Biographies

Reverend Gerald L. Durley
Pastor

Download Bio Text - Bio Picture

Dr. Gerald L. Durley was born in Wichita, Kansas. He grew up in California and graduated from high school in Denver, Colorado. Being endowed with exceptional basketball skills and a deep interest in improving the civil and human rights of African Americans, Dr. Durley chose to leave the west and venture south to Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee.

While earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, playing on a championship basketball team, and serving as student government president, he became very active in the civil rights movement. After graduating, Dr. Durley became one of the first Peace Corp volunteers to enter Nigeria, West Africa. From Africa he ventured to Switzerland where he enrolled in postgraduate studies at the University of Neuchantel. While there, he was invited to play for one of the Swiss National basketball teams.

When he returned to the United States, Dr. Durley enrolled in Northern Illinois University where he again became intensely involved in the struggle for human dignity, and earned one of the first Masters Degrees in Community Mental Health. He assisted in the founding of the Afro-American Cultural Organization whose goal was to teach minorities about their heritage. Upon graduation, he remained in Dekalb, Illinois as an administrator, counselor, professor, recruiter, Director of Black Studies and liaison between Black students on campus and in the town of Dekalb. Recognizing his sincerity for positive change, the U.S. Office of Education invited him to move to Washington, D.C. and become Assistant Branch Chief of Pupil Personnel Services. A compelling desire to be even better prepared dictated that Dr. Durley enter the University of Massachusetts and earn a Doctorate Degree in Urban Education and Psychology.

The Institute for Services to Education, Inc. invited Dr. Durley to direct many of its major projects working with historically black colleges and universities. He later founded and became president and CEO of Perspectives International, Inc. to produce positive, constructive programs for African Americans and other minority's communities.

Having been a dedicated educator, an effective psychologist, a nationally sought after motivational speaker, Dr. Durley was gravely disturbed by the decaying moral, social and family value systems throughout the nation. He enrolled at Howard University and earned a Master of Divinity Degree.

Combining the disciplines of psychology and religion, Dr. Durley moved to Atlanta, Georgia and accepted the position as Director of the Counseling Center at Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University). He later became Dean of Student Affairs at Clark Atlanta University. His concern for families and children encouraged him to accept the Executive Directorship of the Head Start Program for Fulton and Douglas Counties in Georgia. Realizing that the spirit and mind must work in concert with the physical body, Dr. Durley joined the faculty at the Morehouse School of Medicine as the Director of the Health Promotion Resource Center.

Dr. Durley has served and continues to serve on numerous boards of directors: The March of Dimes; The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); president of the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta; the Atlanta Union Mission; Vision 2020 of Atlanta; Healthy Fulton County Initiative; Atlanta's Tuberculosis Task Force; Communities in Schools of Georgia; as Adjunct Professor—Morehouse School of Medicine; the Atlanta Beltline Partnership; the Mayor's Commission to Rename Hartsfield Airport; the Mayor's Youth and Violence Prevention Task Force; Grace Crum Rollins' School of Public Health—Emory University Violence and Injury Advisory Board; Atlanta Diabetes Board; The Atlanta Project; Georgia Power Company's Diversity Advisory Council; American Tract Society Board; Regional Council of Christian Churches; Faith Alliance of Metropolitan Atlanta; World Pilgrims Board; Chair, Hughes-Spaulding Children’s Hospital; Interfaith Advisory Corrections Board; and the Interdenominational Theological Center Strategic Planning Board.

Pastor Dr. Durley is called upon to address hundreds of civic, political, higher education, and social groups throughout the year on various topics. He is a highly sought after motivational/inspirational speaker.

Pastor Durley was an associate pastor at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia. He was ordained and became a pulpit associate at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He currently serves as the Pastor of the historic Providence Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia for the past 20 years

He has been married for thirty-nine years to his wife, Muriel. Together they have one daughter, Nia, and one son, Hasan. He is the grandfather of four.

Reverend Curtis L. Echols, Sr.
Senior Assistant Pastor

Rev. Echols has been a part of the Providence Missionary Baptist Church family for over eighteen (18) years and has been Senior Assistant Pastor of Providence for fifteen (15) years.

