In 1955, while a junior in high school, I heard Lee Roberson speak in a church service. As a result of that experience, one year later I found myself enrolling as a freshman at Tennessee Temple College (as it was known then). For the next seven years as I attended both college and seminary, I had the wonderful privilege of studying and learning through the teaching, leadership, and influence of this great man of God.

Saved and called early in life
Lee Roberson was born in English, Indiana, on November 24, 1909. He spent the first two years on the farm with his parents, Charles and Dora Roberson. In 1911, they moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and then later to a nine-acre farm outside the city. His father farmed, raised chickens, worked on a streetcar, and built homes to make a living. He has often said that he remembers the poverty-stricken years, but poverty was a way of life back then and was not resented (Roberson, 11-12).
At the age of 14 after listening to his Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Daisy Hawes, tell the story of Christ and outline the plan of salvation, he went home and accepted Christ as his personal Savior. The following Sunday he went forward and made a public confession. He was then baptized and joined the Cedar Creek Baptist Church (Roberson, 13).
Young Lee Roberson attended the Louisville Male High School, taking a two-year commercial course. He finished that course, but found out that no one would hire a 14-year-old bookkeeper; so he went to Fern Creek High School and completed his formal high school education (Edwards, 4). During this time, he felt God’s call to service. One evening while a visiting preacher spoke, Lee Roberson went forward to yield to the call of God. Later that evening when the people came by and shook his hand, pledging their support, one of the deacons in the church whispered in his ear, “Young man, if God has called you, don’t dare do anything else. When I was your age God called me for full-time service, and I turned away to the business world, but I have never been happy since that day.” To this day, he has not forgotten the deacon’s admonition (Roberson, 14-15).
After high school, Roberson attended Old Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky, and from there went to the University of Louisville to complete his degree in history in 1931. At the University, he studied voice and sang with the University Glee Club (Edwards, 4). Music has always been one of his great loves. (And those of us who have been fortunate on rare occasions to hear him sing have always loved hearing his rich voice as he sang, “Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, ready to comfort, ready to cheer.”)

An interest in music
And, on the subject of music, I’ve always thought of Pastor Roberson as a fairly good music critic. When I was at Temple, nearly every chapel service had some type of special music — a solo, trio, quartet, or ensemble. Several of my friends and I would watch Pastor Roberson’s facial expression while the students sang or played their instruments. Most of the time when the music had finished, he would step up to the microphone to start his message or introduce the special speaker and would say, “Thank you for that great song.” But sometimes, he’d say, “Just before the message, let’s all stand and sing one verse of ‘Amazing Grace.’” It was on these occasions that we felt the special music had fallen just a little bit short of Pastor Roberson’s expectations and, on other occasions, we feared he might say the same after one of us had sung or played.
During his college days, Roberson was a staff soloist at radio station WHAS. Later in Nashville at WSM, he was offered a contract which could have developed into a profitable music career (Edwards, 5). But because of God’s call upon his life, he never pursued a career in music.

Develops beliefs in first church position
Lee Roberson preached his first sermon in a small church in Jefferson, Tennessee. His first church position was at the Virginia Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville where L. W. Benedict was pastor. For a salary of $40 a month, he became the assistant pastor and choir and music director. It was here that he developed his love for visitation and concern for souls as the method for building a Sunday school and church. Pastor Benedict also gave an invitation at the end of every service, and it was this example that influenced Roberson to give an invitation at every service, whether Sunday, Wednesday or any other special service. Also, during this time, he declared his belief that the local church is the God-given living organism for this age (Roberson, 17-20).
Roberson’s first pastorate was in 1931 for 10 months in Germantown, Tennessee. People were saved and the church grew, but the church had financial problems and had a difficult time paying the young, single pastor. Then one day, J. R. Black of the Temple Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee, invited him to join his staff as an assistant, directing the choir, leading the congregation, and assisting in visitation. Roberson later said that this was one of his worst mistakes. Even though he enjoyed the work and saw souls saved, he was not happy. After just four months, he resigned with no place to go. But, he was happy because he realized that there is no happiness outside of God’s will (Roberson, 25-26).

