Lee Roberson
Laverne Edward "Lee" Edward Roberson (born November 24, 1909 near English, Indiana; died April 29, 2007) was an influential Baptist evangelist and author, and the founder of Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga and Camp Joy in Harrison, Tennessee.
Roberson was born to Charles E. and Dora (Sego) Roberson in a log cabin on a farm near English in Southern Indiana. In 1911 the family relocated to another farm near Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to farming, his father worked on streetcars and built homes. In 1923, at the age of fourteen, Lee was led to the Lord by his Sunday School teacher, Mrs Daisy Hawes, and joined the Cedar Creek Baptist Church.
That same year, he completed a diploma in public accounting at the Louisville Male High School. He continued studying at Fern Creek High School, where he played football and graduated after four years. From there he went to Old Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky for one year (1926), then transferred to the University of Louisville, majoring in history. After that he attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, studying under A. T. Robertson.
Roberson had also trained as a singer, with some time at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and with John Samples of Chicago. He performed as a soloist on WHAS-AM in Louisville and WSM-AM in Nashville, Tennessee. He was offered a contract to teach at the Nashville Conservatory, but declined to pursue the ministry.
While still in college, Roberson served as pastor of a church in Germantown, Tennessee. In 1932 he was called to lead Temple Baptist Church in Greenbriar, Tennessee. After three years, he left to become a full-time evangelist for the Birmingham Baptist Association, leading fifty revivals in the area. During that time he met Caroline Allen, whom he married on October 9, 1937. In November of that year he took over the pulpit at First Baptist Church of Fairfield. In 1939 he declined an invitation to be named the state evangelist by the Alabama Baptist Convention.
In November 1942, Roberson moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to lead the Highland Park Baptist Church. He founded Tennessee Temple University and Zion College there in 1946. Roberson also expanded his church's ministry with radio sermons, a bus ministry, and the development of Camp Joy. He remained there until his retirement, preaching his final sermon on April 27, 1983. Under his leadership, Highland Park Baptist grew to have one of the largest congregations in the United States. He continued to publish books on spiritual topics until his death in 2007. The Lee Roberson Foundation was established by his children in Chattanooga to fund scholarships for Christian students.
Publications
- Roberson, Lee (1977) Double-Breasted. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 087398160X
- Roberson, Lee (1978) Disturbing Questions...Solid Answers. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873981618
- Roberson, Lee (1980) Ten Thousand Tears. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 087398837X
- Roberson, Lee (1984) The Faith that Moves Mountains. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873982762
- Roberson, Lee (1993) The Man In Cell No. 1. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873985672
- Roberson, Lee (1994) Touching Heaven. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873988485
- Roberson, Lee (1996) The Gold Mine. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873983394
- Roberson, Lee (1997) Diamonds in the Rough. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873981790
- Roberson, Lee (1999) Preaching to America. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873986679
- Roberson, Lee (1999) The Big 90. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873980875
- Roberson, Lee (2000) Coming to Chattanooga Soon. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873981294
- Roberson, Lee (2000) A Winner Never Quits and a Quitter Never Wins! Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Pub ISBN 0873989481
References
- "Lee Roberson" (October 6, 2010) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia - accessed November 11, 2010
External links
- Lee Roberson Foundation website
- Lee Roberson recorded sermons at knoxvillebaptisttabernacle.com