ABOUT BISHOP R. JEREMIAH NORRIS |
Bishop R. J. Norris is the second oldest son of four sons born to the late William and Julia Norris. He’s married to his “African Queen”, as he affectionately calls her, Lora Jean Norris. Bishop and First Lady Lora are the proud parents of two adult children-Sonia and Tyrone. They have six grandchildren, three great grands and five godchildren. In September 1995 he met the chairman of the Deacon Board of the Open Door Baptist Church, Al Clements in a parking garage (where he worked). As they conversed, Deacon recognized something unique about this man , so he invited him to preach at the “Open Door Baptist Church.” Bishop Norris accepted the invitation and preached his first sermon in September, by October the Official Board and congregation was uplifted by his sermon, they agreed that Bishop Norris should return and preach the following Sunday. The church had an election and unanimously voted that Bishop Norris would be their new Pastor. Bishop Norris allows the Lord to use him to preach the gospel regardless of the size of the congregation. He’s also known to visit the sick and the shut-in and minister life to their souls. Pastor Norris attended Theological Seminaries in Maryland, where he studied and received his license as United Methodist Church Minister by the board. Pastor Norris felt the need to return to Philadelphia to assist his ailing Father. God called him to pastor “St Phillips Baptist Church.” In June 1985, Pastor Norris was consecrated as a Bishop by the Bishop Adkins of “The Church of Love” located in Camden, New Jersey. Bishop Norris is the founder of the “Lost Children International, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding lost children and educating individuals on child abuse. From 1985 to the 2002, Bishop Norris could be found on the airwaves on “W.H.A.T” radio station 1340 AM on the dial. He played inspirational gospel music and prayed for those that called the station. The Lord blessed Bishop Norris through the Veterans Rehabilitation Act to be retrained. Bishop went back college in 2007 at Eastern University studying ‘Organizational Management’ where he earned a Bachelors’ degree. In 2013, he received a certificate from the City of Philadelphria in Faith based Counseling. Since, he’s been the Pastor of the Open Door Baptist Church there has been an increase in membership. He and his wife has developed a thriving feeding program which feeds the poor and needy. The program is called “The Time of Refreshing Ministry”, on any given Wednesday 100-150 individuals come through the church and receive a full course meal and food to take home. Many have come to the church to become a part of the ministry. Bishop Norris has been a asset to the Open Door Baptist Church. God is using him to preach the unadulterated word of God, souls are being saved and the kingdom is continuing to be built. The blessings in on him and his wife, and we as a congregation pray that God bless them to continue on this journey for many years to come.
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