“The Steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…”

Rev. Walter Lee Harper, Jr., Is such a man; Born September 24, 1944 to Estella Frazier and Walter Lee Harper, Sr. of Geneva, Florida, the second of 5 children. He attended the historical Crooms High School in Sanford, Florida and graduated in 1963. From 1963-64 he attended Barber School in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.”
On January 10, 2013 Rev. Walter Lee Harper, Jr. and the Lord decided it was time for him to come home and rest. He leaves to cherish his memories:
A loving, devoted wife, Mildred Harper; 5 Sons: Lee (MO), David (Nicole) FL, Willie James (FL), Robin Dale (NJ), and Kenneth (FL); 5 Daughters: Barbara (Quention) MD, Yolanda (WV), Rose (FL), Shirley (FL), Jackie (Deceased) FL; 4 Sisters: Annie Lois (Robert) FL, Ella Jean (Malachi) FL, Carrie Lee (Pastor Eugene) FL, Marrion (GA); 1 Brother: Simon James (Martha ) FL; Mother: Anna Stewart (MO); Mother-in-law; 4 Sisters-in-law: Margaret (Lee) MO, Elouise (MO), Mary (Marvin) MO, Annette (Ralph) MO; 3 Brothers-in-law: Don (Anita) MO, James (Deceased), Henry (Deceased); 24 Grands, 29 Great-Grands, a host of nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins and special friends.
Rev. Walter Lee Harper, Jr. served in the United States Army for 20 years and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. He fought in the Vietnam War and was later assigned as an Enlistment Recruiter for the remainder of his military career. His combat arms training and warfare tactics training equipped him to lead a strong spiritual warfare ministry.
Rev. Harper is a graduate of the International Seminary of Plymouth, Florida (formally Tyler Bible Colleges of Orlanda, FL) and Columbia College of Columbia, MO where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He later earned the Master of Ministry degree from Christian International University in Hazelwood, MO, which is now called Lael University.
For several years, Rev. Harper served as an instructor for the International Seminary of Plymouth, FL, as well as an instructor for the National Baptist Convention. He was known by many as a “master teacher”, serving as a mentor to many pastors, evangelists, missionaries and other men and women of God even as far as West Africa.
Rev. Harper established his first ministry in 1973 at the Taft Missionary Baptist Church. He later found a need to further his ministry by attending seminary from which he graduated in 1977.
In 1978, he became Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford, Florida. Because of a military reassignment, in 1981, Rev. Harper had to resign his position as Senior Pastor and move to St. Louis, MO. Upon his arrival in Missouri, he joined and served as an associate minister at the Memorial Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Seanes Boyce, Jr.
Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in 1983, Rev. Harper was called to pastor the Memorial Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. He was only the third pastor to lead this 61 year old church, leading the members to the next level. He incorporated a systematic approach in biblical principles and spiritual warfare to advance the body to the next level of victory.
In 1986, wanting to spread the Word of God, Rev. Harper and the Memorial Mass Choir recorded an album of songs entitled “Far Beyond the Clouds the Sun Shines.” In 1989, Rev. Harper started a radio broadcast on KIRL Radio Station called “The Life That’s Yours,” enabling him to reach more people for Christ. Later on, he successfully published three books: “The Holy Spirit and the Gift of Tongues”, “A Revelation from the Cross of Calvary” and “Salvation: Not About A Day - Why Sunday and Not the Sabbath.”
Under Rev. Harper’s leadership, miraculous changes continued to take place for the Memorial church family. Memorial Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church’s name changed to Memorial Tabernacle Christian Life Center. The church’s ministerial staff grew to include the licensing and ordination of 19 associate ministers, 13 evangelist & missionaries, and 28 deacons. He also has ten sons and daughters in the ministry throughout the state of Florida.
“God sent me to get Memorial, His Church, ready to meet Him, serving as Christ’s representative, as His Ambassador, as His Soul Watcher, as the Key Bearer, to prepare the people here at Memorial for entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. To be disobedient to God’s Pastor is to be disobedient to Christ Himself, and if you disregard this Pastor and what he asks of you, you will never make it into the Kingdom of Heaven. The church is the only vehicle going back to God. The Pastor must get the church ready to do so.” - Rev. Walter L. Harper
WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!