The Rev. John Robert Mitchell, a pastor and college religion professor, died of a heart attack Thursday at Sinai Hospital. He was 52 and lived in Highlandtown.

Born in Norristown, Pa., Mr. Mitchell graduated from Norristown High School in 1967. He went on to study at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minn., Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis and the University of Pennsylvania. He moved to Baltimore in 1976 and received a master's degree in ancient near-eastern studies from the Johns Hopkins University in 1976.

Mr. Mitchell served as pastor of Berea Baptist Church in Glen Burnie from 1984 until his death. For the past seven years, he also was the pastor of Orangeville Community Church in Highlandtown. Since 1999 he taught a course in the sociology of religion at Villa Julie College in Stevenson. He also ran a desktop publishing and Web design business.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Kirkridge Association Reformed Presbyterian Church, 2740 Old Fort Schoolhouse Road, Manchester.

Mr. Mitchell is survived by his wife of 32 years, the former Margaret Rosenberger; and two brothers, Larry Mitchell and Thomas Mitchell, both of Norristown, Pa.