Honoring the Legacy
As We Rember...
Reverend Dr. J. Eric Morgan, III, was the youngest of four sons of the late Deacon J. E. and the late Deaconess Beatrice Smith Morgan. He was born and raised in Oldest Congo Town in Liberia, West Africa.
At a very early age, he accepted his call to the ministry and was licensed to preach by his home church, The First Baptist Church of Oldest Congo Town, when he was fourteen years old. He was also ordained at the said church and was accepted into the minister’s council of the Providence Baptist Association (the oldest Baptist Association on the continent of Africa).
He graduated from Liberia Baptist Seminary College, Paynesville, Liberia in 1983. He served as Interim Pastor at Salem Baptist Church Brewerville, Liberia from July 1985 to December 1986, and Pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Paynesville, Liberia. His quest for higher education and service led him to the USA to pursue a Masters Degree of Divinity and Christian Education Degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Erskine Theological Seminary, Due West, South Carolina and his Clinical Pastoral Education at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He also attended Erskine College and Columbia Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.
In 1992, Rev. Morgan began his pastorate at Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, Creedmoor, North Carolina. He was the Senior Pastor of Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church for over thirty years. There were over twenty ministers who were either trained and/or ordained under the leadership of Pastor Morgan at Mt. Vernon. His mission was to make disciples who would carry on the work that he had begun. He established a Minister’s training class where he invited the community churches to be a part of. He taught Inductive Bible Studies and trained numerous ministers, students and members of community churches.
Pastor Morgan organized the six area churches (Mt. Vernon, Talley Ho, Pine Grove, Greenfield, Synama Grove and Rock Spring) to establish the “Passion Week Services” which are held each year on the week leading up to Easter Sunday.
Reverend Morgan served as Executive Director of the Men and Boy’s Department of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention; member of the Executive Board of the Providence Baptist Association, Monrovia, Liberia. At one time, he was the Second Vice Moderator and Moderator respectively of the East Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Association, and was a member of the World Baptist Historic Society.
In addition to his parents, Deacon J. E. Morgan and Deaconess Beatrice S. Morgan, he was preceded in death by a brother, Emett Morgan and a sister, Ida Morgan.
He leaves to cherish his memory, his brothers, Shadrich Cooper (Lucy), James H. Morgan, Jr. (Peggy), Rev. Edwin G. Sherman (Quenah), Wiston Morgan, Joseph Morgan and Richard Morgan; his adopted parents, Mr. Edward and Mrs. Mary Louise Lyons; his sisters, Jewel Crews and Sonya Blow (Johnny); his nieces, Monique C. Morgan, Denise L. Carter, Satara G. Sangai, Ophelia Furgerson, McKenzie Daniel, and Kristian Daniel; his nephews, James H. Morgan, William Wilson, Tristan Gaylord and Trevor Daniel; a host of other relatives, The Mt. Vernon Church Family, The East Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Association, the Minister’s class, neighbors, the community and dear friends.
Pastor Morgan spread the Gospel to more people than we will ever know and the impact that he made on lives will forever be remembered.