OUR PASTOR

The Reverend Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr. currently serves as the Senior Pastor of the Florida Avenue Baptist church. He is only the 4 th pastor in its 95 year history. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Missions Ministry for the Progressive National Baptist Convention overseeing both national and international missions.

Dr Trent is a native of East Orange, NJ. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a BA in English Literature and holds a M.A.T. degree in English from Monmouth College. Following his call to the ministry he obtained Masters of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in 1983 and a Doctor in Ministry from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton Ohio in 1994. As a Wright-Kunjufu fellow his concentration was Afrocentric Pastoring and Preaching. Ordained as Progressive Baptist and American Baptist he has been active in both conventions and held offices in both.

The focus of ministry at FABC has been on discipleship that makes a difference. To that end the church helped to revitalize the LeDroit Park civic association which resulted in a multi-million dollar investment by Howard University, Verizon, and Fannie Mae in the LeDroit Park neighborhood renovating and building 50 homes and becoming a national showcase for cooperative neighborhood improvement. Under his leadership the nearby Gage Elementary School was adopted, a mentoring program for black boys was established, a non profit community development corporation Florida Avenue Renaissance Project was formed and incorporated, summer and after school enrichment programs and most recently Our House- a Saturday School for bible study and arts enrichment has been established. Significant renovations and property acquisition has taken place as part of the mission of the church is to remain in the core of the urban community. Mo than Jazz, a music and cultural arts series, is one of the unique monthly ministries started by Dr. Trent in celebration and preservation of our music as Black Americans. A Gospel Jazz Christmas CD was recorded and plans are in the works for further endeavors.

Both nationally and internationally the church has made a difference. When the oldest black township in the United States, Princeville North Carolina was nearly destroyed by flood in 1999, Dr. Trent led building teams in five trips to help in the reconstruction. FABC was one of the few Black churches that showed this consistent dedication to aid those in need. Katrina victims have been received and relocated and building teams in cooperation with Habitat of Humanity have been sent to New Orleans, Charlotte, NC and Cincinnati Ohio.

Dr. Trent has traveled extensively as missions director and has preached and taught in South Africa, Liberia, the Bahamas and Haiti. He has served on many boards most notably on the governing board of the National Cathedral School for Girls, president of The Harvest Institute – a think tank for social and economic reform of black America, The Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program(MOTTEP),and chair of the community advisory board of the Washington Halfway Homes- a reentry program for women ex-offenders.

He has taught at Howard University Divinity School as adjunct professor in Urban Ministry, Lincoln University in World Religions and Northeastern University in English and study skills.

He is the author of A Challenge to the Black Church- a book of essays and several articles in the Journal of Religious Thought and a study guide on How to Interpret the Bible.

Prior to coming to FABC, Dr. Trent served from 1983-94 as the senior pastor of the St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester, Pa. where among his many accomplishments he led the congregation in the purchase of a new building and 7 acre site for a new worship complex.

Installed March 26, 1995 Dr. Trent’s vision is to make Florida Avenue Baptist Church a full discipleship center where joyful reverent and sacred worship takes place, the teaching emphasis is on what the Bible means and how do we live it in such a manner that we make a difference in the lives of those we encounter in our neighbor hoods, in our nation and throughout the world.

He is married to Dr. Janice Ray Trent, owner of Hearing Health Care Services LLC –a full service provider of audiological service, hearing aids and assisted listening devices- located in Bowie, Md. Mrs Trent is also a former faculty member and clinical director of Howard University Speech and Hearing Clinic. They are the proud parents of three daughters Noelle, Andrea, and Jessica.