iHeartMEDIA Augusta and 96.3 Kiss FM will host our second annual 96.3 Kiss FM Gospel Fest on Sunday, December 16th at the Miller Theater in Augusta Ga.
This year in the spirit of the season, the Gospel Fest will be featuring Grammy Award winning Gospel music artists Fred Hammond, the Wardlaw Brothers and more to perform at 96.3 KISS FM Holiday Heart & Soul Gospel Festival.
During the Gospel Fest we will also recognize the dedicated Christian services of spiritual leaders from throughout the Augusta River Region with a Greetings and Blessings to the Greater Young Zion Missionary Baptist Church Family!
Join us as we recognize some of our Community Men Of Faith Awards at this year's Gospel Fest - Sunday, 12/16 at Miller Theater, powered by Brownstone Mediation Services!
Reverend Robert Lloyd Leverett: Olive Grove Baptist
Rev. Robert Floyd Leverett was born in Columbia County, Georgia. He comes from a large family of brothers and sisters. He is married to the former Eloise Benning, and is the father of three children and six grandchildren.Rev. Dr. Leverett’s education began in the Richmond County Public School and continued in the Baltimore City School System. Later, he attended the University of Maryland, where he majored in Mathematics. His religious education includes: Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), a Master’s degree from Emory University in 1999, and a Ph.D. in World Religion from the University of Tulsa, OK in 2001.
Rev. Dr. Leverett retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service with metals and honors. In 1976, he was employed by the Hewlett-Packard Company. In 1991, he began working with the IBM Company. After being employed for ten years, he ventured out and meticulously discovered his own computer company.
His love for his fellow man deepened as he received his calling to serve man through Olive Grove Baptist Church in 1987. He is also the Son of The House at Water Branch Baptist Church in Grovetown, GA.Rev. Dr. Leverett is affiliated with many civic and community groups including: the Atlanta Minister’s Council, The Brotherhood Minister’s Union, The Bethlehem Community Center, the NAACP, the National Wish Foundation, and The General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia, where he serves as District Coordinator.
Covering a broad spectrum in his life, he is striving to become a dynamic and dedicated pastor. He remains a loving husband, kind father and grandfather, brother, and friend to all.
Pastor Douglas A. Slaughter, D.M.
Second Baptist Church, Aiken, SC
Senior Pastor | Speaker | Ministry Workshop Leader
Douglas A. Slaughter, a visionary leader and servant, is the Senior Pastor of Second Baptist Church, Aiken, South Carolina. With 40 years in ministry and leadership, Pastor Slaughter has led Second Baptist since 1992, becoming the 11th pastor of the church and congregation.
Born and raised on a cattle farm in Pulaski, Virginia, a small country town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pastor Slaughter attended the College of William & Mary in Virginia majoring in Classical Studies with a concentration in Greek language and history. In 1979, Pastor Slaughter moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center. He graduated with a Master's of Divinity degree in Old and New Testament studies.
Pastor Slaughter's professional career in ministry began in 1985 as the minister of Christian education at the St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. His work included leading many community projects, including the Nehemiah Project, an affordable housing program which was responsible for building over 2000 affordable homes in the East New York and Brownsville sections of Brooklyn. He also served as the lead organizer on a project called Nehemiah 2. This consisted of the planning and development of two charter schools, The East New York and Bushwick High Schools for public service. Both schools opened in 1993, a month after Pastor Slaughter accepted the call to lead Second Baptist.
Additional responsibilities as Director of Christian Education included developing the biblical and spiritual infrastructure for a capital stewardship campaign. These efforts resulted in funds being raised for St Paul in excess of two million dollars over three years. Other accomplishments included developing a stewardship campaign for several Catholic Churches to increase the congregations' tithing base.
For the past twenty four years, Pastor Slaughter has served as the senior pastor of Second Baptist Church. During his tenure in Aiken, SC, Pastor Slaughter has started a Christian preparatory school, serving children from two years of age through the fifth grade. He is also the founder and board chair of the SBC Community Development Corporation (CDC). In 1997, the Second Baptist Church Community Development Corporation built eleven affordable houses and seven duplex apartments for seniors and nine additional homes within the community. Another project led by CDC with a focus on improving the community was the implementation and operation of Project Excel, a program designed to provide training and employment opportunities for youth between the ages of 16 and 21 as well as a teen after school homework Center for youth with behavioral concerns and who were under the watchful care of the juvenile justice department. The youth were assigned to the homework Center for homework assistance and mentored Monday through Thursday during the school year. Over a 7 year period 300+ youth were served and developed.
Pastor Slaughter legacy has been defined by serving as a champion for positive community efforts that help improve the quality of life for others. His community involvement while serving in Aiken includes his appointment to the following Boards: City of Aiken Nonprofit Corporation (Aiken Corporation) - Board Member; County Commissioner Aiken County Alcohol and Other Drug Services – Past Board Chair; Congo Initiatives USA ( Bilingual Christian University of the Congo) - USA Board Member; City of Aiken Strategic Planning Committee - Past Board Member; City of Aiken Cumulative Planning Committee - Past Board Member; Aiken Downtown Development Corporation – Past Board Member; Aiken Together Campaign - Past Board Chair; Planning Committee, Tall Pines STEM Academy opening Fall 2016 – Past Board Chair; and Center for African American History Art and Culture - Past Board Chair.
As a life-longer learner, Pastor Slaughter recently became certified as a Licensed Coach, Teacher, Trainer, and Speaker (August 2016) with the John C. Maxwell Team. In March 2014, he completed the doctoral program in Organizational Management (D.M.) and Leadership at The University of Phoenix. Presently Pastor Slaughter's dissertation, An Exploration of Unresolved Conflict Among African American Baptist Pastors and Leaders, is in publication.
Pastor Slaughter's most rewarding responsibility is to be a father to three great children: Douglas, a graduate student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Robert a senior at Southern Methodist in Dallas, TX, and Isake an aspiring actress also residing in Atlanta.
Rev. William B. Blount, Sr.
BIOGRAPHY
William B Blount, Sr. is a native of Jacksonville, Fl. He received his secondary training from the Jenkins County High School in Millen, GA. He received a BA degree from Morris Brown College, Atlanta, GA, seminary training at Turner Theological Center, Atlanta, GA, Clinical Pastoral Education Training at University Hospital in Augusta, Ga. Pastor Blount was honored with a Doctor of Letters Degree from Christian Bible College, Kenner, LA where he also now serves on the Board of Trustees as a Chairman.
Pastor Blount confessed his calling to ministry in 1976. He has been a pastor since 1977 and has served the following churches: Mays Grove Baptist Church, Wrens, GA; First Baptist Church, Wadley, GA; Gordon Hill Baptist Church, McBean, GA; Thankful Baptist Church, Waynesboro, GA. and is presently serving as pastor of the Greater Young Zion Baptist Church, Augusta, GA since 1983. Pastor Blount is founder and director of Family Enrichment Ministry established in 1994 and travels around the country conducting seminars, conferences, and workshops on family preservation.
He is sought after nationally and internationally for revivals, leadership conferences, workshops and retreats. He is a board member of the National Association of Marriage Enrichment, on the Executive Board of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia where he also serves as Chairman of the Land Development Commission, a member of the Augusta Baptist Ministers Conference and lecturer and conference leader for the Southern Baptist Regional Training Conferences.
Pastor Blount is married to the former Sandra D Ervin and is the father of five children, 3 sons: BJ, Nicholas and Brian and 2 daughters: Lisa and Candace (deceased), and the proud grandfather of five: 3 girls and 2 boys.
The Community Men Of Faith Awards are proudly sponsored by: