgia and they have 1 daughter, Miriam, and twin sons, John Mark and Gerald David. Gerald and Martha have 7 grandchildren.
Dr. Harris has served in a number of churches as Senior Pastor throughout his ministry, including: Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1964-1967; Newport Baptist Church, Newport, North Carolina, 1967-1970; Flint Groves Baptist Church, Gastonia, North Carolina, 1970-1971; First Baptist Church, Camden, South Carolina, 1971-1980; Colonial Heights Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi, 1980-1990; Peachtree Corners Baptist Church, Norcross, Georgia, 1990-1994 and Eastside Baptist Church, Marietta, Georgia, where he has served as Senior Pastor since June 1994.
His denominational experience includes being President, Pastors Conference, Mississippi Baptist Convention, 1987; Vice President, Mississippi Baptist Convention, 1988; Board of Trustees, Criswell College, Dallas, Texas; Board of Trustees, Baptist Sunday School Board, SBC; Chairman, Literature Distribution Committee for the 1994 Super Bowl Outreach, a ministry of Quest Atlanta '96; Chairman, Nominating Committee for the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1997; Budget Planning Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1997; Administrative Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1997, 1998; Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1997, 1998; Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1998/99; Resolutions Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1999; and President of the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1999.
Dr. Harris has written extensively, including: Devotions for OPEN WINDOWS, Sunday School Board publication; Sunday School lessons for BAPTIST COURIER, South Carolina state paper; Devotions for HOMELIFE, Sunday School Board publication; Sunday School lessons for LIFE AND WORK SERIES, Sunday School Board publication; Devotions for BAPTIST RECORD, Mississippi state paper; Sunday School lessons for BAPTIST RECORD, Mississippi state paper; PARDONED TO BE PRIESTS, a book of sermons on the priesthood of the believer, published by Broadman, 1988; OLYMPIC HEROES, WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES WINNING AT LIFE, published by Broadman & Holman, 1996.
Title | Book/Chapter/Verse | Subject |
---|---|---|
A Magnificent Obsession | 1 Chronicles 16 :23-29 | Glory; God's Glory |
How to Win Friends and Influence People | 1 Corinthians 9 :19-23 | Witness; Testimony; Friendship |
The Church - Belonging To The Body | 1 Corinthians 12 :12-17 | Church; Body of Christ; Church Membership; Servanthood |
A Tribute To Mothers | 1 Samuel 1 | Mother; Mother's Day |
The Kind Of Church God Blesses | 1 Thessalonians | Church; Christian Living |
The Secret Of Paul's Success As A Servant Of Christ | 1 Thessalonians 2 :1-12 | Christian Conduct; Love; Character; Servant of Christ |
A Suffering Church | 1 Thessalonians 2 :13-20 | Church, Suffering; Persecution; Christian Joy |
How To Please God | 1 Thessalonians 4 :1-12 | Pleasing The Lord; Service; Marriage; Purity; Love |
When The Trumpet Of The Lord Shall Sound | 1 Thessalonians 4 :13-18 | The Rapure; The Return of Christ; Reunion; Heaven |
The Day Of The Lord | 1 Thessalonians 5 :1-11 | Judgment; Return of Christ; Rapture |
Instructions on How To Behave | 1 Thessalonians 5 :16-18 | Faithfulness; Christian Living; Church Life; Behavior |
America: The Conditions For Revival | 2 Chronicles 7 :14 | Revival, Conditions for; Renewal; Christian Living |
The Poverty of Christ | 2 Corinthians 8 :9 | Sacrifice of Christ; Cross of Christ |
Reshaping our World View | Acts 10 :1-35 | Missions; Evangelism |
God - The Essential, Critical, Vertical Relationship | Colossians 1 :9-13 | Relationships; Love For God |