Rev. Echols is in charge of the following Outreach/Evangelism Ministries:

Environmental Committee
Health Committee
Publicity/Marketing Ministry
12 Steps Ministry
Transportation
Arts Ministry (includes Dance, and Artistic Productions)
Sound Ministry
Senior Adult Ministry
Young-At-Heart
Deaconess Board
Dorcas Club
Matrons’ Club
The Brotherhood
Ushers
Birth Months Club
New Members Ministry

Reverend Kathi Chavous
Assistant Pastor

A much sought after preacher, conference speaker, teacher and seminar leader, The Reverend Kathi R. Chavous has delivered the gospel message across the country. Hailed as a powerful preacher by Drs. Henry and Ella Mitchell, Rev. Chavous facilitates the growth and development of God’s people through her dynamic preaching, perceptive and caring attention to the needs of every life she touches.

Rev. Chavous currently serves as the Assistant Pastor of the historic Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia; where the Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley is the Senior Pastor. In addition to her responsibilities within the Family Life Development Ministries , Rev. Chavous has provided leadership in three of the Providence Community Social Services Ministries, including the Apprenticeship Program, a job readiness training program; the Can You Soar? Program, families in transition program; and the STEPS enrichment program, which serves four feeder schools in the Cascade Heights Area.

A visionary leader, Rev. Chavous’ accomplishments included the development of an Annual Leadership Institute for ordained and lay leaders and a unique model of Christian Education currently in use by several churches across the country. She has extensive and diverse experience in ministry, serving in such capacities as Assistant Pastor, Assistant to the Pastor, Associate Pastor, Church Consultant, Minister of Christian Education, Outreach and Evangelism Coordinator, Bible Study Instructor, Instructor for the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. A ministry development consultant, Rev. Chavous has also served as coordinator of the Georgia Faith Advocates Network, a state-wide coalition of ecumenical leaders devoted to the needs of Georgia’s families. She has also served as supply preacher in the state of New York.

Rev. Chavous is a native of Buffalo, New York. She was awarded the Bachelor of Science degree from Houghton College in West Seneca New York; the Master of Divinity Degree from the Morehouse School of Religion and a certificate in Faith-Based Counseling Training through the Georgia Association for Pastoral Care and the Providence Learning Center.

Rev. Chavous demonstrates her commitment to the community through participation in the Cascade Pastoral Alliance, American Baptist Churches USA Ministerial Alliance, the Heart of Atlanta Network, the Emory/Georgia Steering Committee on Health Disparities among Minorities and the Atlanta Plus Peer Group, a consortium of preachers from the across the country studying excellence in preaching and worship under the auspices of the Lily Foundation’s Institute for Clergy Excellence.

She is a member of the National Chaplains Council of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Rev. Chavous serves as Chaplain for the 370 member East Point/College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Rev. Chavous has been the recipient of many honors and awards, among them the Martin Luther King Sr, Pastoral Ministry Award, the Sandy F. Ray Memorial Preaching Award, Morehouse School of Religion Distinguished Service Award, Council of Churches Ecumenical Service Award and the Delta Sigma Theta Pinnacle Leadership Award and Women of the Cloth – Torch Award.

An anointed woman of God, Rev, and Chavous’ focus is preaching the gospel message, urban ministry, leadership development and counseling. Believing in the uniqueness and giftedness of all God’s people, Rev. Chavous feels that it is the role of the church to come alongside and help “stir up the gift.”

Minister Rob Hughes
Youth Minister

Rob Hughes is currently serving as the Youth Minister of the Providence Missionary Baptist Church community in Atlanta, Georgia, under the administration of Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley. As Youth Minister, Hughes provides spiritual leadership and development in the areas of: worship, education, outreach, and community service. In addition to his congregational duties, Hughes is active in several Atlanta-based community organizations including: Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters, The Rod Coleman Foundation, Concerned Black Clergy, and The World Pilgrims.

