Dr. James Anthony Jackson, Senior Pastor

Dr. James Anthony Jackson, a native of Mobile, Alabama, is the second of four children to Dr. Michael and Barbara Jackson. He accepted Jesus as his personal savior and was baptized at the age of seven at the Aimwell Missionary Baptist Church under the pastorate of his father, Dr. Michael Jackson, D.Min. At Aimwell, he served in the choir, Sunday school, and the Baptist Training Union.

Pastor Jackson was educated in the Mobile County Public School System where he was a 1991 graduate of John L. Leflore High School. In 1994, he transferred from Bishop State Junior College to the historic Tuskegee University. It was there, at age 20, that he received his calling to the ministry. While at Tuskegee, Pastor Jackson served as an Associate Minister at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor John Curry. In 1997 he graduated from that institution acquiring his Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Pastor Jackson wasted no time, for he enrolled at the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University, in Richmond, Virginia. During his time in Virginia, Pastor Jackson served as an intern at the Trinity Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. A. Lincoln James, Jr. He also served as an assistant to Rev. Sheridon Nelson who was the Director of Youth and Young Adults of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia. Also during his time in Virginia, Pastor Jackson had the privilege to spend one month studying and preaching in Ghana, West Africa. In May of 2000, Pastor Jackson received his Master of Divinity degree.

In September of 2000, Pastor Jackson accepted the shared role with Rev. John Hollmon as Assistant Pastor of the Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace in Tampa, Florida. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Dr. Earl B. Mason, he was given responsibility over the Children, Youth, and the birthing of their Campus Ministry. Pastor Jackson served there faithfully until December of 2001, where he accepted the invitation to join the staff of the Eastern Star Church as the Associate Pastor of Preaching and Development. For two years Pastor Jackson considered it a privilege to assist Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson Sr, a powerful and anointed Man of God, in the areas of preaching and teaching.

In March 2004, Pastor Jackson hosted his first worship service as Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Fellowship Church, Eastern Star Church's second church plant.

Pastor Jackson is the proud husband of Lady Tara Cox Jackson of Chesapeake, VA, who is an educator in the Lawrence Township area of Indianapolis.