The Reverend Doctor James E. Victor, Jr. continues a long family legacy of Christian ministry. Like his grandfather, Dr. James Sterling Beverly, and generations before him, Dr. Victor has dedicated himself to the pastoral ministry. Currently, Dr. Victor serves as the ninth pastor of the 153-year-old Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to his coming to Northern Virginia, he served as the pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee and as the Associate Pastor of the home church of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
As a Kentucky native, Dr. Victor matriculated through the public schools of Hopkinsville, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically. Dr. Victor earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He prepared himself for ministry by receiving the Master of Divinity degree with magna cum laude honors from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, and the Master of Theology degree from the Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Additionally, Doctor Victor earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC with a specialty in Preaching for the 21st Century.
His commitment to public service and community engagement has provided Dr. Victor with opportunities for leadership in the church, the academy, and denominational platforms. Dr. Victor has served on the boards of Virginia Union University and Wesley Theological Seminary, guided the Northern Virginia Black Pastor’s Council, and fulfilled duties as the Director of Missions for the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the President of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia. At present, Dr. Victor holds the position of Vice-President in the Lott Carey Foreign Missions Convention.
While he has busied himself with ministry beyond the local church, his chief responsibility and joy has been his dedication to the Mount Olive Baptist Church. Beginning his 25th year as Senior Pastor, Dr. Victor and Mount Olive have shifted to become a technologically savvy congregation offering a ministry of the Word on multiple social medial platforms. Additionally, Dr. Victor has facilitated equity within the church by licensing and ordaining the first women to the preaching ministry in the history of the church as well as elevating the Deaconess Ministry to full Diaconate status. Through Dr. Victor’s leadership, Mount Olive has achieved missional clarity resulting in outreach efforts both domestically and abroad. Mount has been responsible for building housing, a community center, and a 300-pupil school in Haiti. On the home front, the church has a variety of ministries to address the needs of the local community to include youth mentoring programs, initiatives to eliminate food insecurity using produce from Black farmers, and a Black history academy.
Apart from his professional life, Dr. Victor is the father of two adult children and enjoys reading, photography, and bass fishing.