Reginald Jackson (bishop) facts for kids

Reginald Thomas Jackson was born on April 26, 1954, in Dover, Delaware. He is a very important leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, known as a bishop. He was the 132nd person to be chosen and made a bishop in this church.

Bishop Jackson is married to Christy Davis-Jackson, and they have two children, Regina Victoria Jackson and Seth Joshua Jackson. He studied history at Delaware State University and later earned a special degree called a Masters of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Helping People as a Pastor

In 1979, Reginald Jackson became the pastor of St. John AME Church in Jersey City, New Jersey. A short time later, in 1981, he became the pastor at St. Matthew AME Church in Orange, New Jersey. During his time as a pastor, more than 3,000 people decided to follow Christ or join the church.

At St. Matthew AME, the church grew a lot under his leadership. They started over thirty different programs to help people. These programs supported the spiritual, emotional, educational, physical, and financial needs of both the church members and the community. The church's budget also grew a lot, from $50,000 to almost $2,000,000. Because the church grew so much, they built a new building in 1985 and an even bigger one in 2002. This church was known as "The Servant Church of the Oranges" because it was open seven days a week and was a busy place for both church activities and community events.

Leading as a Bishop

In 2012, Reginald T. Jackson was chosen to be the 132nd bishop in the A.M.E. Church. This happened at a big meeting called the 49th Quadrennial Session General Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. He was chosen from the First Episcopal District. His main ideas were "Imagine the Church at Its Best" and "Strengthen Local Churches"!

Today, Bishop Jackson is in charge of the Office of Ecumenical Affairs. This means he helps the A.M.E. Church work with other Christian churches. He also leads the 20th Episcopal District, which includes churches in Malawi and Zimbabwe. His wife, Supervisor Christy Davis-Jackson, works alongside him in this role.

Making a Difference in the Community

Besides his church work, Bishop Jackson also helps his community in many ways. He is the executive director of the Black Ministers Council (BMC) of New Jersey. This group represents over 600 African American churches in New Jersey.

As the leader of the BMC, he has spoken out about many important issues in the state. For example, he pushed for more money for schools in poorer areas. This led to the State Supreme Court ordering New Jersey to spend more than eight billion dollars to make sure all schools had fair funding. He also worked to get enough money for healthcare for people who don't have insurance. He supported laws to stop unfair lending practices that targeted minority groups and older people. He also worked to help develop cities in the state.

Bishop Jackson is especially known for his leadership in fighting against racial profiling. This is when police unfairly stop or treat people differently because of their race. His efforts helped New Jersey pass a law that made racial profiling a crime. The governor signed this law, making it official.

Important Roles and Awards

Bishop Jackson serves on many different boards and committees. He is the chairman of the board of trustees for Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey. He is also a member and former president of the board of education for the Orange Public Schools. He serves on the board of New Brunswick Theological Seminary and Barnabas Health. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP, a well-known civil rights organization. He is also a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

He has received hundreds of awards for his work. In 2000, New Jersey Monthly magazine named him Man of the Year. He also received the William Ashby Award from the United Way and the Martin Luther King Award from the Newark North Ward Center. Bishop Jackson has often been named one of the 25 most influential people in New Jersey because of his impact.