LibGuides: PHSC Celebrates its 50th Anniversary and Black History Month: Arthur Jones

Rev. Dr. Arthur T. Jones

Rev. Dr. Arthur T. Jones
Courtesy of the Jones family.

Rev. Dr. Arthur T. Jones

Preacher, musician, writer, and community leader, Rev. Dr. Arthur T. Jones was also founder of Bible-Based Fellowship Church and co-founder of the Florida Mass Choir

After graduating from Middleton Senior School in 1965, Jones went on to study physics at St. Petersburg Junior College. Later he studied under Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Molefi Asanti, and Cornell West at United Theological Seminary, Harvard and Oxford Universities.
In 1967 he was recruited by IBM, where he retired after an executive career of over 24 years.
His Bible-Based Fellowship Church grew out of his home in 1989 to become a thriving community of over 5,000 members today.
Dr. Jones also co-founded the famed Florida Mass Choir, which brought together several smaller gospel choirs throughout the state in the late 1970's. The Florida Mass Choir toured nationally and recorded many albums, regularly topping the Billboard Gospel charts.

References

Hill-Morgan, Valerie and Staff Writer, "Statewide Choir Unites in Ministry of Music," South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 15, 1985, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1985-04-15-8501140499-story.html

Times Staff Writer, “Thousands gather in joyful tribute to the late Rev. Arthur T. Jones,” Tampa Bay Times, May 10, 2013, https://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/thousands-gather-in-joyful-tribute-to-the-late-rev-arthur-t-jones/2120374/

"The Florida Mass Choir," Malaco Music Group, 2019, https://www.malaco.com/artists/gospel/florida-mass-choir/