Orthodox Zion Primitive Baptist Church

OUR LEADERSHIP

Senior pastor

elder Dr. James h. Chester

Dr. James Chester is a husband, father, leader, teacher, and Senior Pastor of the Orthodox Zion Primitive Baptist Church, West Palm Beach, FL, where he has served for the last 35 plus years and is a Professor at South Florida Bible College, Deerfield Beach, FL.

Under his leadership, Orthodox Zion has experienced tremendous growth, both numerically and spiritually. He has worked to build a congregation that retains rather than just attracts with a focus on Outreach and Mission, which serves as guides for the entire church. Each ministry aims to reach the lost and disadvantaged in some way.

Dr. Chester is also active in his denomination. He presently serves as President of the East Florida Church School Convention, President of the Florida State Church School Convention, and Vice-President of the National Church School Convention. He has also taught classes on Pastoral Care and Church Administration at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Dr. Chester has taken seriously the charge of preparation. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Barry University in Miami, Florida. He also earned his Master of Divinity Degree and Doctor of Ministry Degree at Knox Theological Seminary. His dissertation was entitled, The Development, Training and Implementation of a Ministry to Assimilate Both New and Inactive Member to Become Effective Disciples of Christ. His work in assimilation has greatly influenced his life and vocation.

He started Transformation Ministry International (TMI), a ministry that furthers training and education for local churches both here and abroad. He has developed mission relationships with ministries in India, Haiti and Africa., and he and the missions ministry make a bi-annual trip to Jinja, Uganda where he has been very instrumental in establishing churches and a School of Ministry. The School of Ministry has also partnered with South Florida Bible College in its online curriculum. Dr. Chester continues to be a renowned lecturer at the F. L. Livingston Institute at the National Convention Winter Board and is a frequent lecturer at churches across the state.

Associate pastor

elder dr. craig pender

Elder Dr. Craig A. Pender, Sr. driven by his innate leadership and entrepreneurial abilities has established himself as a celebrated religious, business, and community leader. Dr. Pender is a church planter and has served in ministry for almost two decades. Dr. Pender has been a funeral service practitioner for thirty years and is a licensed funeral director in the States of Florida, New York and Connecticut. After a very successful career in New York City, Dr. Pender became the managing principal of Shuler’s Memorial Chapel, West Palm Beach, Florida in 2018.

Believing that education is essential for personal, professional and spiritual growth Dr. Pender earned a degree in Funeral Service Education from Fayetteville Technical College, Fayetteville, NC; a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Nyack College, Nyack, NY; a Master of Divinity from The Theological School at Drew University, Madison, New Jersey where he was the 2014 recipient of the Henry L. Lambdin Prize for Excellence in Pastoral Leadership. He continued his education at Drew University earning the Doctor of Ministry Degree with a concentration in Congregational Growth and Community Development.

He is a member of several professional associations to include: The National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc., The Florida Morticians Association, Inc. and The New York State Funeral Directors Association, Inc. Dr. Pender served honorably in the United States Air Force, and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He takes great pleasure in supporting his community through his involvement in numerous other community service organizations.

Dr. Pender is married to the lovely Lady LaKeisha Merrick-Pender, M.Div. who is also a graduate of Drew Theological School and is the proud father of three young adult sons.

MINISTERS

MINISTER ANTHONY FIELDS, Sr.

Minister Alvin "AJ" Johnson

Section Title

Deacon Mashan Benbow
vice chairman
MASHAN.BENBOW@OZPBC.ORG

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Deacon horace bush
HORACE.BUSH@OZPBC.ORG

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deacon samuel cyrus
SAMUEL.CYRUS@OZPBC.ORG

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Deacon Larry gaines
LARRY.GAINES@OZPBC.ORG

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deacon frankie huggins

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deacon michael johnson
MICHAEL.JOHNSON@OZPBC.ORG

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deacon phil mooney
PHIL.MOONEY@OZPBC.ORG

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deacon verdree patterson,
chairman of the Deacon Board
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deacon ron timmons
RON.TIMMONS@OZPBC.ORG

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deacon kenneth payne

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Mother's Board

Mother elizabeth fields
chairman of the mothers board

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mother justine patterson
vice chairman of the mothers board

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mother ann r. chester
First Lady

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MOTHER MOSELLE CANTRELL

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mother mary benbow

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mother geraldine cyrus

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mother theodora shepherd-timmons

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mother bernice o'neal

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mother jacquelyn johnson

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mother yvette bush

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Executive Team

Phyllis Ward, executive assistant

After living, working, and serving in the south suburbs of Chicago for 55 years, Phyllis

relocated to southeast Florida and continued to serve the people of God with

gladness. With her strongest spiritual gifts being in Administration, Faith, and

Generosity, Phyllis was blessed to be an Armor Bearer to two of the most powerful

women Pastors in Chicago. Phyllis holds a BA in Special Education K – 12 and a

Master’s in Early Childhood Education which allowed her to own and operate 7

childcare centers for 23 years.

As the Executive Assistant at the “O” since March 1, 2019, it has been a pleasure to

serve Elder Chester and the team as well as the men and women of the church

however necessary. Phyllis is the proud mother of two grown sons both residing in

California, one daughter-in-love, 4 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandson.

You can contact her at phyllis.ward@ozpbc.org

David brown, director of operations & production

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teresa miller, director of social media

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mother justine patterson, volunteer ministry leader

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theresa leach, director of assimilation