Jonathon Turner

Biography

Jonathon Blake Turner is a dynamic and versatile leader in both sacred and academic spaces, celebrated for his contributions as a pastor, conductor, tenor, educator, and cultural curator. With a distinguished career that spans local church ministry, academic institutions, and national stages, Turner brings a powerful blend of spiritual conviction, artistic excellence, and educational rigor to every platform he serves.

A native of Ohio, Turner holds the B.A., M.A., and M.Div. degrees and is currently M.M. in Black Sacred Music. He is also a proud alumnus of the James Abbington Church Music Academy Cohort at Hampton University and has completed advanced executive leadership studies through Yale University’s Divinity and Management programs.

He serves as the Senior Pastor of the Historic Israelite Missionary Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio, where he combines preaching, teaching, and community engagement with a deep commitment to the Black sacred music tradition. In higher education, he serves as Adjunct Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at Bluffton University, where he mentors emerging musicians while preserving and advancing the rich legacy of Black sacred music.

Turner’s musical career includes an impressive list of appointments, including Director of Kent State University’s Gospel Choir, Artist-in-Residence at Purdue University, Director of the Chapel Choir at the University of Mount Union, and Director of Choral and Band Activities at both Emmanuel Christian Academy and Lutheran High School East. In 2019, he was appointed Choirmaster for the Akron Symphony Orchestra, further establishing his reputation as a respected conductor and educator.

As the founder and artistic director of SACRED: A Vocal Music Collective, Turner curates and conducts works by African American composers with a mission to preserve, promote, and perform sacred music rooted in the Black experience. His work has taken him across the nation as a guest conductor, clinician, lecturer, and performer in both sacred and academic settings.

A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Turner exemplifies the fraternity’s enduring commitment to scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity.

Whether in the pulpit, classroom, rehearsal hall, or concert stage, Jonathon Blake Turner remains committed to excellence, authenticity, and the continued elevation of Black sacred arts while inspiring the next generation of leaders through faith, music, and education.