Our pastor, Reverend Dr. Henry James Young, is a native of
Boca Raton, Beach, Florida, the fifth of Boca Raton, Beach, Florida, the fifth
of nine children of the late Marion and Maxie Young. His wife of 42
years, formerly Aleta Joyce Downs, daughter of Harold and Elyse Downs, is from
Boxton, Mass. They have one daughter, Aleta Renee Young.
His educational background includes a Bachelor's Degree in
Philosophy and Religion from Tougaloo, College; a Master of Theology Degree
from The Boston University School of Theology; and a Ph.D. Degree in Systematic
Theology from The Hartford Seminary Foundation, Hartford Connecticut. He
was a Professor of Philosophy and Religion at The Interdenominational Theological
Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Dean of Faculty, Edward Waters College, Jacksonville,
Florida; and The Neal and Ila Fisher Professor of Systematic Theology,
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (On the CAmpus of Northwestern
University, Evanston, Illinois), retiring in 2003 after 28 years of service
there.
Also, at the same time, he retired after 27 years of
service as Lieutenant Colonel Chaplain of the United States Air Force Reserve. Presently,
he teaches one class in Philosophy and Religious Studies at The University of
North Carolina at Wilmington. He is transferring into the Cape Fear
Annual Conference, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church from The Northern
Illinois Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Chicago, Illinois. He
has served congregations in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Chicago, Illinois.