The Rev. Dr. Paul W. Drummond Sr.

Dr. Paul Wayne Drummond, Sr. was born to the late Elliot and Madora Irby Drummond on November 21, 1932, and was reared in a loving Christian home. He left this earthly realm on June 27, 2023.  His parents and his siblings, Aaron, Willie, Woodrow G., and John Drummond preceded him in death.

It is likely that his Christian upbringing led him to know Christ at a very early age.  Even during his teen years, he was a reliable person who was confident that he knew the direction in which his life should go.  By his twentieth birthday, he had accepted his call to the ministry to preach the Gospel.  A Woodruff, South Carolina neighbor who watched Pastor Drummond grow into young adulthood said, “There was always something special about him. Even as a lad, he was caring and concerned about people.  He was obedient, respectful, and kind.  I was not surprised when he accepted the call to ministry because I always felt that the Lord had a special work for him to do.”

Pastor Drummond was educated in the public schools of Woodruff, South Carolina.  After graduating from New Bethel High School, he spent two years in the Army.  Following this, he enrolled in Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, earning an A.B. (artium baccalaureus) degree with honors in Social Services with a minor in English.  Three years later, he earned a Master of Divinity degree, also with honors, from J.J. Starks School of Theology.  In 1981, Pastor Drummond received the Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

During his undergraduate years at Benedict College, he met the love of his life “Tommie,” the former Miss Thomasena Trapp, his wife of almost 59 years.  They were married on August 8, 1964, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  They are the parents of two adult children Paul Wayne, Jr. and Carole Jeanne.

Pastor Drummond accepted his first pastorate in 1959. He was an instructor at Voorhees College and the South Carolina Area Trade School (currently Denmark Technical College) in Denmark, South Carolina. He also served as Dean of Men at his alma mater Benedict College and as a part-time instructor in the Department of Religion.  In 1970, when he accepted the pastorate at Saint Paul Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was a field representative for Benedict College and had been pastor of Saint Paul Baptist Church in Lexington, South Carolina for eight years.

Shortly after his arrival in Charlotte, Pastor Drummond demonstrated unselfish leadership in the Saint Paul congregation and in the community.  He was instrumental in several local initiatives, including President Lyndon Johnson’s Model Cities program, the City of Charlotte’s Planning Commission, the Mayor’s Tri-State Crime Committee, and the YMCA.  He was a president of the Christian Ministers Fellowship, President of the Charlotte Area Clergy Association, and served as Moderator of the Mount Peace Baptist Association.  He served on several committees in The Baptist Ministers Conference Number 1.  He was a member of the Charlotte Rotary and was a 32nd Degree Mason.  In addition to his local endeavors, Pastor Drummond was a Trustee of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, where he served on the Executive Committee.  Additionally, he served as a Trustee Board Member at several institutions including Benedict College; Shaw Divinity School, Raleigh, North Carolina.; and the American Red Cross.  He was a strong supporter of the American Baptist Churches of the South and served on various committees in that organization.  He also served as Chairman of the Advisory Committee of The Prison System for the State of North Carolina.  He was a lifetime member of the NAACP and the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Under his leadership as pastor at Saint Paul Baptist Church, the congregation grew from 500 members and a combined annual budget of $33,000 to become a mega-church with approximately 3,000 members and an annual budget exceeding $1 million.  He added property worth $5 million dollars (valued in 1996), including the current sanctuary and a $1.4 million-dollar multi-purpose facility.  He established the “Feed the Needy” program, which fed over 200 people per day, three days a week.  Under his leadership and guidance, Saint Paul built a Computer Learning Center, teaching word processing classes and increasing the computer skills of children and adults.  He established the Child Development Center in 1986 and formed the “For Our Kids’ sake” program in 1987. He also established a literacy program and was integral in the Belmont Community Organization’s initial period of development.

Pastor Drummond retired from Saint Paul in 1997 at the age of 65. However, after preaching the Annual Officer Installation worship service at First Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church on January 10, 1999, he began serving as that congregation’s pastor. He remained in that position until December 31, 2012.  He was 80 years old.

He mastered the art of retiring well and yielded to God’s leading by “retiring when they want you to stay rather than staying when they want you to go.”  Although he ultimately retired from pastoring in 2012, he did not retire from preaching.  He became what he termed a “chance preacher,” preaching every chance he could get! Anyone who met him soon learned of his keen sense of humor and was likely to be treated to a string of hilarious stories and jokes.

In 2000, he was elected to the office of Pastor Emeritus of Saint Paul Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Gregory Keith Moss, Sr., Saint Paul’s fourth pastor.  During his retirement from both congregations, he served as a substitute teacher in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system, as well as served as a eulogist for his former congregants until 2020.

Pastor Emeritus Drummond was serious about his work and was deeply concerned about those he served. He was truly a dedicated servant of God, a caring pastor, a dynamic preacher of the Gospel, and a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle.

Dr. Drummond leaves to cherish the memory of his wonderful life and mourn his passing, his loving wife, Lady Thomasena Drummond; his children, Paul Wayne Drummond, Jr. and Carole Jeanne Drummond-Johnson; his grandsons, Joshua Ryan (Brittani) and Alex Michael Johnson; his siblings, Floyd Drummond, Hazel Thompson Jones (Booker T.), and Mary Young (Earnest, deceased); and his beloved nephew, Rayford Drummond.