It is with great humility, excitement, and anticipation that I greet you as the 6th pastor of the historic Salem Missionary Baptist Church.  As you know, Salem is the oldest black church in Flatbush and we look forward with great anticipation and pride of celebrating the 100th anniversary of this house of worship in the year of our Lord 2010. 

At this writing I am privileged to commence my third year as the senior pastor of this wonderfil house of God called Salem. My initial arrival to this significant assignment is a testimony to the miraculous workings of a God who is faithful when we place our trust in Him. When I came to this church I was twelve years old, having recently arrived to the city of Brooklyn on the Greyhound bus from Littleton, North Carolina. I will not attempt to give an autobiographical excerpt. However, it is safe to say that God is good, even when we fall short of His will and way. As long as we, like David, always strive to seek after the hear of God and are truly repentant when we fall short of His commandments, our God is faithful and full of grace. He will never desert us.

When I began this journey, I pledged to you that I would uphold the great traditions of the church. I promised to study God’s word and to make every effort to rightly share with God’s people His word of truth. I believe that a review of my short record will indicate that I have tried to do this, and God has blessed us beyond our wildest imagination. I am so grateful to God for all of you who have joined me in making every effort to be better disciples of Jesus Christ.

We say to all visitors, “This is one of God’s finest churches. Won’t you consider making Salem your church home?”

Salem, I love you. It is your prayers, love and support that sustain this ministry to the end that God is glorified. I thank God daily for each of you and pledge before God to do my very best to be a caring, compassionate and loving pastor.

Dr. Thornton is the director and reorganizer of Salem’s Afterschool Enrichment Center. He firmly believes in the adage of the Negro College Fund, “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste.”
Dr. Thornton is Adjunct Professor of Ethics at New York Theological Seminary. He serves as an instructor for the National Baptist Convention Congress of Christian Education. He also serves on the executive board of the P.T.A. and school leadership team at P.S. 235, where his son is a student in the gifted program.

Dr. Thornton served as the Assistant to the Pastor of Salem Missionary Baptist Church for 10 years, where his father, the Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Boyd was the esteemed pastor. In March of 1998, at the request of his father, he was elected Co-Pastor, and became Pastor when his father retired on April 30, 2006. He is married to Angela Thornton and they one son, Isaiah, who is a joy and a blessing.