Reverend Dr. Robert B. Tate, pastor of Divine Community Baptist Church, in North Philadelphia, passed away suddenly of a medical complication on Saturday, 5/3. He was a celebrated Baptist pastor and member of the Baptist Pastors & Ministers Conference of Philadelphia & Vicinity, the Evening Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Eastern Keystone Baptist Association (PEKBA). Rev. Tate earned a Doctor of Theology degree from Slidell Baptist Seminary in Slidell, La. He and his wife retired Naval Captain Pauline Jones-Tate, Ph.D., founded the Divine Community Baptist Church in 2018. He entered the ministry following retirement from the Glassboro Division of South Jersey Gas Company in 2004, where he worked as a Street Mechanic. Ordained in 2014, he delivered his first sermon at the First Baptist Church of Glassboro, NJ, under the guidance of Rev. Irvin Coleman. His ministerial journey led him to Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Philadelphia, where at the request of the late Rev. Harry Davis, he served as an associate minister. Beyond the pulpit, Rev. Tate was a lifelong community servant and contributed time to numerous social service organizations across Gloucester County, NJ, and the Wynnefield Heights section of Philadelphia, PA. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Glassboro, NJ. He volunteered for the New Jersey Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO) Division, the New Jersey Volunteer Fire Department, the Elk Township Recreation Center, and the Glassboro Food Bank. He was a respected current member of the Wynnefield Heights Association. Rev. Tate will be remembered not only for his powerful sermons and pastoral care, but also for his kind heart, generous spirit, and loyalty to the sacred work of ministry. He is survived by his loving wife, Capt. Pauline Jones-Tate, brother David Tate, and a host of family members, church members, friends, and fellow clergy. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, 5/17, beginning with a 9 – 11 a.m. viewing and 11 a.m. funeral service at True Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 725 Lindley Ave., Phila., PA 19120. Interment will take place on Monday, 5/19, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, Newtown, PA.
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