Rev. Michael F. Thurman - (1996 - Present)
Research topics that Pastor Thurman presented during his tenure at the Home Mission Board included “The Rechurching of African American Men,” “Church Planting and Church Growth in Rural and Non-Metropolitan African American Communities,” “Black Denominational Executives in Predominately White Protestant Evangelical Organizations: An Examination of the Predicament, Roles, and Implications for the Future,” “The Black Church as A Social Resource” (Presented at the Association of Black Sociologists Annual Meeting) and others. Pastor Thurman has served as a consultant for the sixteen State Conventions in his region and others, and for the Church of Christ Holiness, USA Southeast Diocese, as well as, other local churches. Pastor Thurman is a graduate of Morehouse College where he received the Bachelor of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Religion and Philosophy. He also holds the Master of Divinity Degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with an emphasis in the area of Church History and Christian Ethics. While at New Orleans, Pastor Thurman did preliminary study toward the Doctorate Degree. Currently, Pastor Thurman is engaged in the task of providing leadership to the Dexter King Memorial Church family regarding its future. He is leading Dexter to explore new areas of ministry and will be sharing more about this mission in the future. Keep Pastor Thurman and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church family on your prayer list. Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church:A Word From The PastorOn behalf of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church family, we are delighted that you chose to visit with us via our website. We hope this site will give you a feel for the warmth which emanates from our parishioners here at Dexter. If you are ever in the Montgomery area, please stop by and worship with us. We will be glad to accommodate you. If you wish to book a tour, please call or e-mail us for more information. Dexter as with all church congregations have a unique opportunity to touch the world. Dexter has a tremendous role to fulfill in the quest for human rights and equality. As the Lord and I pilot Dexter, it is my prayer that God will allow this sacred ground to become an oasis in the burning deserts of our lives, where spiritually dehydrated pilgrims can come for a refreshing drink from one of the many cisterns scattered around the world. Our church theme for 2004-2005 is “Dexter King Memorial a Living Legacy.” We are requesting that each of our ministry units become involved in an out reach project to the larger community. This will move us closer toward the goal of having Dexter to become the oasis in the desert. Our mission statement is as follows:The purpose of this church is to propagate the Christian faith through parishioners public worship, proclamation of the Gospel, Christian Education, timely charitable services and social action, evangelism at home and abroad. Again, if you are in the Montgomery area please arrange to have a tour of this historical facility. View our tour schedules page. If your visit to the capital city will include a weekend, please plan to worship with us on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. Our Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m. We look forward to seeing you! |
Reverend Thurman came to serve the Dexter Avenue king Memorial Church family as pastor on December 8, 1996. He is our twenty-seventh pastor. Prior to joining us here at Dexter, Pastor Thurman was an Associate Director of the Black Church Extension Division of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. While in this capacity, pastor Thurman was responsible for sixteen states. The main focus of the Division was to provide leadership in the areas of Church Planting, Church Growth, Seminary Education and Relations with National Baptists. Pastor Thurman was also the materials development person for the Division; during his tenure he served as editor of the Black Southern Baptists Herald and also served as team leader for the African American Church Planting System, out of which was developed “The African American Church Planter’s Guide” and developed a resource kit for church leaders on “Understanding Islam and its Impact on the African American Community.”