Pastor Jonathan D. Tolbert, Sr.

Pastor Jonathan David Tolbert, Sr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 29, 1962 to Lambert Tolbert, Jr. and Emma Johnson Tolbert. He was the youngest of six children. David attended school in Pennsylvania, until his father accepted the invitation to Pastor in Waverly, Virginia at Rose of Sharon Apostolic Church in 1976. The family moved to Virginia where David met the woman who would become his wife, Charlene Bivens Tolbert. On June 24, 1989, they were married. 
 
David loved his family and worked very hard to support them. He formed the Department of Loss Mitigations at Bank of America in Richmond, Virginia and worked there until his retirement in 2005. He was a very active and influential member of the Petersburg community. He served on several community service boards to include: Gamaliel Foundation, Concerned Black Men of Petersburg, The School to Prison Pipeline, and the Cameron Foundation. He was also a volunteer at the Petersburg Police Department to help make Petersburg a better place. 
 
David was adamant about the Lord’s work. He and his brother Paul, did street ministry together as well as established A.B.L.E - a program conducted at Emmanuel Apostolic Temple (E.A.T), for recovering addicts.
 
In 2004, his father Lambert Tolbert, Jr. retired from full-time ministry, and turned Emmanuel Apostolic Temple over into the hands of Pastor David. 
 
David accepted his call to Pastor. He loved people and was passionate about souls. He never gave up on anyone. His family describes him as a true Man of God, a great father, an awesome provider, and a loving husband.
 
He was preceded in death by his father, mother, and eldest sister. 
 
Pastor David Tolbert leaves to mourn his wife of 33 years, Lady Charlene Tolbert; three children, Tyrone Perry (Shalania), Stacy, and Jonathan Jr. (Charlene); six grandchildren; his siblings, Paul (Cheryl), Lambert (Ruth), Gloria, Celestine (Billy); and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, an uncle, and his church family.

 

Services will be held 12:00 Noon, Saturday, August 27, 2022 at Zion Apostolic Christian Memorial Temple, 1601 Youngs Road, Petersburg, VA, Dr. Suzie Wright, Pastor and Bishop Delmar Jackson, eulogist. The interment  will be held 12:00 Noon, Monday, August 29, 2022 at Southlawn Memorial Park.

Viewing will be held from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M., Friday, August 26, 2022 at Emmanuel Apostolic Temple, 104 Slagle Avenue, Petersburg, VA.

J.M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911, www.jmwilkersonsince1874.com. Watch the funeral services live online on our J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc. Facebook page.