Rev. G. Turner Sr

Pastor G. Thomas Turner, Sr., age 77, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, passed on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at Mount Carmel East Hospital. He was born in Columbus, Ohio on December 25, 1936. He received his formal education from the Columbus Public School System and was a graduate of the East High School January class of 1955. During his high school years, he was a member of the track team and held records in the mile relay and 880 relay where the team won District and City championships. Pastor Turner earned his Bachelor of Theology degree from Virginia Seminary and College in Lynchburg, Virginia; an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Baltimore College of the Bible, Baltimore, Maryland; and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Seminary. Also, he attended Capital University, Columbus, Ohio and Shenandoah Bible College, Roanoke, Virginia. He was a former President and Board Member of Isabelle Ridgeway Nursing Center; an instructor in the National Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress; Board Member of the Lott Carey Foreign Missions Convention; a former Moderator of the Eastern Union Missionary Baptist Association and Auxiliaries, Inc.; a former Member of the Board of Directors of the R.H. Boyd Corporation and National Baptist Publishing Board; a founding member of The Brothers of the Common Life where he was referred to as “Dean”; and he was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia in February 1992. His pastoral experiences included: Macedonia Baptist Church, Cambridge, Ohio; Ebenezer Baptist Church, Kingston, Virginia; Mount Shiloh Baptist Church, Monroe, Virginia; First Baptist Church, Hollins, Virginia; and Maple Street Baptist Church, Roanoke, Virginia. His last pastorate was the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio for 41 years. Pastor Turner was an avid sports fan and financial supporter of The Ohio State University Athletics Program. He was also a fan of the Cleveland Browns, the Boston Celtics, and the New York Yankees. Pastor Turner is survived by his loving and devoted wife of almost 53 years, Roberta F. Turner, Ph.D.; son, George T. Turner, Jr.; daughter, Patrice E. Turner, Ed.D.; grandson, Seth; sister, Martha (Richard) Harmon; niece, Trina (John) Branham; nephew, Gary (Tracy) Harmon; many cousins; “special” children: Pat Dawkins and the Rev. Dr. Alyn (Dr. Ellyn) Waller; and the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church family.