Dr. Roberson was born in a two-room log cabin on November 24, 1909, and spent his first two years on a farm near English, Indiana, a small town in the southern part of the state. In 1911, his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Charles E. Roberson, took him to a farm near Louisville, Kentucky, where his father farmed, worked on streetcars, and built homes to make a living. At the age of fourteen, he was led to the Lord by his faithful Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Daisy Hawes, and joined the Cedar Creek Baptist Church outside of Louisville.

After spending two years at the Louisville Male High School, where he received a diploma in public accounting when he was fourteen years old, Dr. Roberson then attended the Fern Creek High School and graduated after four years. While a student, he played football with the high school team.

Dr. Roberson entered Old Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky in 1926, and finished the first year. There he worked at various jobs from washing dishes to scrubbing floors to pay his way. From Old Bethel College, he went to the University of Louisville to complete his college work with a major in history. He also completed his work for a degree at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. At the age of nineteen, he was called to a church in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, which he did not accept.

In his early years, Dr. Roberson was well known as a singer. Having studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and with the well-known teacher, John Samples, of Chicago, his services as a vocalist were in great demand. He served as a soloist on the staff of radio station WHAS of Louisville, Kentucky, and WSM out of Nashville, Tennessee. Doors were opening in the field of secular music. Dr. Roberson could have signed a contract with a certain man in the city of Nashville that, no doubt, would have led him to the top in music. However, he felt that this was not the thing the Lord wanted for him; so he refused to sign the contract.

The first church that Dr. Roberson served as pastor was in Germantown, Tennessee, while he was going to college. In 1932, he was called to be pastor of the Temple Baptist Church in Green Brier, Tennessee. It was there that he discovered the truth of the second coming of Christ. After three years with the Green Brier Church, where the Lord wonderfully blessed, Dr. Roberson entered full-time evangelistic work in 1935. He served as evangelist of the Birmingham Baptist Association; and within two years, he conducted some fifty revivals in the Birmingham area. It was while he was in Birmingham that he met Miss Caroline Allen, who, on October 9, 1937, became Mrs. Lee Roberson.

On the first Sunday in November 1937, Dr. Roberson became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Fairfield, Alabama.

In 1939, Dr. Roberson was asked to be the state evangelist for Alabama. He felt this was not the Lord's will for him at the time, so the offer was not accepted.

After five years with the Fairfield church, Dr. Roberson was called to the Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in November of 1942. Four years later, Dr. Roberson would start the Tennessee Temple University. His ministry would continue to branch out into the areas of radio, a city-wide bus ministry, and the founding of Camp Joy. Highland Park Baptist Church would grow to be one of the largest churches in the country.

He preached his last service at Highland Park Baptist Church on April 27, 1983 but continued in the work of the Lord. He was loved as pastor, preacher, confidant and friend by those with whom he came in contact.  During his tenure as pastor, more than 61,000 people professed faith in Jesus and followed Him in believer’s Baptism. Dr. Roberson preached across the nation and also published many tremendously helpful books. He continued to serve until his death.

Dr. Roberson became well known not only by his service to Highland Park Baptist Church and his popularity as a conference speaker and evangelist but also by his proclamations from the pulpit.  Some of his best known admonitions to audiences were, “Have faith in God,” “Everything rises or falls on leadership” and “Just keep going straight down the line.”

On April 29, 2007, Dr. Lee Roberson, would follow his wife into eternity who had passed away just two years prior. In his passing, he was described as being “the greatest Pastor of the 20th Century”. He was 97 years old at the time of his death.

Dr. Lee Roberson has left a legacy that consists of strong preaching, Bible based standards, and an uncompromising devotion to God.