Rev. Thurmond Neill Tillman

    On a breezy December day, God ordained that Thurmond Neill Tillman be born in West Palm Beach, Florida to the Reverend and Mrs. Eugene C. Tillman, Sr. He was reared in Brunswick, GA and graduated from Glynn Academy and Brunswick Junior College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and minor in Business Management from the State University of West Georgia in Carrollton.
In his obedience to the call of God and quest for seminary training, he attended and graduated the Interdenominational Theological Center Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta, GA. There he received the Master of Divinity degree with a dual concentration in Bible and Christian Education.
In 1976, he was licensed to preach the Gospel at Shiloh Baptist Church, where Reverend E.C. Tillman, Sr. serves as pastor. The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18) Once again, Tillman listened to God and married Lawanda Copeland and they have two beautiful daughters; Trenile Nicole and Lauren Christina.The First African Baptist Church, Franklin Square, Savannah, GA called him to serve as pastor in Savannah, Georgia in 1982. He has been teaching and preaching the Gospel and counting it all joy year after year with the oldest African American congregation.

Contributions of First African Baptist Church Pastors

• Organized in 1773 by Rev. George Leile. He was ordained in May 1775, The church was constituted as a church in December 1777 under his leadership. He sailed to Jamaica in 1783 and established the first Baptist church there.
• Rev. Andrew Bryan, the second pastor, was instrumental in converting many to Christianity. The church membership grew to nearly 3,000 members under his pastorate. He pastored until his death at 96 years of age.
• Rev. Andrew Cox Marshall, the third pastor was responsible for obtaining the property where the present church building now stands. He pastored for forty fours years and lived to be at least one hundred years old.
• Rev. William J. Campbell, the fourth pastor, was responsible for completing the present edifice in 1859. This building which is the fifth site of First African is believed to have been used as a station along an underground railroad, was built by slaves.
• Rev. Emmanuel King Love, D.D., the sixth pastor, was instrumental in getting an institution of higher learning for African Americans located here is Savannah. This institution is now known as Savannah State University. He was also instrumental in organizing Morehouse College in Augusta, Ga., which later moved to Atlanta, Ga.
• Rev. Ralph Mark Gilbert, the thirteenth pastor, is honored in memory by having the Civil Rights Museum in Savannah, named after him. Rev. Gilbert helped to reorganize the NAACP across the state of Georgia and was responsible for getting the first black policemen and firemen hired in Savannah in 1947. He was host to people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell and others.
• Rev. Thurmond N. Tillman, the present pastor and possibly the youngest man to be pastor at 27 years of age, has preached and taught for nearly 22 years. Not only does he serve as pastor to First African, but as an activist to the Savannah community. His vision of restoration for the present edifice has developed into "Restoring Lives for Buildings and Christ," a capital stewardship campaign.