"I am supporting Rev. Jackson because he is a passionate servant of God, who has compassion and fights for people who have no voice."

Rev. J. Stanley Justice
Mount Zion A.M.E., NJ

Passionate

Passion is defined as "an intense emotion or desire, enthusiasm and excitement." This describes the way The Rev. Reginald T. Jackson feels about ministry. It was his intention when he graduated from high school to go to college to prepare to be an attorney. But during his senior year in high school he felt the call of God upon his life. Having served in his home church, MT. Zion A.M.E. Church, Dover, Delaware as a church school teacher, choir member and member of the Board of Stewards he was already very active and committed to God and the work of the church. His grandmother and others kept telling him that he "was going to be a preacher" but he kept saying he was not going to be a preacher. After running from the call of God upon his life, he realized that in running from God you only end up running to God, he yielded to God's call and in April of 1972 preached his trial sermon at Mt. Zion Church under the pastorate of the late Rev. Rudolph Wesley Coleman.

Upon accepting the call of God on his life he committed himself to preparing to be the best minister he could be. After graduating from Delaware State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1976, he was determined to go to seminary so he could continue to prepare to be the best minister he could be. Knowing that his parents who had already put three sons in college and had one more to go, did not have the resources to finance his seminary education he sought to find a way. Immediately upon the closing of the 1976 General Conference in Atlanta, Georgia he called Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand who had one week earlier been assigned to the First Episcopal District and asked him for assistance to attend seminary. Subsequently Bishop Hildebrand created the Ministerial Education Fund of the First Episcopal District to assist seminary students from the First District and The Rev. Reginald T. Jackson became the first graduate, attending Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This fund to the credit of succeeding bishops and benefit of seminary students still exists today.

The same passion that drove Pastor Jackson to want to prepare himself still drives him today to give the best of his service. He is passionate about ministry and believes that the most important person in our community is the black preacher and the most important entity is the black church. The black preacher must understand how important he/she is and the role they play in providing leadership for the community and the black church historically has been the hub or center of life in the community.

Pastor Jackson is excited and enthusiastic about the call of God upon his life. Every Sunday morning he has a fresh, strong and relevant word from God for the people, he enthusiastically teaches Bible Study on Monday nights, he looks forward to interacting with people and every Sunday personally greets members of the congregation after both services, he is committed to children and youth and their future and personally reviews their report cards and requires them to write book reports. After his family, wife Christy, daughter Regina and son Seth, Pastor Jackson's passion is ministry. His productivity as a pastor and advocacy for social justice have been driven by his desire to be faithful to the call of God upon his life and his passion to be and do his best for God.

The same faithfulness and passion he has demonstrated as a pastor he will bring to the episcopacy.