Christ Our Redeemer AME Church started in February 1990 as a mission project of the St. James AME Church in St. Louis, MO. The Reverend Leslie R. White was the pastor of St. James. The Presiding Bishop, the Right Reverend Vinton R. Anderson, challenged Reverend Edmund E. Lowe, Sr. to accept the responsibility to increase the African Methodist Episcopal Church ministry in North St. Louis County.
The first worship service was held on the first Sunday in April 1990. Among the pioneering members, along with Pastor Lowe and his family were Joseph Vaughn, the first man to join Christ Our Redeemer, Mrs. Alverna Vaughn, Carlinda McDaniels, Anthony McDaniels, Michelle McDaniels, Curtis Cofer, Rosemary Burr, Priscilla Thomas, the first person to be baptized in the church, Demitrias Bright, Deborah Love, Vinton Anderson, Jr., Duane Hardin, Jeffrey Anderson, Kenneth Anderson, Martha Allen, Ruby Davis, Maggie Davis, Paula Davis, Carolyn Thomas, Maria Thomas and Paulette Hughes.
The first worship in the newly acquired property was Easter Sunday, April 19, 1992. The twenty-six pioneering members listed above, moved Christ Our Redeemer from the gymnasium at Storman-Stufflin School to Old Jamestown Rd. The church grew and many spirit-filled soldiers of the cross joined in the mission of saving souls. To God be the Glory!
Reverend Edmund E. Lowe, Sr. had 21 pastoral appointments at Christ Our Redeemer. This is the longest appointment of any pastor in the Missouri Annual Conference. We are now blessed with Reverend Dr. Roger A. Richardson, a dynamic preacher and teacher and former pastor of Lee Chapel AME Church, Edgewater, AL. He has taken us to higher heights regarding our knowledge of the Doctrine and Discipline of the AME Church and the history of African Methodism. His passion, enthusiasm and love for the AME church is heard in every conversation he has with the members and in every sermon he preaches. We thank God for our First Family – Reverend Dr. Roger A. Richardson, wife Joi and children Naomi and Roger, Jr. We look forward to what God has in store for Christ Our Redeemer AME Church through none other than The Reverend Dr. Roger A. Richardson!
Rev. Dr. Roger Richardson Bio
Rev. Dr. Roger A. Richardson is the pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Blackjack, Missouri where he has served since 2012. He accepted his calling to the ministry at age 12 at his home church, First AME Church, Los Angeles, under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray.
Rev. Dr. Richardson began his academic career at Tuskegee University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political science. He also attended Alabama A&M University where he earned a Master’s degree in Urban & Regional Planning. He is a graduate of Payne Theological Seminary where he received his Master of Divinity. He received a Ph. D in Public Administration from Auburn University.
He holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Auburn University Montgomery. Rev. Dr. Richardson holds a certificate in Social Science Research from ICPSR at the University of Michigan. He is also a graduate of the Management Development Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Higher Education. In academia, he has served as a professor, outreach specialist, research director and program director.
Rev. Dr. Richardson draws upon his experience as an educator to equip and educate the saints with the Word of God. The central focus of his ministry is preparing God’s people to be Christ’s ambassadors to the lost as outlined in II Corinthians 5:20. He has faithfully served as a pastor in the Thirteenth, Ninth and Fifth Episcopal Districts.
He is married to Joi Richardson and they have two children, Naomi and Roger Richardson Jr.