Gather the People | Deuteronomy 31 :12 | Evangelism; Sunday School; Growth; Christian Living; Discipleship; Church |
Marriage - Prescription For A Powerful Partnership | Ephesians 4 :26-32 | Marriage; Love; Family; Home |
The Greatest Need In The Church | Ezekiel 37 :1-14 | Revival; Church, Need of |
Freedom Is Never Free | Galatians 5 :1 | Freedom; Independence Day; America |
Holy Smoke | Isaiah 6 :1-8 | Worship; Devotion; Holiness of God |
How to Help the Preacher Preach | James 1 :19-25 | Listening to God's Word; Church Life; Worship |
How To Help The Preacher Preach | James 1 :19-25 | Hearing; Commitment; Dedication; Preaching |
How To Have An Effective Prayer Life | James 5 :16-18 | Prayer |
Was Man Created For Time Or Eternity | Job 14 :14 | Life; Death; Eternity |
Preparing for the Solemn Assembly | Joel 2 :12-19 | Church; Revival; Renewal; Christian Living |
The Demonstration of an Extravagant Love | John 12 :2-8 | Love for Jesus; Action, Love Becoming |
A Man and His Master | John 13 :1-17 | Manhood; Men; Father |
The Way, The Truth, And The Life | John 14 :6 | Jesus, the Way; Jesus, the Life; Jesus, the Truth |
The Great Conquest | Joshua 1 :9-11 | Victory; Warfare, Christian; Christian Living; Spiritual Living |
Deacon Ordination Sermon | Joshua 24 :13-15 | Deacon Ordination |
The Faithfulness of God | Lamentations 3 :21-26 | God, Faithfulness of; Bible, Truth of the |
A Most Excellent Adventure | Luke 5 :1-11 | Church Growth; Church Vision; Evangelism |
The Terms of Discipleship | Luke 9 :57-62 | Discipleship |
Takers, Observers and Givers | Luke 10 :25-37 | Sacrifice; Patriotism; Salvation |
The Mount of Propitiation | Luke 22 :33 | Blood of Jesus; Cross; Propitiation |
Tarry Until | Luke 24 :45-49 | Waiting on God; Anointing; Holy Spirit |
Jesus and the Children | Mark 10 :13-16 | Children; Parents; Mother's Day |
How To Get Along With Difficult People | Matthew 5 :43-47 | Love; Grace; Kindness; Friendliness |
Judgment At The House Of God | Matthew 21 :12-15 | Church; Judgment; Prayer; Praise; Purity; Power |
Neighbors - Loving Them Like Ourselves | Matthew 22 :34-40 | Love for Other; Love for Neighbors; Command to Love |
Have You Had A Gethsemane? | Matthew 26 :36-46 | Prayer; Gethsemane; Yielding to Jesus; Will of God |
Have You Had Your Gethsemane? | Matthew 26 :36-46 | Will of God; Prayer |
Hold Back The Angels | Matthew 26 :53-54 | Commitment; Peace; The Protection of God; Angels |
The Mount of Glorification | Matthew 28 :16-20 | Resurrection of Jesus; Easter; Death, Victory Over |
The Name Above Every Name | Philippians 2 :5-11 | Name of Jesus; Name Above All Names; Jesus, Name of; Jesus, Lord |
The Commitment To Excellence | Philippians 3 :13-14 | Excellence; Commitment; Love for Christ; Dedication |
Get Smart | Philippians 4 :8 | Wisdom; Thinking; Christian Living |
The Blessed Man | Psalms 1 :1-3 | Men; Fathers; Father's Day |
America: If The Foundations be Destroyed | Psalms 11 :1-7 | America; Independence Day |
We Will Set Up Our Banners | Psalms 20 | Victory; Goals |
How To Defeat Anxiety | Psalms 37 :1-9 | Worry; Anxiety; Peace |
How To Handle Stress With Great Finesse | Psalms 46 | Stress; Worry; Peace |
Missions Begin At Home | Psalms 142 | Missions; America; Working for the Lord |
Christ Knocking At The Door | Revelation 3 :14-22 | Jesus is Calling; Salvation; Call of God |
Four Things The Old Time Preachers Believed | Romans 6 :23 | Sin; Judgment; Salvation |
The Divine Mandate | Romans 12 | Vision; Mandate, Divine; Purpose, Church; Ministry |
Is Jesus A Liar, Lunatic or Lord of All? | Selected Passages | Jesus, Nature of; Lord Jesus Christ |
Is the Bible Fact or Fantasy | Selected Passages | Bible; Word, God's |
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