Lawrence W. Rodgers is a spiritual leader of the Westside Church of Christ in Baltimore, MD. He is a spirit-filled and graceful clergy person who appreciates the movement of the Spirit of God working in his life and the lives of God's people. He believes that the church must always walk in the footsteps, guidance, and example of Christ. As a church leader, his ministry tirelessly seeks the mission and will of Christ. Lawrence currently pastors the Westside Church of Christ congregation in Baltimore, MD. He is happily married to his wife Bettae, and they have one daughter Tatyanna she brings them great happiness, and their new son Theodore Lawrence was born on March 4, 2019, and he brings them blissful joy.
Lawrence is a graduate of Harding University, where he studied Bible and Ministry and graduated at the top of his class with honors, including the Most Outstanding Bible and Ministry Major. Lawrence is a recent 2017 graduate from Howard University School of Divinity with his Master’s of Divinity. He graduated at the top of his class, and with the following honors: The Biblical Scholarship Award for excelling in biblical and theological studies. The Donald Barton Prize for most likely to succeed in Pastoral Leadership, and Delores Carpenter Award for "exemplifying the highest levels of academic achievement and embodying the commitment to do justice, love mercy, and walking humbly with God."
Lawrence regularly preaches, lectures, and teaches college-level classes and in the congregational setting. He has over ten years of diverse experience in leadership to congregations in the area of mentoring, preaching, advising, administration, and strategic planning. Further, Lawrence has experience in academia in lecturing, researching, and presenting classes to diverse student bodies in colleges and universities, both domestically and internationally. Rodgers is recognized as a social advocate who engages in several social justice efforts, including working with the homeless community and human trafficking victims, as well as youth mentoring and addressing adult literacy. He also is a researcher and lecturer with distinctive teaching experience and published writings in magazines and blogs, and he hopes to continue to release more for a growing platform.
Lawrence plans to continue to implement the ministerial vision that has been laid upon his heart. Lawrence intends to continue to encourage the church locally and at large to realize its potential and its heavenly call to be a refuge for the afflicted, broken, and the lost, consequently being an advocate both vocally and in praxis. Ultimately, Lawrence believes the church on earth is to be a glimpse of the church in Heaven, which is a beloved community.