Our Pastor

Dr. Proctor N. Beard, Sr. is the eldest son of Evangelist Louise Beard Rodgers and the late  Roy N. Beard.  A native of Danville, Virginia, he is a graduate of Dan River High School and  Danville Community College, Danville, Virginia.  Dr. Beard earned a B.S. degree in Business  Administration from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg,  Virginia and a M.A. degree in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian  Education, Richmond, Virginia.  In 2006, he received a Doctor of Ministry degree from the  Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, Richmond,  Virginia.  He received the Certificate of Formational Prayer from Healing Care Ministries,  Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio in 2011, and the Certificate in Spiritual  Formation and the Art of Spiritual Direction in 2016 from HCM International, Ashland, Ohio.

Dr. Beard was licensed and ordained by the First Shiloh Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Virginia under the pastoralship of Dr. R Neal Siler, where he served as Youth Pastor/Assistant Pastor for 14 years.  In addition, he served as pastor of Bloomfield Baptist Church, Wilsons, VA and Springfield Baptist Church, Glen Allen, VA prior to returning to First Shiloh to serve as the 14th pastor.  He was installed on August 29, 2021.  He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Healing Place Center for Counseling and Spiritual Formation, Mechanicsville, Virginia.  Dr. Beard is a certified Spiritual Director and is a faculty member of Healing Care Ministries Spiritual Formation and the Art of Spiritual Direction Program, Ashland, Ohio.

Dr. Beard is affiliated with the American Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention, Inc., the Baptist General Convention of Virginia, the NAACP, the American Association of Christian Counseling, and Black African-American Christian Counselors.  He is First Vice Moderator of the Chicahominy Baptist Association is a member of the Evangelical Spiritual Director's Association.

He is the proud father of two wonderful children, Proctor Jr. (PJ) and Haley Elizabeth, and Pap to two grandchildren, Tanner and Elijah.  

Dr. Beard is passionate about positioning persons to experience the Lord in the sacrament of the present moment.  His favorite scripture is Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."

First Shiloh Baptist Church | 8150 Walnut Grove Road | Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | (804) 730-1348