Pastor Emeritus Franklin Benjamin Schley Sr.

Personal Data

 Educational Achievement

• ¨      Elementary Schools of Lebanon and Middletown
• ¨      Graduate of Middletown Area High School

Additional studies at LaSalle Extension University (Accounting), University Center Harrisburg Business Administration, and Capitol campus of Penn State (Humanities)

Occupational Experience

• ¨      Honorable discharge veteran of World War II, U.S. Navy
• ¨      Retired from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• ¨      Test consultant with State of Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission
  

CIVIC AFFILIATIONS

• ¨      Past President of Middletown Project Area Committee
• ¨      Past Chairman of Middletown Human Relations Commission
• ¨      Member of Allocations & Planning Panel of Tri-County United Way
• ¨      Board member and district treasurer of John Heinz Senior Center
• ¨      First Vice=President of Greater Harrisburg Interdenominational Ministers’ Conference
• ¨      Director of Greater Harrisburg Seminary Extension Center
  

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS

• ¨      Member of First Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Middletown (25 years); serving as Deacon, Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent.  Sunday School Convention of Second National Ketoctan Association of the Primitive Baptist Church as a Delegate, Assistant Clerk and Past President
• ¨      Member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church (15 years); serving as Assistant Pastor, Deacon Chairman, Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, Director of Christian Education and Chairman of Audit Committee
• ¨      Vice-President of Congress of Christian Education for the Central District of Pennsylvania State Baptist Convention
  

ACCOLADES

• ¨      Governor Raymond P. Shafer Award of Merit for outstanding contribution to the Commonwealth Cost Reduction Program

                Citizen of Middletown Award

MINISTRY

• ¨      Call to Gospel, July, 1976
• ¨      Preached trial sermon at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in August, 1976
• ¨      Ordained in July, 1978.  Elected Pastor of Turner Memorial Primitive Baptist Church on October 2, 1978.  Installed November 1, 1978
• ¨      Became Pastor of the Rose of Sharon Baptist Church on December 17, 1989
• ¨      Retired as Pastor of the Rose of Sharon Baptist Church on December 17, 2000
  

CHURCH HIGHLIGHTS

• ¨      Founder of the Rose of Sharon Baptist Church on December 17, 1989
• ¨      Ordination of four sons in the gospel
• ¨      Establishment of Fourth Sunday as “Youth Sunday”
• ¨      Installation of a baptistery
• ¨      Burning of church mortgage in 4 years in lieu of 5 years
• ¨      Establishment of Youth Bible Study with YMCA (the church was the recipient of the “Volunteer of the Year Award” on  December 3, 1998
• ¨      Classroom instructor for the George E. Leader Computer Class
• ¨      Acquisition of 1914-1916 North Fourth Street property
• ¨      Urban League of Metropolitan Harrisburg Youth as Resources Grant recipient through Youth Ministry for community outreach
  

VISION

• ¨      Rose of Sharon as a “cornerstone” for Fourth Street and surrounding communities
  

FAVORITE SONGS

• ¨      Great is thy Faithfulness
• ¨      His Eye is on the Sparrow