Rev. Aaron Iverson; Founded Paradise Baptist Church

The Rev. Aaron James Iverson, 83, founder and longtime pastor of the Paradise Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Iverson organized the fledgling church Feb. 13, 1944, in a private Los Angeles home with only 13 people attending. By 1961, the growing church had moved into its current building at 51st Street and Broadway, serving 10,000 members. Iverson’s son, Aaron D. Iverson, now leads the church and carries on his father’s work through city and county commissions and the church’s Feed the Homeless program. Mayor Richard Riordan praised the elder Iverson for his long service to “the needs of our community.” On March 24 in Los Angeles.