Rev. Dr. Joshua L. Mitchell

Biography

The Rev. Dr. Joshua L. Mitchell is the seventh and current Senior Pastor of the historic Thirty-First Street Baptist Church in Richmond, VA. A native of Baltimore, Dr. Mitchell has been dedicated to educational advancement and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Howard University and a Master of Divinity degree from The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology. Dr. Mitchell graduated with his Doctor of Ministry degree at Virginia Union University where his research focused on black millennials and discipleship. His research findings are the foundation for his 2018 Judson Press release entitled, Black Millennials and The Church: Meet Me Where I Am.

 Dr. Mitchell is a frequent lecturer and consultant on effective ministry to youth and young adults and is currently the host of “The Pursuit Podcast with Pastor Josh” that addresses young adult issues from a biblical worldview. He also is the founder of the Connecting The Call Academy - a platform to equip pastors and ministry leaders with the knowledge and skills to effectively minister to emerging generations. As a licensed and ordained minister, Dr. Mitchell has dedicated his life to serving in the ministry. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and has previously served at Payne Theological Seminary as well as the University of Houston. 

Committed to social justice and advocacy, Dr. Mitchell also currently serves of the board of the Virginia Interfaith Center of Public Policy and chairs the board of 31st Cares Inc., a non-profit established to equip and empower under-resourced residents of the East End of Richmond, VA. Dr. Mitchell is a proud member of several organizations including the NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and Alpha Nu Omega Fraternity Inc.  He Mitchell considers himself blessed to be married to Dr. Lori K. Mitchell and they are the proud parents of two handsome sons, Jordan and Jayden.