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About Us Our Pastor, Dr. Jerry Bryant  The
Reverend Dr. Jerry L. Bryant, Jr. of Magnolia, Mississippi, was born in
1950 to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. and (Hazel L.) Bryant. He has one sister Janice
and one brother Rolfe L. He attended the Lillie Mae Bryant Elementary School
in Franklin County, Mississippi and the Eva Gordon Attendance Center in
Magnolia, Mississippi, where he graduated in 1967. He holds a B.S. Degree
in Natural Science from Mississippi Valley State University (cum Laude)
and a Ph.D. in Microbiology (Molecular Biology) from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, the first ever earned by an African American male in that
department.
Reverend Dr. Bryant accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at the age of 12 at New Zion Baptist Church, Magnolia, MS. Under the tutelage of Pastor Victor G. Williams of First Baptist Church of Maplewood, Maplewood, MO., he accepted the call into the ministry and was licensed to preach on July 6, 1986. Pastor Richard Rollins at the First Missionary Baptist Church of Baldwin, Baldwin, MO, ordained Reverend Bryant on June 28, 1992. The Reverend Dr. Bryant has served as an Associate Minister at First Baptist Church of Maplewood and as Associate Pastor/Teacher of First Missionary Baptist Church of Baldwin. Pastor Leroy O. Payton named him First Assistant to the Pastor at Chantilly Baptist Church in 1997, where he joined in September 1996 upon relocating to the area. He has also been the Evangelist for two five-day revivals. His ministries include Sunday School teacher, 15 years (teens and adults); Board of Christian Education, 10 years (member and chairman); Children's Church Pastor/Teacher, 4 years; Church Bible Study teacher/coordinator, 10 years and choir member. He has completed and taught the National Evangelism Movement training series of the Bethany Bible College of West Los Angeles, CA. The Reverend Dr. Jerry L. Bryant is also the Director of the United Negro College Fund's Science Education Initiatives. As the Director, Rev. Dr. Bryant is responsible for the UNCF Merck Science Initiative, a 10-year, $20 million partnership designed to expand America's pool of world-class African American biomedical scientists. This initiative uses a combination of financial support, hands-on internships, and mentoring to cultivate the potential of America's best African American science students at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels. These young research scientists are receiving training at universities across the nation. He also directs the $1.5 million UNCF Parke-Davis Scientific Initiatives Partnership, which supports postdoctoral research in the biomedical fields. Over the years, Reverend Bryant has gathered a broad spectrum of experience in academia, industrial research and development, science education, and mentoring. Before joining UNCF, he was a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and had an active research laboratory. He has served as Visiting Scientist for Plant Virology at Washington University; and Vice President and General manager of Lee Scientific, Inc. all in St. Louis, MO. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work in science and in the community. Reverend Bryant is married to the former Earnestine
Howard of Shreveport, LA, an educator in the Loudoun County Public Schools.
Mrs. Bryant graduated from Walnut Hill High School, Keithville, LA. She
entered Mississippi Valley State University on an instrumental music scholarship
in 1966. She graduated in 1970 with a B.S. in Music Education with a specialty
in Brasswind. She later earned an M.S. in Music Education from Washington
University in St. Louis. She was the first African-American female band
director at University High School, MO and was awarded Teacher of the
Year in 1995. She has 30 years of teaching experience and has been a church
musician for 40 years. Reverend and Mrs. Bryant are the proud parents
of three children Keisha, Marlynn (deceased) and Keir Jason and the proud
grandparents of two lovely grandchildren. back to top of page |
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