Pastoring and preaching revivals
In 1932 Roberson was called to pastor the Greenbrier Baptist Church in Greenbrier, Tennessee. He said that the church was in a run-down condition, but from the very beginning, God blessed the work. It was here that he studied and learned the truth of the Second Coming of Christ. One Sunday morning after preaching a sermon on the Second Coming a man said to him, “You are a premillennialist.” Roberson had never heard of the term, nor had he known that there were divisions of thought on this issue. He just preached what his study of the Word of God revealed to him (Roberson, 32-35).
By 1935 Roberson entered full-time evangelism and conducted 50 revivals during the next two years. It was about this time that he met Caroline Allen, and on October 9, 1937, they were married. One month later, he became pastor of First Baptist Church of Fairfield, Alabama. It was during this time their first child was born. After five years of ministry he was led to the Highland Park Baptist Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee, in November, 1942 (Edwards, 5). He pastored the church for over 40 years until his retirement in April of 1983 — and this is where the story really begins.

61,000 people saved
Immediately upon accepting the leadership of the church, the emphasis was placed on soul-winning. For many years it was said that, with the exception of one Wednesday night, someone was saved at every one of the three weekly services. During his ministry, more than 61,000 people professed faith in Jesus Christ and followed Him in believer’s baptism. From 1945 until 1955 when it became an independent Baptist Church, Highland Park Baptist Church led all Southern Baptist Churches in the number of conversions (Edwards, 7). At one time, it was considered one of the largest churches in the world.
Because of its growth, the church moved into a frame tabernacle in 1943 and worshipped there until 1947 when a new main auditorium seating 3,000 people was completed. Before too long, chairs had to be placed in the aisles to accommodate the people. All services were held there until 1981, when the new 6,000-seat auditorium was built.
Highland Park had one mission church in 1942. It was a small but good work. Over the years, the church started or staffed a large number of chapels in the Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama tri-state area. Most of these chapels would not have existed had it not been for the support of Highland Park. Some were in very remote places while others were started in areas where there were no churches. These chapels would later provide a place for college and seminary students to gain experience for the ministry.

Tennessee Temple opens with 109
In 1946, Roberson, with the leadership and support of the church, started Tennessee Temple Schools (now University). As a 37-year-old pastor, he felt the need to train men to fill the needs of the church’s chapels and to meet the needs of other churches. It was a work of faith, with no money, no buildings, no teachers, and no students. As he traveled to speak and recruit students, he prayed for 100 students to enroll that fall.
That fall, a three-year Bible school and junior college opened with 11 teachers and 109 students. By 1948 the college had expanded into a four-year program, and a three-year seminary was begun (Edwards, 7-8). Roberson served as president until 1974 and since then has been the chancellor. Today the schools consist of the Tennessee Temple University, Temple Bible School, and Temple Baptist Seminary, occupying 55 acres of land with large dormitories, classroom buildings, gymnasiums, Student Center, and dining hall — all started and maintained by the faithful prayers and gifts of God’s people. Since its beginning, the Schools have graduated more than 11,500 students, many of whom are serving the Lord at home and abroad (Press Release).

Youth camps, missions, buses, schools
In 1946 one major event changed the Robersons’ lives and ministry. While he was preaching in Russellville, Alabama, he received a phone call from his church secretary informing him that his nine-week-old daughter Joy had suddenly passed away. Immediately, he left to return home and, while driving, the Lord impressed him with Romans 8:28. That verse became — and is still — his life’s verse. Later, desiring to do something for children and claiming this verse, the idea for Camp Joy was formed. The camp was started on 66 acres of property that was purchased from the T.V.A. on Lake Chickamauga for $3,000. Today, with beautiful facilities and the motto, “Where Boys and Girls Begin to Live,” a free summer camp for boys and girls aged 8-13 exists. It ministers to about 3,000 young people every summer (Roberson, 62-64).
1948 brought the beginning of the World Wide Faith Missions program to the church. It began with just four missionaries. Today it supports over 700 missionaries in all parts of the world, serving under many faith mission boards (Press Release). The mission program is just a checking account set up for their support. Over 50 percent of all funds received by the church are placed in the mission program (Edwards, 8).
The year 1949 saw the start of the church’s bus ministry. Pastor Roberson was a pioneer in this field before it became the popular thing to do. The following year saw a new decade and another ministry begin. This time it was Union Gospel Mission, designed to meet the needs of men and families (Edwards, 9). The men and ladies from the Mission were brought to Highland Park for the services, and down through the years it was always thrilling to see them sitting in the balcony with many of them walking the aisles at the invitation, responding to the message.
Tennessee Temple Elementary School was begun in 1951, and Tennessee Temple High School was started in 1971.

