Dr. R. B. Holmes . . . a Visionary Leader: Memoirs, Ministries, and Messages (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781524649746)

R. B. Holmes, Jr. has successfully served as a Christian pastor for forty years. His Spirit filled leadership has guided two dynamic congregations to unprecedented heights. His first pastorate was at First Timothy Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida and he currently serves as pastor of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida. God has used his energetic personality and focused, creative leadership style to positively impact thousands of lives including children, youth, college students and adults. His love of God and people has resulted in a long and rich history of outstanding service to our country and the world at large. Having grown up in a strong Christian family in Jacksonville, Florida, family issues have been at the forefront of his ministries. He has been on a mission with a mindset of faith to motivate others to activate their faith and reach beyond themselves to attain unbelievable accomplishments. His visionary theme emphasizes the importance of spiritual, political, social, and economic enhancement. In this book, Holmes shares his life story including memories, ministries, and messages, coupled with the principles which have inspired so many individuals. His natural athletic skills in football, baseball and track strengthened his skills in group dynamics and enabled him to effectively relate to young people through sports and civic engagement. After matriculation in colleges in Ocala, Florida and Ohio, he returned to Jacksonville and served as president of the local branch of the NAACP. He was elected as the only Florida delegate to the National Democratic Convention for the Reverend Jesse Jackson when he made his historic bid for president of the United States. He has effectively served as a community leader in various roles. His early professional career included working at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville where he was chosen to lead and develop a downtown campus program because of his energy, creativity, and ability to provide effective leadership. He accepted a call into the gospel ministry in his late teens, and He has been in the forefront of helping people of all ages become economically self-sufficient, spiritually empowered, and intellectually strong. Having instituted over thirty active ministries, Bethel Christian Academy; Bethel Towers, a full-service resident facility for the elderly; and the Bethel Family Life Center and Bethel Counseling Center; a full-time mental health clinic, are among his outstanding accomplishments. He also served ten years as president of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education and developed family focused ministries for youth, married couples and singles. He has served on the on the Board of Trustees for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Florida Memorial University, Edward Waters College and Malone University. His international experiences have been widespread including participation in an education work in China, building a water well in West Africa, serving as part of the U. S. delegation led by Colin Powell to oversee elections in Africa, supporting mission trips to Haiti, and preaching in South Africa, Germany, the Soviet Union, and several Caribbean Countries. As a successful entrepreneur, he is owner of Live Communications, Inc., comprised of a radio station, WTAL 1450 AM, and the Capital Outlook weekly newspaper. He is married to Gloria and they are parents of three adult children and four grandchildren.