Meet Our Pastor

Rev. Dr. Joshua Antoine Harris, Sr. is a proud product of the inner city of Cincinnati, Ohio. By the age of seven, it was evident to his parents Rev. John and Evette Harris that God had anointed him to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Dr. Harris officially accepted his call into preaching ministry at the age of eighteen. Being a third-generation preacher as well as a millennial pastor, Dr. Harris has an undeniable gift to effectively minister to people of all ages and stages. 

Dr. Harris is well-studied. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Relations with a Minor in Marketing, Dr. Harris relocated to the Historic Jackson Ward district in Richmond, Virginia to attend the prestigious Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. Dr. Harris went on to pursue and complete his doctoral work at the United Theological Seminary of Dayton, Ohio. 

Dr. Harris believes that the church is still the cornerstone of the community and the source of both spiritual and social change. He has served as Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Mathews County, Virginia, and the St. Timothy Missionary Baptist Church of Cleveland, Ohio, and in the Fall of 2020 97% of the First Gethsemane Baptist Church of Louisville, KY affirmed him as their sixth pastor in the church’s rich history of 110 years. 

Dr. Harris currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for the First Gethsemane Center for Family Development, Board Member of Greater Louisville Youth for Christ, a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, and Founder and CEO of community development corporation, HOPE of Louisville. 

Dr. Harris’ greatest joy is his son, Joshua Antoine Harris Jr.​