Reverend Alexander L. Warthen, Born November 29, 1953
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his Christian experience at an early age, Christened at the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he served as an acolyte until death of his father in 1966. It was then he learned the importance of respect for elders, the blessings of obedience, the meaning of true discipline and, the role and goal of Godly leadership in the home and in the church.
He currently serves as Associate Pastor Teacher at Trinity Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California. Ordained in 2005, he first announced God’s call into the prophetic teaching and preaching ministry in 1991 while serving as deacon and was ordained as deacon in 1993 while under the pastoral leadership of Dr. Dumas A Harshaw, Jr. at Trinity Baptist Church, and mentored by Dr. Elliot J Mason, Sr. He served as deacon and teacher in the Adult Division of the Sunday School department at Trinity Baptist Church from 1988 until his departure in 1998. During this same period, Rev. Warthen attended Los Angeles Bible Training School from 1994 until 1998, served as both Vice President and President and graduated in 1998. He united with First New Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California, in 1998, served as deacon, was ordained (again) in 2000. It was then that Rev. Warthen announced God’s Call into the Gospel ministry, and was licensed to preach the Gospel in July, 2003. His trial sermon was “Come In Before Dark”, Zechariah 4:6-7. While serving as General Superintendent of the Sunday School Department at First New Christian Fellowship, he was actively involved with the daily, administrative and financial operations of the church, and prepared weekly curriculums, spear-headed adult vacation Bible school and was a counselor/instructor for summer day camp, annually. In 1999, Rev. Warthen co founded, organized, and served as president of the St. Augustine Bible College, in association with St Augustine Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California where he prepared lessons and taught Biblical Hermeneutics. While serving as superintendent he continued to organize training workshops in the Biblical interpretation and daily application of scripture. Biblically based curriculums were offered centering on the Christian world view, from an Afro-centric and libertation theological perspective. Rev. Warthen’s passion has been and continues to be to encourage youth to be actively involved in the moral and ethical development of leadership roles in the church, in the family, community, and the world at large. His message is that we strive to daily live and represent God in Christ.
Rev. Warthen attended the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in Philosophy, with a minor in Abnormal Psychology and early Black Child Development. Upon completion in 1978, he relocated, to Los Angeles, California, continuing his studies at UCLA in Advanced Computer Programming. In 1993, he attended Azusa Pacific University, specializing in Urban Ministry and Community Organizing, In 2006, he was accepted into the first ever “Passing the Mantle” program for African American Clergy and Lay Leadership at the University of Southern California, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, James Irvine Foundation, founded by Dr. Cecil Murray and Pastor Mark Whitlock. While seeking God’s will in the Gospel ministry, Rev. Warthen was employed for over 25 years as a consultant in the fields of human resource management and multi-state payroll administration, in both the professional and private sectors, and is a member of the American Payroll Association since 2006.
In 1982, Rev. Warthen met Paula Denise Smith a native of Dallas, Texas and was married in 1987. We have two daughters, Kimberly & KeShaa, one son, Alexander and five grandchildren. Our son is currently serving our country as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in Iraq.
God has given Reverend Warthen a “passion for the Word of God” and “compassion for the people of God.” As a man of prayer, he strives to be empowered and led by the Spirit of God, believing in the power of the Gospel to change and transform lives, to release captives, recover sight to the blind, to set free those who are down-trodden and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, for the abused, the marginalized and the rejected (TAMAR). His favorite Scripture is “Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world.” (I John 4:4)