Rev. Dr. Robert L. Jeffrey, Sr.
Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Robert L. Jeffrey, Sr. May, 2021

Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffrey, Sr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second oldest of 16 children. He was raised in rural Oklahoma and schooled in Virginia.

Rev. Jeffrey has been involved in economic development all his life and has been a constant advocate for those who are systematically locked out of economic opportunities in this country.  In 1975, Rev. Jeffrey received the Doctor of Ministry Degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. During his nine year tenure as Senior Pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia, Rev. Jeffrey was an active member on the Board of Directors of Total Action Against Poverty, founded an inner-city community mental health house, was honored as a leader in the "War Against Poverty" by the City of Roanoke, was presented with the Key to the City of Roanoke when honored as an outstanding civil rights leader, and acquired seven acres of land for an educational building for the church. While in Virginia, Rev. Jeffrey served as Dean of the School of Religion at the Virginia College and Seminary in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Rev. Jeffrey relocated to Seattle, Washington in 1986 to become the Senior Pastor of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.    Pastor Jeffrey came with a vision, a mind to work, new programs, a spirit to lead, a willingness to teach us to do it God's way, and new ministries. Program instituted under his leadership include the purchase and renovation of a home to provide transitional housing for homeless women and children, an annual walk-a-thon to raise funds for community services, a feeding program administer by the church, implementation of the "Lock-In Program" for at-risk youth, and a yearly park revival outreach program.

In 1988, Pastor Jeffrey founded the Black Dollar Days Task Force (BDDTF), a non-profit organization committed to facilitating economic self-sufficiency for inner-city African Americans. It is in this capacity that he is most recognized in the City of Seattle - as a dynamic advocate for every person's right to dignity. The BDDTF promotes economic development, self-sufficiency, and community cohesiveness and achieves its goals through the energies of grassroots people eager to control their own destiny. In early 1994, Pastor Jeffrey launched "Campaign 5000", an effort to build an African American Community Endowment Fund which in turn has created a micro-enterprise loan fund.

Pastor Jeffrey has become intimately involved in his community through providing leadership on the Governor of Washington State's transitional team and by serving on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Seattle, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Washington State SANE/Freeze. He has received numerous awards including the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award and the W.E.B. Dubois Talented Tenth Award.

Other awards presented to Pastor Jeffrey include:

  • Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment Bayard Rustin Civil Rights Award - October 1994
  • Washington Citizen Action Community Leadership Award - March 1995
  • Seattle Times Pacific Magazine- "Pacific Picks, 100 People of Influence" - July 1995
  • Anti-Defamation League's Cal Anderson Civil Rights Advocacy Award, February 1998
  • Bonnermann Fellowship Recipient – 2001
  • Alaska/Oregon/Washington Area NAACP Community Leadership Award-September 2008

Rev. Jeffrey continues the ministry given to him by God with the same vision, mind to work, spirit to lead, and willingness to teach. He continues to institute changes for the betterment of our Church family and community. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the leadership of Rev. Jeffrey:

  • Female ministers have been licensed, ordained and added to the ministerial staff;
  • We have built a $3.5 million edifice in which we worship God
  • We have changed the organizational and administrative structure of the church, instituting a Diaconate Board
  • The first two female Deacons were ordained June 25, 2006; two more February 15, 2009
  • We have completed the purchase of our other properties (church office, church annex, Luke-Hendrix House, parking lot)
  • We have developed the Clean Greens Project, a 23-acre chemical-free farm in Duvall, Washington where we employ people from our community and produce healthy vegetables to sell at low cost in our community (website: www.cleangreens.com )
  • We are in the process of building an apartment complex with a coffee shop and educational training facility for youth

Rev. Jeffrey is married to Karen A. Washington Jeffrey, and they are the proud and loving parents of Robert Jr., Porche, Michael, Nyoka, Jasmine and Susan Elouise.