Lawrence A. Edwards is a California Southern Baptist Convention African-American church starting strategist who serves in Orange and San Diego Counties. His assignment is to help individuals, churches and associations in the process of starting African-American churches.

He retired from the United States Navy after 20 years of service. While attending a Sunday morning worship service he realized he had never accepted Jesus as his Savior. “The following Sunday I made a confession of faith and asked Jesus to be Lord of my life and I joined the Encanto Southern Baptist Church,” Edwards said.

He served as a volunteer chaplain with the San Diego County Sheriffs’ Department providing Bible studies, worship services and spiritual guidance to inmates and staff. As an ordained deacon, he assisted in worship services, baptisms, the Lord’s Supper and serving church families. He planted Experiencing God Christian Fellowship Church in Point Loma, an area of San Diego.

Edwards currently is attending Southern California Seminary in El Cajon.

He has served CSBC since June 2008. He and his wife Beverly have two children and two grandchildren.

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