Greater Mount Pleasant
Missionary Baptist Church

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Rev. Dr. Joel Damon Taylor


The Reverend Dr. Joel Damon Taylor is a third generation ordained pastor in the Baptist Church. Since 1985, Dr. Taylor has served as the pastor of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, where his father, the late Rev. Jasper J. Taylor Sr., served as pastor and in 2004, he accepted the leadership as pastor of the Greater Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, which was organized and pastored by his father-in-law, the late Rev. J.P. White.


Dr. Taylor represents the new generation of preachers who are intellectually sound, culturally sensitive, prophetically committed, and spiritually anointed. He is a Fitchue McRae Fellow graduate of United Theological Seminary, where he earned his Doctor of Ministry in 1998. Dr. Taylor is a native of the Englewood area of Chicago, a Religious Studies graduate of DePaul University and earned his Master of Divinity degree at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois.


Dr. Taylor's ministry is powerful, personal, and progressive. During his short tenure at Greater Mt. Pleasant, Pastor Taylor has led the congregation to become driven and directed by God in their mission, mandate and ministry. He has sought to help God’s people understand and live out the five-fold purpose as a body of baptized believers through Worship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Fellowship and Service. In conjunction with the five-fold purpose, Dr. Taylor has developed the Soul Winning Action Team (SWAT), which specializes in crusading in the surrounding community and spreading the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ outside of the church.


Dr. Taylor currently serves as the State President of the Illinois National Baptist State Convention, is a member of the Evangelical Board of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., and Director of the National Baptist Convention of America Inc. Int'l Congress of Christian Education and Discipleship. Prior to serving as Director of Congress, Dr. Taylor served as the director of NBCA Youth Convention. In addition, Dr. Taylor is a student mentor and liaison for M.Div and D.Min students at Shaw University affiliated with NBCA Inc., Int’l.


Dr. Taylor serves a great God who is still doing great things. He is married to the former Cynthia Vernice White, who is a wonderful vocalist a Licensed Professional Health Therapist and a gift to him from God. They are the proud parents of two children: Rev. Jasper Paul and Jessica Dominique.