About Us :

PASTOR

Senior Pastor of Zion Baptist Church, Marietta, Georgia is a nationally and internationally known man of God, a gospel preacher, a leader in education, an engineer and humble servant.  He was called to pastorship of Zion Baptist Church in August 1992 where he presently serves. Pastor Travis has been a minister for over thirty years.

Over the past 55 years, he has served in numerous capacities in the Baptist church; as a Sunday School, Baptist Training Union (BTU) and Bible Class teacher, Deacon, trustee, Associate Minister, Associate Pastor and Pastor.  He also served on the Advisory Committee of the Indiana Christian University for ten (10) years.  He has preached hundreds of sermons, baptized hundreds of saved souls and hundreds of souls have come to Christ under his ministry.

Prior to acceptance of the pastorship of Zion Baptist in 1992, he served 10 years as Associate Pastor of Zion.  He pastored the New Faith Missionary Baptist Church, Lafayette, Indiana from 1978 through 1981; Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Bridgeport, Indiana from 1975 to 1982; Associate Minister of East Side Baptist Church, Indiana from 1967 to 1973.

Pastor Travis received his primary and secondary education through the public education system in Jackson County, Florida.  He received his college education from Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida; Tennessee State University (BS 1960), Nashville, Tennessee; Indiana Bible College, Indianapolis, Indiana; Purdue University (MS 1972), West Lafayette, Indiana; and the University of Illinois (Ph.D. 1976), Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Pastor Travis is a retired educator.  He served as Vice President for Academic Affairs for Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, Georgia from 1982 until 1998.  Prior to that time, he served as Full Professor and Chairperson at Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana.  From 1960 until 1972, he also served in several engineering positions at the United States Naval Avionics Facility, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dr. Travis has received several local and national awards.  On March 30, 2000 he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers.  He is a Fellow in the American Society of Engineers and has received two national honors from that organization--the James H. McGraw Award for the Outstanding Engineering Technology Educator and the Chester F. Carlson Award for Innovation in Engineering Education. He was among a select few awarded one of the American Society of Engineering Education Centennial Medallions, during ASEE's centennial celebration. 

He has also received other national and local awards--in 1991, Purdue University conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate of Technology, an international honor.  In 1980, Indiana Christian University conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate of Theology.  While employed by the United States Navy, he received the "Superior Accomplishment Award", "Outstanding Employee Award" and the "Pride Award".  In 1988, the Cobb County Community and Zion Baptist Church observed "Dr. Travis Day" during Black History Month where he received numerous accolades.  In addition, he has received the Cobb County NAACP's President Award and the Martin Luther King "Freedom Award" given by Zion Baptist Church and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

He is married to Mrs. Georgia Allen Travis and they are the proud parents of seven children:  Gail, Stephanie, Melvin, Verdonna, Reginald, Cheryl and Eric.