Dr. Rev. Joseph A. Tilly

 Dr. Rev. Joseph A. Tilly has been the pastor of Saint James Methodist Church of Louisiana in New Orleans for 45 years. He has served as a student missionary for the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, a chaplain of Milne Boys’ Home, and taught at Union Baptist Theological Seminary and College. 

A native of Chicago, Illinois, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern University at New Orleans; a Bachelor of Bible Philosophy degree from the American Bible Institute in Kansas City, Missouri; a Master of Religious Education degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; a Graduate in Theology from the American Divinity School and a Doctor of Divinity degree from the Ohio Christian College in Columbus, Ohio 

 He did advanced studies at the School of Ministerial Studies in Kent, Ohio, and holds a Sunday School Teacher’s Diploma from the American Bible College in Chicago, Illinois. 

He is a former founder of the Christian Ministers’ Union of New Orleans and Vicinity, serving as its first financial secretary.

He is chairman of the board of Gethsemane Prison Ministry, President of the Big Easy Kiwanis Club, a Veteran of Foreign Wars, an American Legion and also a member of Alpha Psi Omega Society, Epsilon Delta Chi-Sigma Chapter, National Association of Church Administrators, Academy of Parish Clergy, Inc.; Religious Speech Communication Association, the Institute of Biblical Preaching, Inc. and the Evangelic Theological Society.

He is the father of 2 sons, Derrick Robert Tilly and Erick Eugene Tilly.