Reverend Joseph E. Baker is the Presiding Elder for The Eastern District in the Southwest Georgia Annual Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, appointed by Bishop Reginald T. Jackson on June 2, 2023.

Presiding Elder Baker is a product of the Suwanee County School System. He went on to graduate from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He later enrolled in Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center (I.T.C.) in Atlanta, Georgia, making the Dean’s list and earning his Master of Divinity with a concentration in Psychology of Religion, Pastoral Care and Counseling. Presiding Elder Baker is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry at the M. Christopher White School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

Presiding Elder Baker was licensed to preach in 1993, ordained an Itinerant Deacon in 1996, and ordained an Itinerant t Elder in 1999.

Upon receiving his diagonal orders, Presiding Elder Baker established Ebenezer AME Church in East Orlando, Florida. He successfully pastored Ebenezer until he graduated from college, and he was subsequently appointed to St. Paul AME Church in Canton, Georgia. During his pastorate at St. Paul, he successfully increased its membership, retired its debt, increased its aggregate income and acquired assets of land and a 3.5 bedroom house to be used to serve the surrounding community.

Prior to being appointed Presiding Elder, Rev. Baker served as the 48th pastor of the Historic Saint James AME Church in Columbus, Georgia for almost 10 years. During his tenure, he not only retired the million dollar debt of the church, he established a partnership with the Columbus Police Department through Faith and Blue, in conjunction with community partners like Feeding the Valley Food Bank Ministries, served over 10,000 meals across the Columbus community in 2020 alone, and helped to organize a voter registration project registering over 2,700 Columbus residents to vote and provided rides to the polls.

A summary of Presiding Elder’s pastoral assignments include:

-1996 to 1999 | Pastor | Ebenezer AME Church | East Orlando, Florida -2001 to 2006 | Pastor | St. Paul AME Church | Canton, Georgia. -2006 to 2008 | Pastor | St. Mary’s AME Church | Savannah, Georgia -2008 to 2013 | Senior Pastor | Townsley Chapel AME Church | Savannah, Georgia. -2013 to 2023 | Senior Pastor | Saint James AME Church | Columbus, Georgia. -2023 to present | Presiding Elder | The Eastern District | Southwest Georgia Annual Conference

In addition to serving the church on the local level, Presiding Elder Baker has served in the Old Georgia Conference as Chairman of the Georgia Annual Conference Deeds, Abstract and Abandon Property Committee. He has also served in the Southwest Georgia Annual Conference as the Dean of the Board of Examiners and member of both the Board of Trustees and Finance Committee.

Presiding Elder Baker has been equally active with the community. -In Atlanta, he has worked with youth through the YMCA Afterschool and Summer Camp programs while attending the I.T.C., receiving numerous employee recognition awards. He also provided spiritual support to the families as a student chaplain at Scottish-Rite Hospital. -In Savannah, he engaged in social justice, working with the public defender to help overturn an unjust verdict for a member convicted to a life sentence without parole, among other supported roles to members helping to prevent suicide among the youth and much more. He also supported the Chatham County youth program by supporting and in the development of youth camps while partnering with the Savannah-Chatham police department, YMCA, Savannah State University, Presidential-Rider Inc, and others to provide support for crime prevention and back to school programs for at-risk youth. -In Columbus, he graduated from the Citizen Law Enforcement Academy (C.L.E.A.) and served as the President of the Community Development Advisory Council (C.D.A.C.) through a Mayoral appointment. He is an active member for the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (I.M.A.).

Presiding Elder Baker is the husband of Reverend Donna De Voe Baker, and the father of Joseph E. Baker, II and Joshua S. Baker. He is a believer in God and seeks to fulfill God’s will for his life while blessing others. His favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy path.”

CONTACT: The Eastern District | Rev. Joseph E. Baker, Presiding Elder EMAIL: theeasterndistrictpe@gmail.com | CELL: (912) 220-9366