Rev. Dr. Benjamin R. Short, Jr.—son of the late Benjamin R. Short, Sr. and Ada Hyman Short—was born on July 14, 1964 in New Brunswick, NJ. He departed this life in the early morning on Friday, October 1, to a home not made with human hands—to rest eternal in the heavens with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
BJ was baptized at the age of seven at Faith Hope Baptist Church under the late Rev. Willie Bowser. At age 11, he served as the choir director for the Cathedral Choir and also as a member of the usher board. BJ was always very active in church, school and his community. During his junior high and high school years, BJ traveled and performed with The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Players—a youth organization that cultivated student leadership and promoted performing arts through oratory, prose, poetry and music under the leadership of the late William Louis Dunbar.
BJ graduated with outstanding academic and athletic honors from New Brunswick High School in 1983. In 2012, he was inducted into The New Brunswick High School Athletic Hall of Fame for Track and Field. He attended Alabama State University on a four-year athletic scholarship and graduated with a 3.5 grade point average from Coastal Training Institute (Montgomery, AL) earning a B.S. in Computer Information Science/Business Administration.
In 1993, BJ was chosen by God to be His broken vessel. BJ answered that call. He began his ministerial education at Eastern Bible Institute and earned his Bachelor's in Religion & Education (1997), his Masters in Theology (1999), Doctorate in Religion & Education (2001) and Ph.D. in Philosophy and Christian Counseling (2002)—all from Lighthouse Christian Academy (Beebe, AK).
Dr. Short was ordained as a reverend in 1998 by the Progressive Universal Life Church, then as an elder under Bishop E. Earl Jenkins at True Servant Worship & Praise Center (Trenton). In 2001, Dr. Short opened the New Life Christian Worship & Praise Center (New Brunswick) as pastor and founder. He was installed by the late General Overseer Alice B. Phillips and Overseer Shirley Phillips of Antioch Church of God & Bible School Apostle, Inc (Baltimore, MD).
BJ was preceded in death by his mother, Ada Hyman Short (1995) and father, Benjamin Short, Sr. (2019). Left to cherish his memory are his beloved son, Christopher Grant; three granddaughters, Syhmira Grant, and Zilaya & Kristina Grant (twins); four sisters, June Short and Dyshelle Harris (New Brunswick), Tamika Wilson (Edison), and Zakeyia Short (East Brunswick); two brothers, Kevin (Shelby) Hyman (Somerset) and Zakee Short (Milltown); four close cousins, Sondra Hyman Young, Michele Hyman, Patience Baker, and Matilda Archer; eight nieces, Tahira Short, Shalanda Hyman, Tiara Wilson, Kayla Wilson, Sanaai Johnson, Nyla Marshall, Sarai Short, and Kyla Bridgers; eight nephews Joseph Hyman, Kevin Hyman Jr., Kareem Hyman, Tahjere Williams, Jackie Williams Jr., Jordan Short, Kurtis Bridgers II and Kenzo Brown; one goddaughter, Chantal Baker; two godsons, Almeen Archer and Rasan Baker; one uncle, Kenneth Hyman; one aunt, Lee Etta Short and a host of dear relatives and close friends, and acquaintances.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Rev. Dr. Benjamin R. Short Jr., please visit our floral store.