Meet Our Apostle

Apostle Jamie T. Pleasant; Ph.D. was born October 9, 1962 in Sumter, South Carolina as an only child to Anthony and Bertha Pleasant. As a modern day polymath, excelling in Physics, Etymology, Business, Personal Finance and Investing, Bible Teaching, Apostleship and Sports, he continues to share his wealth of knowledge to the next generation. His parents were entrepreneurs during the early 1940′s and he inherited their spirit of economic development and business ownership at an early age. At the young age of eight years old, Apostle Pleasant began working in a corner grocery store and also sold Grit newspapers to earn his own money. At 12 years old, after his mother died, he started his first two businesses, owning a landscaping business and refreshment stand. His first year of business brought him more than $5,000 in revenues. At his father’s passing, his passion and pursuit to earn a college degree would not be hampered by life’s circumstances. He began working odd jobs in the janitorial and restaurant industry at night while attending college in the day to make ends meet. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, Apostle Pleasant then transferred to Clemson University where he walked on the football team to later earn an athletic scholarship while studying business. He further advanced his education by achieving a M.B.A. in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. Finally, on August 13, 1999, Apostle Pleasant achieved a Georgia Tech milestone by becoming the first African American to graduate with a Ph.D. in Business Management in the school’s 111- year history.

On July 31, 1995, through a successful radio ministry, New Zion Christian Church was birthed. God gave him the vision to establish a Biblically based economic development initiative for the church. As a result, Apostle Pleasant is constantly sought after and he remains at the pulse of the economic business sector. He created programs in the church such as the Wealth Builders Investment Club (WBIC), which educates and allows members to actively invest in the stock market, along with the much celebrated Institute of Entrepreneurship (IOE), where community members earn a certificate in Entrepreneurship after three months of comprehensive training on aspects of starting and owning a successful competitive business. The main goal and purpose of IOE is that each year one of the trained businesses will be awarded up to $10,000 start up money to ensure financial success. The newly added SAT & PSAT prep courses for children ages 9-19 fuels the potential success of all who walk through the doors of New Zion Christian Church.

Apostle Pleasant has met with government officials such as President Clinton and Nelson Mandela. He has performed marriage ceremonies and counseled numerous celebrated personalities such as Usher Raymond (Confessions Recording Artists), Terri Vaughn (Lavita Jenkins on The Steve Harvey Show), Peerless Price (Atlanta Falcons WR) and many others. He is civically engaged as well. After the Columbine High School shooting; he founded the National School Safety Advocacy Association. His latest foundations include the Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) and the African American Consumer Economic Rights Inc (AACER).

Apostle Pleasant is the husband of Kimberly Pleasant and the proud father of three children; Christian, Zion and Nicara.