Rev. Dr. O. Jermaine Simmons, Sr. is a fourth-generation preacher and pastor. Raised in Newark, New Jersey, the earliest seeds of ministry were planted in his life at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, under the leadership of his father, the Rev. Dr. Perry Simmons, Jr. His mother, Elaine Griffin Simmons, taught Sunday school for many years, providing her children with biblical and spiritual foundations.
Dr. Simmons was licensed to preach the Gospel in August of 1999 by the Abyssinian Church. In June of 2004, he was ordained to further carry out this work by the Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta Georgia. His late Pastor, the Rev. Dr. C.M. Alexander, was and yet remains an immutable presence in his life and ministry.
In August of 2004, Dr. Simmons accepted the position of Youth and Young Adult Pastor at the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida. The Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, Jr. provided valuable leadership and pastoral guidance during this season.
From 2005 to 2023, Dr. Simmons served as the proud Senior Pastor of the Jacob Chapel Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida. This relationship proved to be fruitful, as pastor and people labored to evangelize thousands of souls, and create ministry and outreach opportunities that are still active to this day.
From 2024-26, he served in the position of Executive Assistant Pastor at the Mount Zion Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Daniel Simmons.
As 2026 began to unfold, Dr. Simmons began to feel a pull toward something unprecedented in His ministry journey; the call to launch and plant a new ministry, the Christ Community Church of Albany, Georgia (C3). The inaugural worship service was held on Easter Sunday, April 5th. As this new season evolves, he has a renewed sense of passion and purpose for ministry and outreach. The likes of which will be the foundation for C3.
A life-long learner, Rev. Simmons received Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Morris Brown College, a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University, and a Doctor of Ministry from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.
Since June of 2002, Dr. Simmons has shared life and marriage with Dr. Elise Hodge Simmons. From this dynamic union, they were blessed in 2004 with one son, JJ, a growing media producer and entrepreneur.
