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In Loving Honor Of,

Dr. Minister Margaret L Rogers Baines

July 29, 1946 - September 13, 2025

Obituary for Dr. Minister Margaret L. Rogers Baines

A life well-lived is a legacy of joy, pride, and love. A lasting memory that will continue to inspire grateful hearts and treasure the faith of our Lord and Savior.

Dr. Minister Margaret L. Rogers Baines, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, minister, scholar, and community servant, entered into eternal rest in the presence of her Heavenly Father. 

She was born on July 29, 1946, in Longview, Texas to Ezekiel and Ela Mae Rogers, the youngest of five children. At the age of five, her family relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was raised and nurtured in faith and family.

Dr. Baines was preceded in death by her siblings John Rogers, Johnny Cole, and Anna Johnson. She is survived by her sisters, Loutishia Conley and Loucreshia Crenshaw, and her cherished husband, Robert J. Baines, Sr., with whom she made her home in Marlton, New Jersey.

A woman of great resilience and determination, Dr. Baines interrupted her education early in life to marry and begin her family. Yet, with perseverance and faith, she returned to school and became the first in her family to graduate from college, achieving that milestone just days before her mother’s passing. She went on to earn multiple degrees: a B.A. in Urban Studies from Rutgers Camden University; an M.A. in Community Economic Development as a HUD Fellow from Southern New Hampshire University; an M.A. in Student Personnel Counseling; and a Substance Awareness Coordinator certificate from Rowan University. She later earned her Doctorate in International Studies and Theology, along with a PsyD in Ministry. She was also a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) and an ordained minister.

Dr. Baines lived her calling through service in many roles: as an entrepreneur, professor, community activist, and spiritual leader. She founded the Global Substance Abuse Coalition International, Inc. (GSACI), a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to restoring and empowering individuals, families, and communities impacted by addiction, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and violence. She worked for the City of Camden Planning Department, helping to develop over 21 projects across the city, and for six years served as an adjunct professor at Rutgers Camden University, where she inspired students to become change agents and civic leaders.

Her leadership and service were recognized with numerous awards, including the Camden County Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Medal, the City of Camden Mayor’s Award, and induction into the Alpha Epsilon Lambda Graduate and Professional Honor Society. She also served as a Presidential Advisor to Rutgers University President Edward Bloustein, was recognized on the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Committee, and contributed as a founding member of the Camden County Family Support Organization.

Beyond her professional and academic achievements, Dr. Baines was a devoted servant of God. She was a minister and active member of Living Faith Christian Center in Pennsauken, New Jersey, where she ministered through preaching, music, drama, and prayer. She also faithfully served as a Camden City Police Chaplain and on the Mayor’s Civic and Community Organization. Her greatest passion was bringing healing and wholeness, always seeking to please her Heavenly Father.

She leaves behind a loving family who were the joy of her heart: her children, Dana Lynne Horne (children, Loren Nia Anderson, Britanny Mae Anderson, and Joslyne Marie Anderson), Johnnie Wallace Eugene Horne Jr. (children, Feniece Oppong, Jamelle Horne, and Marayna Horne), Gwendolyn Denise Horne-Morris (child, Rashida Shaneé Robinson), and Therron Lamar Horne (children, Robert Smith, Therron Horne, Dewonn Horne, Dejoun Horne, and Karon Horne), along with dozens of great-grandchildren.

Her extended family includes Janai LaTonya Baines; Robert Joseph Baines II and his wife Donna Maria Baines with their children Mariah, Phoenix, and Emii; Cindy Collazo; and Tracy Horne. She is also remembered with deep affection by her lifelong friends Dr. Johnny Swearinger, Dr. Cheryl A. Walker, Karen Tucker, former Camden Mayor Dana Redd and Pastor Connie McLean, and Paul and Angela Pipersburgh, and several other loving individuals. 

Dr. Baines will forever be remembered as a woman who loved deeply, lived faithfully, and gave generously. Her family and friends recall her wisdom, humor, resilience, and capacity for truth-telling conversations that pushed boundaries but always came from a place of love.

Her husband Robert Baines Sr. reminisced: “The love of my life, Margaret L. Baines, came into my world in October 2010 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center during a two-day Holy Spirit conference led by Benny Hinn. In an auditorium of 7,000, she sat just three seats away from me. Though we had met years earlier through our work in behavioral disorders, this moment was different. I was immediately drawn to her. It was truly love at first sight. The next day, by God’s grace, we crossed paths again. After the service, I drove her to her car, and before we parted, she gave me her number. For three weeks I prayed over it, asking the Lord for guidance, certain in my heart that I could spend the rest of my life with her. When I finally called, every conversation brought me joy, and our love grew quickly. We dated for 18 months before marrying, and from the beginning I knew she was my future. Our bond was tender, steadfast, and enduring to the very end.”

Her grandson, Therron Antjuan Horne lovingly recalls: “Grandma, you were the most spiritual, God-loving person in my life. You always gave praise to Jesus and prayed for us. I will forever remember the times we went to church together and the wisdom you shared.”

Her daughter-in-law Donna Maria Baines shared: “Margaret, you weren’t a small-talk kind of woman you went right for the deep conversations. You pushed us, challenged us, and cared for us in ways that few others could. We will never forget your wisdom, laughter, and the love you poured into our family. These last months were a gift, as we witnessed your strength, humor, and joy even in your final days. We will carry your spirit with us always.”

Dr. Minister Margaret L. Rogers Baines’ legacy of faith, education, service, and unconditional love will live on through the countless lives she touched. She has finished her race, kept the faith, and now rests in eternal peace with her Lord and Savior.