Pastor

REVEREND LESLIE RAPHAEL WHITE

I was born in the City of Roses, Portland, Oregon, on March 7, 1955. I am the third child born to the union of Charles Warren and Perlene Helen White. I have two elder brothers, Manfred and Cedric, and one elder sister, Laura; and one younger sister, Irene. My mother died in January of 1991, my father died in January of 1994.

On August 2, 1980, a wonderful young lady by the name of Yolanda Renee, said “I do” to committing our lives together. Yolanda, completed West Georgia in 1979, and completed her Master’s in Social Work, from the University of Kansas, in 1984. Our union has been blessed with two sons: Christopher Raphael 38, and Jason Rashad 34.

I finished Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, June of 1969. I was Vice President and President of the Student Body when we renamed the School, from Highland. I graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1973. In 1977 I graduated with a B. S. Degree in Psychology from Morris Brown College in Atlanta. My Seminary degree comes from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta in 1980. I finished my Ph.D. work in Pastoral Care and Theology at School of Theology Claremont but paused on my dissertation. Further studies at Phillips School of Religion, Enid, Oklahoma, St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, and Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.

In my earliest childhood I felt the call to preach. I have always desired to be a preacher. (No, my father was not a preacher.) I accepted the call to preach in the summer of 1969. I was licensed to preach in Bethel A.M.E. Church, Portland, under the pastoral leadership of Reverend A. Lee Henderson. I was fourteen years of age. I pastored my first church when I was 17 years old, Bailey A.M.E., Everett, Washington. To be painfully honest I had no idea what I was doing. Thank God for the people of God for truly letting me practice on them! In the African Methodist Church, there are two ordinations; deacon and elder. I received my deacons orders in 1973, and my elders orders in 1975. My pastoral journey has been filled with an abundance of blessings, some of which I will share:

  • Bailey A. M. E. Church, Everett Washington; 1972 – 1973.
  • Oglethorpe Circuit (four churches) Southwest Georgia; January 1976 – June 1977.
  • Wesley Chapel, Rockmart, Georgia; June 1977 – June 1980.
  • Price Chapel Los Angeles, California; July 1980 – September 1983.
  • Saint Paul Wichita, Kansas; October 1983 – October 1988.
  • Saint James, St. Louis, Missouri; October 1988 – December 1994.
  • Grant A. M. E. Church, Los Angeles, California; December 1994 – November 2009.
  • St. Paul A. M. E. Church, Berkeley, California, November 2009 – October 2013
  • Bethel Memorial A.M.E. Church San Diego, October 2013 – October 2015
  • St. John’s A.M.E. Church, Omaha, Nebraska November 2015 – 2019
  • Payne Chapel A. M. E. Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado 2019 – Present.
  • Co-Founding Pastor: Christ Our Redeemer A. M. E. Church, Blackjack, Mo. and Rose of Sharon A. M. E. Church, Bellflower, California.
Educational Background
  • Public Schools of Portland, Oregon, for Elementary and Secondary Education.
  • Bachelor of Arts – Morris Brown College, Atlanta, Georgia, 1977.
  • Master’s of Divinity – Turner Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, Georgia, 1980.
  • Doctor of Philosophy – School of Theology at Claremont, Claremont, California.
  • Course work completed, the dissertation is incomplete.
  • Continuing Educational Development Classes at Phillips School of Theology, and St. Paul School of Theology.
Denominational Involvement
  • Dean of the Fifth Episcopal District for Ministerial Development.
  • Former Treasurer of the Missouri Conference & Kansas-Nebraska Conference.
  • Delegate to the 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, Session of the General Conferences of African Methodism.
  • General Board member of African Methodism, served two four year terms.
  • Secretary of the Commission of Statistics and Finance for the African Methodism, 8 years.
  • Member of the Publication Board of African Methodism, 8 years.
  • Treasurer of the Southern California Conference A.M.E. Church.
  • Member of the Board of Trustees for the African Methodist Episcopal Church, commonly known as the Board of Incorporators.
Community Memberships & Service
  • Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
  • Life Member N. A. A. C. P. {St. Paul A. M. E. Church Wichita}
  • Member Urban League.
  • Master Mason Prince Hall.
  • Former Chairperson City Of Los Angeles Empowerment Zone.
    • Former Chairperson City of Los Angeles Empowerment Zone Bank.
    • City of Wichita Housing Advisory Board
    • University of California Berkeley Chancellor Search Committee.
    • Angel Tree Church Representative 40 Years of consistent service.
    • City of Berkeley, Cal. Police-Community Board Organizing Member.
    • President of the African Methodist Ministerial Alliance of Southern California.
  • President of the Community Ministerial Alliance of Wichita, Kansas.
  • Founder and Chair of the Annual City-Wide Official Berkeley, California Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.
  • Board Member of the Berkeley Organizing Churches for Action, Berkeley, California.
  • Board Member of the University of California Berkeley Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund
  • Member of Ecumenical Ministers Groups of San Diego
  • Member of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Omaha.

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