Harvard Divinity's Taylon Lancaster Inspired by MLK, Beloved Community Continues Path to Pastor

Rev. Taylon E. Lancaster is a master of divinity candidate at HDS, a Certificate in Religion and Public Life student in the Humanitarian Action track, and the senior pastor at Third Baptist Church in Springfield, Massachusetts. With strong dedication to the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., Lancaster is committed to building a beloved community on campus and in the world.

A self-described Floridian-Texan, Rev. Taylon E. Lancaster is a fourth-generation pastor. He grew up in the Black Baptist church, where, from a young age, he was a percussionist. In church, he found a community that allowed him to showcase his gifts in multiple ways. He was able to be a musician, mentor, and a storyteller, which helped him deepen his faith.

At Clark Atlanta University—where he participated in Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel Assistants Program—he was encouraged by academic and religious leaders to pursue ministry. For his graduate studies, Lancaster arrived at HDS with a desire to explore religious pluralism, expand his ecumenical perspective, and learn from the School’s diverse community. He has centered his moral-political vision and learning around interfaith collaboration because he recognizes the divisive times we are living in today. He acknowledges that “HDS this past year has been challenging, and everyone, to a certain extent, was wounded, but we were also able to see our capacity to heal by sharing space in that brokenness.” He says he believes “the next generation of leaders can find common interests and can find a degree of commonality so that we’re able to overcome presented challenges.”

Lancaster is using his time at HDS to explore ministry studies grounded in King’s beloved community. Focusing on nonviolence and peace-building, he wants to ensure that church, “can be a safe space where the great commandment can be fulfilled to love God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your soul, while loving your neighbor as you love thyself.”

Read the full article about Rev. Taylon E. Lancaster at hds.harvard.edu.