Gardner C. Taylor
Encyclopedia
Dr. Gardner Calvin Taylor (born June 18, 1918) is an American
preacher
, noted for his eloquence and deep understanding of Christian
faith and theology
and known as "the dean of American preaching".
Taylor was a close friend and mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and played a prominent role in the religious leadership of the Civil Rights Movement
of the 1960s.
Taylor preached the pre-inauguration sermon in January 1993 for the then President-elect Bill Clinton at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington D.C. Taylor received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
on August 9, 2000, awarded by President Bill Clinton
.
Gardner Taylor was born in 1918 in Baton Rouge
, the grandson of former slaves, and grew up in the segregated South of the early 20th century. He graduated from the Oberlin College
School of Theology in 1940, and began a lifetime of preaching and civil rights activism.
Taylor was pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn
, New York
for 42 years, before retiring in 1990. During this time he helped to found the Progressive National Baptist Convention
with Martin Luther King Jr., providing an important base of support for King's civil rights work.
More than 2,000 of Taylor's sermons are archived, and recordings of many of them are available in collections such as The Words of Gardner Taylor: 50 years of timeless treasures.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, noted for his eloquence and deep understanding of Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
faith and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and known as "the dean of American preaching".
Taylor was a close friend and mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and played a prominent role in the religious leadership of the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
of the 1960s.
Taylor preached the pre-inauguration sermon in January 1993 for the then President-elect Bill Clinton at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington D.C. Taylor received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
on August 9, 2000, awarded by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Gardner Taylor was born in 1918 in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, the grandson of former slaves, and grew up in the segregated South of the early 20th century. He graduated from the Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
School of Theology in 1940, and began a lifetime of preaching and civil rights activism.
Taylor was pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for 42 years, before retiring in 1990. During this time he helped to found the Progressive National Baptist Convention
Progressive National Baptist Convention
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Incorporated is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing civil rights and social justice....
with Martin Luther King Jr., providing an important base of support for King's civil rights work.
More than 2,000 of Taylor's sermons are archived, and recordings of many of them are available in collections such as The Words of Gardner Taylor: 50 years of timeless treasures.
External links
- PBS Religion and Ethics profile.
- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NXG/is_2001_Wntr-Spring/ai_94160933
- Charlie Rose Show - 1999 Christmas Panel discussion of JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. - Gardner Taylor's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project