Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, a leading figure in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and in the city of Orange, has died. He was 71.
His daughter, Regina V. Jackson, told The New York Times that he died in a hospital from cardiac arrest.
A native of Dover, Del., Jackson attended Dover public schools and was licensed to preach in 1972. He graduated Delaware State University with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1976 and Turner Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta in 1979, according to his obituary in The Christian Recorder, which is a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
He was appointed pastor of St. John AME Church, Jersey City, in 1979 before he was appointed pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Orange in 1981. He held that position for 31 years and during that time the congregation grew from 75 people to more than 2,800, the obituary said.
St. Matthew adopted the motto “the Servant Church of the Oranges” and instituted more than 30 ministries to meet the spiritual, emotional, educational, physical, and financial needs of both church and community. The annual church budget increased from $50,000 to $2 million, the obituary said.
Jackson also became involved in the life of the city, county, and state, speaking out on issues, informing, and organizing ministers and community members. He served for 16 years on the Orange Public Schools Board of Education, including 12 years as president and 13 years on the Board of Trustees of Essex County College, including 10 years as president.
From 1994 to 2012, Jackson served as president of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey (BMC) representing more than 600 Black churches in New Jersey, the obituary said.
Jackson spoke out on a number of issues including increased spending on poor school districts in the state, adequate funding for charity care, legislation to end predatory lending, ending the death penalty in New Jersey, needle exchange and legislation to make racial profiling a crime. He was a life member of the NAACP, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, and a board member of the Conference of National Black Churches.
Jackson was elected and consecrated as a bishop in the AME Church in 2012 and was later reassigned to Georgia, where he led the more than 500 African Methodist Episcopal churches in Georgia. Subsequent to that, he was named the Presiding Prelate of the Second Episcopal District of the church, which comprises all the AME churches in the states of Maryland, Virgina, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.
Jackson was married to the late attorney Christy Davis Jackson, and the father of two children: Regina Victoria Jackson and Seth Joshua Jackson.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr said that he was saddened to hear about the passing of Bishop Jackson.
“Before he was elevated in the church, he was a pivotal figure in Essex County, the leader of St. Matthew AME Church in Orange and a champion of civil rights and justice,” DiVincenzo said. “The Bishop was never afraid to speak his mind and was not afraid to take a stand for what he believed in. He was a great friend and someone I relied on for guidance and advice. My condolences go out to his family.”
Gov. Phil Murphy also issued a statement saying he and Tammy Murphy were saddened to hear of Jackson’s passing.
“We were fortunate to spend meaningful time with the Bishop and his late wife, Christy, over the years — especially during my first campaign for governor of New Jersey,” Murphy said. “Bishop Jackson was a trusted source of guidance and counsel and I will always cherish the wisdom he shared on issues big and small. His deep commitment to faith, social justice, and civic life left an enduring impact on our state.”
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker told The New York Times in 2024 of Jackson’s importance in New Jersey.
“You could not do things in politics without coming and engaging with him,” Booker said. “It would be a malpractice in New Jersey to be politically active without seeking his counsel and his wisdom, and understanding that he was a force in his own right.”
A public viewing and service of celebration are planned for Dec. 12 at St. Philip AME Church in Atlanta.
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