Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
I am Dr. Edward Hodge, Jr., and it is an honor to serve as the interim pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. I am married to the love of my life, Rosalyn, who hails from Columbus, MS. We met while I was stationed at Columbus AFB on 11 January 1990, quickly fell in love, and got married on 30 June 1990 (when it’s right, you know it!)
I was born and raised in West Philadelphia, PA by my parents Edward Sr. and Mildred Hodge who live with us in Montgomery. We have one daughter, Faith Elizabeth, who we love with all our hearts. She lives in San Antonio, TX, pursuing a career in social services. I have one sister, Jessica, an Air Force veteran, who lives in Irving, TX.
After spending 3 years in college, I knew it was time for me to be on my own, so I left Philadelphia and joined the Air Force in 1984. I separated from the Air Force in the rank of Staff Sergeant after 9 years, and I am proud to have served my country. I started my federal civil service career in 1994.
Growing up in Philadelphia, my mom and dad made sure we attended church regularly. After falling away from the Christian faith as a young adult, the Lord graciously gave me a renewed awareness of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ while I was in the Air Force. With this renewed understanding of the Gospel, I committed myself to living as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In 1998, I accepted the call to Christian ministry and preached my first sermon at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Ethelsville, AL, under the leadership of Rev. Tommy Prude. I was ordained in August 1999 by First Missionary Baptist Church, Biloxi, MS, pastored by the late Rev. Larry Holmes. As an associate pastor at First M.B. Church, my love for teaching the Scriptures led me to focus on adult and youth Bible classes and to serve as Sunday School superintendent. Tragically, Pastor Holmes died, leaving me to provide spiritual leadership to a hurting congregation for several months. In 2006, my civil service career moved me from the Mississippi Gulf Coast back to Columbus, MS, where I served as an associate minister at Missionary Union Baptist Church under Rev. Tony Montgomery.
Believing in the importance of cross-racial ministry, my family joined Mount Zion Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in New Hope, MS. Incredibly, Mount Zion discovered I was the first Black man, not a slave, to be a member, and the first Black man to ever preach from the pulpit. In 2012, we moved to San Antonio, TX to further my civil service career, where I later joined the staff at Covenant Community Church led by Rev. Dr. Earl Grant.
Another job offer brought us to Montgomery in December 2022. After visiting several churches, we joined Shiloh with great joy in June of 2023 under the leadership of Rev. Taraus Fuller.
Currently, I am the Director for Student Support in the Civilian Leadership Development School, Air University, Maxwell AFB. I have a bachelor’s degree in general business from Mississippi University for Women (co-ed since 1982), a Master of Divinity from Luther Rice Seminary, Lithonia, GA, and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education and Adult Learning from Walden University, Minneapolis, MN.
My philosophy of ministry focuses on five areas: teaching the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:2), making disciples (Matt 28:19-20), visiting the sick (James 5:14), caring for those in need (1 John 3:17-18), and equipping God’s people for works of service (Eph 4:12).
I am so thankful to be serving the Shiloh family. It is a place of compassionate, like-minded saints who love one another and desire to Honor God, Know God, and Share God every day.
All the best!
Eddie