A St. Louis Church of God in Christ (COGIC) congregation is celebrating 40 years of leadership from its longtime pastor, now a COGIC auxiliary bishop, Robert Strong Sr.
For 25 of those years, Strong also worked full-time at General Motors, but his first focus has always been on his faith and the church he has helped to thrive.
Strong is the senior pastor of Kossuth Church of God in Christ, located in North St. Louis and named after its original location on Kossuth Avenue. Strong has lead the congregation since 1977. Under his leadership, it has expanded with the construction of a 38-unit senior citizen living center and a multipurpose complex.
Strong became an auxiliary bishop of COGIC in 2013, and he plans to keep expanding the church’s ministry.
“I’m grateful to the saints who have supported this ministry and have been the joy of my salvation. I greatly appreciate their efforts and untiring labor of love,” Strong said. “As God expands our ministry, we exhort the people of God to anticipate higher heights and deeper depths, as we explore the exceeding greatness of God’s power, which He has made known to us through Jesus Christ.”
Kossuth Church is home to a number of charitable services. The church owns a food pantry, Konenia House, which serves the surrounding community, and also hosts a weekly hot lunch program. They also sponsor drug and alcohol recovery, prison outreach, and GED-assistance programs.
For Strong, faith has inspired his education as well as his good works. After becoming a pastor, Strong earned a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies and a master’s degree in ministry from Lael Bible College.
Strong has written three books about ministry, in addition to a number of booklets. Since 1998, he has served as the Midwest Regional Sunday School superintendent.
Kossuth Church’s multimedia arm, Flame of Fire Outreach, produces a radio program that also helps spread the church’s message. In addition, Strong travels the country to preach and speaks annually at Auxiliaries in Ministry International Conventions. He has sponsored church trips to Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Italy and France.
Family is also an important part of Strong’s ministry. His wife, Jaynes Strong, works alongside him and is an important part of the church’s leadership. They have been married for 51 years and have seven children and 14 grandchildren.
Strong said that above all, he is grateful to God for placing him in the ministry.
“I’m grateful to God for our founding fathers and pioneers of this great Kossuth heritage, who amidst depressions, hardships and struggles, kept a clear vision of holiness for the many generations that followed,” Strong said.
“I’m always thankful to God for my family, especially my wife and seven children. I’m so grateful for my wife, Sister Jan, and her partnership in these 40 years of ministry; her unselfish, never failing support and understanding has been matchless. My children, who despite the fact that I wasn’t able to explain why, have always cared and made the sacrifices that has upheld and supported our ministry. God will always remember them.”
Jessica Karins is a St. Louis American editorial intern from Webster University.
