Our Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Abdue L. Knox was born in Hickory, North Carolina, to the late Edna L. Knox. He is a proud product of the Hickory Public Schools. He later matriculated to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he pledged the Beta Rho Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and served as campus minister for St. Paul AME Church in downtown Raleigh. It was at Shaw University that he met the former Rashida Carter of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Knox earned a Bachelor of Science in Religion, graduating cum laude from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He continued his graduate studies at Liberty, pursuing a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, and went on to receive a Master of Divinity from Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and a Doctor of Ministry from Payne Theological Seminary in Xenia, Ohio.

On July 17, 2025, during the Second Episcopal District’s Summer Summit Conference, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson appointed Dr. Knox as the Pastor of St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, North Carolina. Within his first 90 days, Pastor Knox strengthened St. Joseph’s long-standing legacy of civic engagement through the continuation of Social Justice Sundays, while revitalizing the church’s spiritual foundation by reestablishing Bible Study with pastoral teaching and redesigning the Ministry of Care to meet the evolving needs of members and the broader community.

Dr. Knox embraces the ministry theme, “Love God, Love the People, Do the Work.” He firmly believes that nothing can be accomplished without the hand of God resting upon him.

He and his wife, Rashida, are the proud parents of two children, Kezia and Abdue II. His biblical source of inspiration is found in 1 Corinthians 2:9 (CEV):

“What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!”

Dr. Knox has faithfully served several congregations within the African Methodist Episcopal Church, including New St. John AME Church in Goldsboro, St. Mark AME Church in Smithfield, and Bethel AME Church in Selma, North Carolina. During his tenure at Bethel (2014–2019), the church experienced remarkable spiritual, physical, and financial growth, welcoming nearly 100 new members to the Bethel Family or into a relationship with Christ. Under his leadership, extensive renovations were completed, and the church’s mortgage was paid off ahead of schedule.

At the 2017 Annual Conference, Bishop James L. Davis expanded Dr. Knox’s pastoral responsibility, appointing him to an additional charge at Lee’s Chapel AME Church in Selma, where the congregation experienced a season of renewal marked by increased attendance, vitality, and spiritual growth. Following these fruitful years, Dr. Knox was appointed to Greater Bethel AME Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he served for six years.