Becomes an independent Baptist
A major event in the life of the church occurred in 1954 when the Hamilton County Baptist Association met and stated that Highland Park Baptist Church was giving only token support to the Southern Baptist Convention. Since 1955, the church has not supported the Convention. It went from being the largest Southern Baptist church in the country to being the largest independent Baptist church. This new independence led to the forming of the Southwide Baptist Fellowship in March 1956. With 147 charter members, its mission was to provide fellowship for pastors of fundamental Baptist churches (Edwards, 10).
Providing inspiring leadership
In addition to all of the ministries that required his leadership at the church, one of the most unique aspects of Pastor Roberson’s ministry has been his desire to share his ideas and leadership with other churches.
Early in his ministry, he began taking revivals that would require his being away from the pulpit of his church on Wednesday night but never on a Sunday. This led to the idea of two-day meetings. He would arrive in a city on Monday and conduct an evening service; then on Tuesday morning he would have another service, followed by another on Tuesday evening. He always included leadership training on how to build a great Sunday school and always had an evangelistic service. After the last service, he would head to the airport and fly back to Chattanooga, usually arriving in the middle of the night.
Anyone who travels on a regular basis knows the physical demands this kind of travel placed on Pastor Roberson, and many who know him personally have spoken about seeing him over and over throughout the years, coming and going to his meetings, always having to pass through the Atlanta airport to make his connections.

A personal encounter
This summer, my wife and I were visiting Indian Hills Baptist Church in Kimberling City, Missouri. Harvey Goodman was speaking on Christian leadership and influence. He told a story that really touched my heart. He said that one time he had a layover in the Atlanta airport. While sitting in the terminal surrounded by busy, noisy people and watching tired, weary travelers moving in all directions, he noticed a tall, distinguished-looking, white-haired man walking so straight and upright, carrying a briefcase, with a top coat neatly folded over his arm. The man continued to move toward the area where Pastor Goodman was seated and then took a seat nearby. The man carefully laid his coat in an adjoining chair, opened his briefcase, took out his Bible, crossed his legs, and began to read his Bible.
As Goodman watched the scene unfold before his eyes, he began to notice that the surrounding area had become quiet. People began to whisper or speak in lower tones and some even motioned for others to be quiet, pointing to the man reading his Bible. Goodman said, “Suddenly I remembered the face, and the stature, and the white hair from all of the pictures I had seen of this man — it was Dr. Lee Roberson.” He went on to say that he and the others around him were affected by the presence of this godly man, witnessing for the Lord among the masses of people that day in a busy airport terminal. For over 50 years, it has been a common site to see Pastor Roberson reading his Bible in the Atlanta airport or other places while waiting for his next flight.
A 1995 article in Sword of the Lord said that “when this 85-year-old giant enters the pulpit, one has to be impressed with his snowy-white hair and his six-foot frame in his double-breasted dark blue suit.”

A legacy of leadership
For more than 60 years, Lee Roberson has been one of the most influential leaders in fundamentalism. His motto, “Everything rises or falls on leadership,” has permeated his lifestyle.
John R. Rice called Lee Roberson “the Spurgeon of our generation.” Others have called him “Joshua” because of his direct leadership. Whatever the name, he is mightily blessed and used of God wherever he goes (Press Release).
Since retiring, he has continued to travel and preach the gospel in over 1,700 churches, promoting Tennessee Temple University and inspiring preachers both young and old to build soul-winning churches.
I have many fond remembrances of my days in Chattanooga. I attended Tennessee Temple College and Temple Baptist Theological Seminary. I attended Highland Park Baptist Church; I met my wife there, and my sister lives there still. But when I hear the words “Chattanooga,” or “Tennessee Temple,” or “Highland Park,” I immediately think of the white-haired man with the powerful voice standing straight as a stick in the pulpit, seemingly looking straight at me (in the midst of a large audience) as he said, “The test of a man’s character is what it takes to make him quit — and don’t ever quit serving God, young people.” Lee Roberson lives what he preaches, and I, and thousands of others, have been blessed by his influence.

Notes: Lee Roberson will celebrate his 90th birthday on November 24. He and Mrs. Roberson have four children and 10 grandchildren.

Sources:
Double Breasted Lee Roberson, Sword of the Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1977.
The Life and Ministry of Lee Roberson, Ed Reese, Fundamental Publishers, Glenwood, Ill, 1975.
Press release for Dr. Lee Roberson, Tennessee Temple University, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1999.

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