Black Church

In Memoriam: Rev. J.B. Fleming Was Church And Civic Leader

Rev. Dr. J.B. Fleming, longtime pastor of Third Baptist Church and civic leader in Portsmouth, is remembered for decades of spiritual and community service after passing at age 83.
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NJG Newswire
PORTSMOUTH

The Hampton Roads Community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent clergy members with the passing on April 15, 2025 of Rev. Dr. Joe Billy Fleming of Portsmouth.

Born November 8, 1941, in Holdenville, Okla., Joe B. Fleming, 83, was the ninth of eleven children born to Deacon John Alfred and Rosetta Mence Fleming. He was married to his college sweetheart Johnnie Mitchell in 1964, and to this union were added three children.

Rev. Dr. Fleming arrived in Portsmouth in 1981 as the 8th pastor of the city’s historic Third Baptist Church and faithfully served this congregation for thirty-five years until his retirement on November 30, 2016. After that, he was honored as the church’s first Pastor Emeritus.

He graduated from Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, in 1963, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology in Richmond, Va., in 1967. He further enriched his theological foundation at United Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and the School of Religion at Boston University.

Dr. Fleming’s extensive ministerial journey began in the Richmond, Va. area at Antioch Baptist Church located in Susan, Va., where he served from 1964 to 1969.

From 1969 to 1981 he served in Richmond, simultaneously as pastor of the Quioccasin Baptist Church and as the Director of Community Organization, Richmond Community Action Program, and the Director of Training and Planning for a multi-million dollar social agency for twelve years. His community leadership included serving as President of the Henrico Branch of the NAACP and the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and vicinity.

42nd Annual Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival

He also served on board memberships with Meals-on-Wheels and the American Red Cross.

His extensive community service in the Portsmouth area included roles as the 44th President of what is now the Metro Ministers Conference of Virginia, Inc., President of the Portsmouth Branch of the NAACP, chairman and member of the Electoral Board for the City of Portsmouth for thirteen years, and board member for the Southeastern Red Cross and the Urban League of Hampton Roads.

He also served as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army of Portsmouth, board member of the Center for Community Development, Inc., and was a founding member and past president of the Martin Luther King Leadership Steering Committee of Portsmouth.

His dedication extended to roles as Commissioner of the Virginia Port Authority and as chair and board member of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

Dr. Fleming joined the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity as a student at Bishop College when it was located in Marshall, Texas. His leadership was evident early on when he, alongside two fraternity brothers from Gamma Chapter, led students from Bishop College and Wiley College in efforts to desegregate public facilities in Marshall.

His unwavering commitment to justice resulted in his arrest during the Black Students sit-in for U.S. Civil Rights in Marshall, Texas, in 1960. Five months after his arrest, the cases against him and 34 other protesters were dismissed following the tragic death of a fellow student in a car accident.

Rev. Dr. Fleming leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 60 years, Johnnie Mitchell Fleming; his son, Kelton C. Fleming (Veronica) of San Jose, Calif.; daughter, Zina Fleming Hall of Houston, Texas; and son, Joseph A. Fleming, who succeeded him as the 9th Senior Pastor of Third Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Va.

Also, “Buddy,” as he was affectionately known, leaves four grandchildren: Ahmir Hall, Ashley Hall, Adrienne Hall, and Laila Fleming.

He is survived by his sisters, Sammye Jackson of Omaha, Neb., and Bee Be (Robert) Telfair of Virginia Beach, Va.; sisters-in-law, Thelma Fleming of Oklahoma City, Okla., Rosia Fleming of Austin, Texas, Gladys Fleming of Richmond, Va,, and Robbie Fleming of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and brother and sisters-in-law, Earl (Rose) Mitchell of Rochester, N.Y., Martha (Bill) Williams and Mary Johnson of Fort Worth, Texas, and Toy Royal of Fort Worth, Texas. He’s also survived by a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.