Hughes is a 2005 Master of Divinity degree honors graduate of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta and a member of the International Society of Theta Phi. During his senior year of graduate studies, he completed his “Ministry in Context” practical experience with the United States Congressional District Office of Congressman John Lewis. In Spring 2004, Hughes completed the National Capital Semester for Seminarians, a study of "Ethics, Theology, and Public Policy" conducted at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. In 1996, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Communication from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Hughes has maintained a continuous commitment to spiritual, economic, and community development through public service; and has served numerous mission-based organizations and public policy advocacy groups in Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, and Washington D.C.

Hughes is the son of Rev. Henry L. and Carol A. Hughes of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Reverend C. T. Vivian

The New School for Social Research conferred a Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, on Rev. C. T. Vivian for “having been in the vanguard of the struggle for racial equality for three decades as spiritual leader, apostle of social justice and strategist of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Dr. Vivian is best known for his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a member of his executive staff. He was National Director of Affiliates, and strategist for every S.C.L.C. organization on issues such as education, voter registration, non-violence, cooperatives, consumer education, training, human relations projects, and direct action and community development projects. He was involved in Birmingham as we won the Civil Rights Bill, in Selma as we won the Voting Rights Bill, and in other movements such as Nashville, TN; Danville, VA; St. Augustine, FL and Chicago, IL. As a result of his undaunted commitment to the Civil Rights Movement, he has been placed in the Civil Rights Institute (Birmingham, AL); The National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis, TN); The National Voting Rights Museum (Selma, AL) and the Portrait Hall of Fame, M.L. King Chapel, Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA). He is in P.B.S.’s acclaimed Eyes on the Prize. He is three times seen as activist and analyst. P.B.S. later did a full-length piece, The Healing Ministry of the Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian. He is also shown as activist and analyst in the newly released series, The Peoples Century.

He left Dr. King’s executive staff to train ministers and develop the urban curriculum for the nations seminaries. The work was done at the Urban Training Center in Chicago. Dr. Vivian had been a Christian journalist before the Movement years, and won his first non-violent direct action movement in 1947 opening restaurants in Peoria, Illinois. He returned to the world of seminary education as Dean of Shaw University Seminary. There he originated and found funding for an original national program, the basis of his doctoral work, Seminary without Walls.

In his present position as Board Chair of the Black Action Strategies and Information Center, Inc. (B.A.S.I.C.) in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Vivian is involved in the creation and development of religious, and educational human rights and cultural programs, projects and materials designed to solve basic minority/majority problems and conditions. He is the author of Black Power and the American Myth (Fortress Press), a best selling, non-fiction, social analysis on Black/White interactions. Recently he served as speaker for the United Nations International Conference Against Racism, Zenophobia and Related Intolerances held in South Africa (August 2001); speaker for the Fourth World Conference on Nonviolence at the University of Rhode Island; consultant to the United Nations World Conference of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nations in New York City. He is presently on the Steering Committee of the parent organization. He served as speaker for the Annual Meeting of the Churches of the Brethren meeting in Baltimore, Maryland and as speaker for the 2001 National Jamaican Independence Day held in Montego Bay.

Since being in Atlanta, Dr. C. T. Vivian has founded The Center for Democratic Renewal, The National Center for Human Rights Education, and his own anti-racist, diversity training center Black Action Strategies and Information Center (B.A.S.I.C.). He is a board member and founding member of the new Capitol City Bank & Trust Company. His book of a decade ago became an Ebony Book Club selection.

His wife, Mrs. Octavia Vivian, did the first biography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, a best seller.

Reverend Eugene McClinton

Rev. Eugene McClinton did his undergraduate studies at Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, with a major in Social Studies. Upon receiving his B.S. degree, he went to work for the Social Security Administration, making it his career of 34 years.

He accepted the call from God to enter into the gospel ministry near the end of 1975. He entered Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), graduating in May 1979 with the degree Master of Divinity.

Rev. McClinton has served on the ministerial staff at four Atlanta area Baptist churches, performing all pastoral duties. He loves the Word of God as he reads and studies the Bible on a continual basis. He has been a teacher of Sunday School classes since 1971. He loves teaching very much.

He uses the following Bible verse as a motto:

"Aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work willingly with your own hands..."1 Thessalonians 4:11.