Meet Our Pastor​
Rev. Dr. T. Ashby Banister, III
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The Reverend Dr. T. Ashby Banister III is the son of Deacon Thomas A. Banister, Jr. and the Reverend Iris J. Banister of Rochester, NY. He is a 1998 graduate of Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. After attending the Divinity School at Duke University, earning a Master of Divinity in 2003, he completed doctoral studies in ministry at Virginia Union University’s Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology in May 2010. In 2011, Dr. Banister furthered his studies at Oxford University’s prestigious Proclaimer’s Place Program, an intensive study with some of the brightest minds from around the globe in the Christian church today. As a result of his participation, he was selected by committee to preach for the United Kingdom’s first African American Preaching Festival, a celebration designed to expose Europe to the power and artistry of Black preaching.
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Dr. Banister has humbly served the Temple Memorial Baptist Church, one of High Point, North Carolina’s historic congregations, since 2006. Prior to this assignment he served as youth pastor and associate musician at the Union Baptist Church, Durham, NC. Under his supervision and spiritual guidance were over 250 youth and twenty-seven volunteers in the youth ministry at UBC. He simultaneously worked as an adjunct instructor in the Human Sciences Department at North Carolina Central University where he taught and counseled college students in a variety of disciplines. In nearly 2 decades of ministry at Temple Memorial, the church has grown by over 400 disciples, several ministries including a new disciples’ training class were implemented, and the TMBC Bible institute was also established to provide sound biblical instruction to every age group within the congregation. Morning Glory, an intergenerational dance ministry, the Intergenerational Inspiration Mass Choir, and TEMPLE-LIFE, a fitness and Zumba exercise ministry, were also launched to provide a holistic ministry experience for youth and adults alike. The use of technology was also increased under his leadership as a means of serving this present age, with the addition of a state-of-the-art audio system, video system, and an upgraded computer lab.
With an insightful, vision-oriented approach to ministry, and a charismatic leadership style, Dr. Banister is dedicated to spreading the good news of the Gospel in whatever vineyard he is placed. He has been faithful to the gospel ministry since 1994, and was ordained by the American Baptist Churches, Inc. in 2004 at Union Baptist Church, Durham, NC. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Pastor Banister served as past president of the Ministers’ Conference of High Point & Vicinity, Moderator of the Rowan Baptist Association, an active board member of Community in Schools, Inc. and remains highly involved in several other community and denominational organizations. He also enjoys membership as a brother of the Eta Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Above all other accomplishments, Dr. Banister is proud to be husband to the Rev. Dr. Tarsha Wiggins-Banister, and together they are the proud parents of two daughters, DeMaris, age 23, and DeMia, age 15.