About Reverend Dr. James Hightower
Reverend Dr. James Hightower
Greater Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church
Atlanta, GA
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). “We walk by faith and not by sight.” (II Corinthians 5:7.) These are the words which have been the guiding posts for all 59 years of the preaching and pastoral ministry of Dr. James E. Hightower as he has gone all of over the world representing the carpenter from Nazareth.
Dr. Hightower was born in Pine Mountain, Ga. He was the ninth of twelve children born to Susie and Larkin Hightower. After growing up in Pine Mountain, he enlisted in the military in 1943 and fought during World War II. After the war ended, he completed his high school education and graduated from David T. Howard High School in Atlanta in 1949. He attended Morehouse College for one year and in 1963 he obtained his Bachelor of Theology from Carver Bible Institute (now Carver Bible College), Atlanta, Ga. In 1994 his beloved alma mater conferred upon him an honorary doctorate degree.
During his 59 years of serving on the battlefield for the Lord, Dr. J. E. Hightower has pastored 5 churches where he has baptized, dedicated, married, counseled, assisted and led innumerable sheep for the Lord. Among the Churches that he has pastored are Broughton Tabernacle Baptist Church, Lawrenceville, Ga. (1955-1962); Siloam Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga. (1957-1959); Shoal Creek Baptist Church, Locust Grove, Ga. (1962-1968) Elizabeth Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga. (1959-1994); and Greater Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church (1994-2011).
In November 1994, at the age of 70, God led Dr. Hightower to organize the Greater Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church inside the Alfonso Dawson Mortuary. After following God’s directions for 7 years, led Greater Elizabeth to 4555 Campbellton Road where the Church moved into a 2 million dollar worship edifice. At its height the Church had a membership roll of 2000. Pastor Emeritus Hightower established Greater Elizabeth as a Bible-based, Christ-centered and Holy Spirit led New Testament Church.
In March of 2011 God led Pastor Hightower to call the Church together for a special meeting where he announced that God had led him to announce Pastor Kenneth Augustus Walker as his successor after leading Greater Elizabeth for 17 years. On Sunday, June 5, 2011, God led Dr. Hightower to officially retire from the pastoral ministry. However, he preaches the 8AM worship service every 5th Sunday of the month and he also preaches when the Senior Pastor is traveling.
Age is not an issue for Dr. Hightower as he has answered God’s Macedonian call by taking the Gospel and humanitarian aid to Monrovia, Liberia. He made his first trip to the motherland in 2010 and made a return trip to preach and teach in 2011. In 2012 at the age of 88 he will return to Liberia where Pastor Kenneth Augustus Walker will lead an effort to establish the Dr. J. E. Hightower Safe House for Orphans in his honor.
Always on a quest for education and pushing education, Dr. Hightower served as Dean and Professor of Theology at Carver Bible College. For 25 years he served with great distinction as President of the Fifth District of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia.
Now that he is retired from the pastoral ministry, Dr. Hightower completely enjoys being driven down to Pensacola and St. Petersburg Florida to fish by Pastor Walker once per month.
Dr. J. E. Hightower is the father of four children James, Jarius (deceased), David and Wanda; and he is the grandfather of six. He is the widower of Barbara Ann Hightower, his loving wife of 25 years.
Asked what has been the key to his longevity, Dr. Hightower simply says, “I try to see everything through the eyes of the scriptures.”
Without a doubt Dr. James E. Hightower is “a man for all seasons.”
