 Joseph Echols Lowery is one of the founders of SCLC (1957) and served as vice-president until 1967 when he was nominated by Dr. King to serve as first chairman of the board. In February 1977 he was named Acting President following Abernathy's resignation to run for Congress and in August, 1977 was unanimously elected SCLC's third president at Atlanta 's Ebenezer Baptist Church . He served as president and chief executive officer until he retired at the 1997 convention in Atlanta . He was asked by the convention to remain as president until January 15,1998 when his successor, M.L.King, III assumed the office. He was unanimously elected pres. Emeritus. For 45 years, Joseph Lowery served as pastor of United Methodist Churches in Alex City , Mobile , and Birmingham , Ala. and Atlanta , Ga. From 1961-1964, he was Area Director, and Admin. Asst. to the Bishop of the Nashville-B'ham. Area; 1964-68 he pastored St. Paul church in B'ham; 1968-1986, pastored Atlanta 's oldest predominantly Black United Methodist church, Central. There he built a 240 unit low and moderate income housing development (Central Methodist Gardens), 2000 members joined Central during his pastorate and the 1975 Easter service was televised nationally on NBC; from 1986-1992 he served the Cascade Church . He retired from the pastorate in 1992 after receiving over 1000 members at Cascade and leaving the church 10 acres of land and $1 million to erect a new edifice. He was a strong voice in the desegregation of the Church; he presided over an Annual Conference (acting bishop) in the absence of the bishop (illness) performing all the duties of the bishop except ordination- 1966 at the St. Paul Church , Birmingham . He is one of the founders of the Black Leadership Forum, a consortium of 25 national advocacy organizations and at-large leaders, and has served as chairman three times. He is presently its chairman. He has served as governor of the Coordinating Council of Black Farm Groups in the struggle to gain justice for thousands of farmers who have lost millions of acres of land, mostly due to neglect and discriminatory policies and practices of the Department of Agriculture. The farmers are considering a proposed settlement of a $2 billion lawsuit against the Department. He is consultant to the Black Promoters Association seeking to eliminate the discriminatory policies of talent agencies in the promotion of concerts by major artists.
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