Dr. James E. Victor

The Reverend Dr. James E. Victor, Jr. carries out a long family legacy of Christian ministry.  Like his grandfather, and others before him, Dr. Victor has dedicated himself to the pastoral ministry.  Dr. Victor currently serves as the ninth pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia.  Prior to his coming to Northern Virginia, he served the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he was involved in numerous community and university functions.  Dr. Victor’s last appointment before becoming the under-shepherd of Arlington’s Mount Olive Baptist Church, was as the Associate Pastor of the historic home church of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia.  He was promoted to the Associate position from the Assistant Pastor’s position due to his commendable work in the areas of pastoral care, community outreach, and worship.  Since coming to Northern Virginia, Dr. Victor has steered the Mount Olive Church into several notable venues of ministry including mission endeavors in Africa, Haiti and a post-Katrina New Orleans, a major tech upgrade for the church in all aspects of ministry. and transitioning an all-male Deacon’s Board into a Diaconate Ministry inclusive of women.  

The Kentucky native was educated in the public schools of Hopkinsville, his hometown, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically.  Dr. Victor earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.  He further prepared himself for ministry by receiving the Master of Divinity degree with magna cum laude honors from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia and the Master of Theology degree from the Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.  Recognizing that preparation is essential to fulfilling the call to ministry, Dr. Victor earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in the Preaching for the 21st Century tract from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.    

Dr. Victor was licensed and ordained by his home church the Moore’s Baptist Church in Kentucky. 

 The father of two adult children, Candace Victor and Quinton Victor, and husband to Vanessa Green Victor currently serves as the president of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia.  Dr. Victor enjoys reading, bass fishing, and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.