Senior Elder Irving D. Fryar, Sr.

Irving D. Fryar, Sr. is the husband of Jacqueline M. Fryar and the father of Londen, Irving Jr., Adrianne, and Taylor Fryar and grandfather (“Pop-Pop”) of Noah Fryar.

Born in Mt. Holly, NJ on September 28, 1962, Elder Fryar attended and graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School.  After high school, he attended the University of Nebraska on a 4-year football scholarship where he was a consensus All-American.  Elder Fryar also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from The South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary.

He was drafted as the NFL’s number one pick over all in 1984 by the New England Patriots where he served for 9 years.  In addition, he played 3 years with the Miami Dolphins, 3 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, and 2 years with the Washington Redskins for a total of 17 years in the NFL. 

Elder Fryar was a 3-time MVP with the Patriots, a 2-time MVP with the Dolphins, and a 2-time MVP with the Eagles.  He retired from the NFL in 2001 after completing 17 NFL seasons.  During that time, he caught 851 passes for 12,785 yards and 84 touchdowns along with one rushing and three punt return touchdowns.  He also gained 242 rushing yards, earning him 15,594 all-purpose yards.  He holds an NFL Record for having touchdowns receptions fro 19 different passers and having at least two touchdown receptions in 16 consecutive seasons.  Elder Fryar also became the first play to record a touchdown reception in 17 consecutive seasons.  Along with many other awards, Elder Fryar was voted “True Value Man of the Year” from 1994 through 1997 and has also been presented with the prestigious “Bart Starr Award” as the NFL player who best exemplified outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community.

In addition to winning an Emmy Award for his weekly feature, “My Slant on Sunday”, on Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate, Elder Fryar also had a featured role in the Oliver Stone movie “On Any Given Sunday” and is the author of the book Sunday Is My Day, which is a biographical sketch of his life from childhood until the time he accepted his call into the ministry.

Elder Fryar has served as a member of the Board of Directors and Official Spokesperson for S.C.A.N., Stop Child Abuse Now, the largest non-profit organization in the state of Pennsylvania.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Christian Quarterly, a non-profit Christian organization that networks Christian business owners and their businesses, along with being the spokesperson and part owner of Kingdom Network Corporation which is a for-profit, on-line Christian directory.  Through the South Jersey Youth Alliance as well as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Elder Fryar reaches out and speaks to young people on the importance of academics, life skills, and athletics. He has also affiliated himself with the Family Success Center in Mt. Holly, NJ, whose mission is to help families find their way back into homes and jobs and on December 3, 2009, he was awarded the Lloyd Ritter Community Service Award by the Volunteer Center of Burlington County. 

Elder Fryar is the Pastor and Founder of New Jerusalem House of God in Mt. Holly, New Jersey.  New Jerusalem House of God opened its doors on June 8, 2003 and moved into their own building on Sunday, April 2, 2006.  Under the his leadership, New Jerusalem House of God has quickly become recognized as a place of refuge, solace, and restoration for those in need of spiritual guidance, healing, and peace.

While Elder Fryar has achieved many accomplishments during and after his athletic career, his goal in life is to be a great husband, a great daddy, and a great witness of the Gospel by letting his life be a living example of Jesus Christ.