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Rev. Dr.
Gardner C. Taylor, born on June 18,
1918, as the only child of an educated mother
and a Baptist preacher father in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, Gardner Calvin Taylor began on the
path that would eventually lead to becoming the
influential senior pastor of the Concord Baptist
Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York. His
peers named him the greatest African American
preacher and one of America's greatest preachers
in Ebony in 1993. President Bill Clinton agreed
in 2000 when he bestowed upon Taylor the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Despite his background, Taylor was agnostic
until his involvement in a 1937 car accident in
which a white man died. Consequently, he
enrolled in the Oberlin Graduate School of
Theology in 1937, where he met and married Laura
Bell Scott. They have one daughter, Martha.
While still in school, he preached at Bethany
Baptist Church in Oberlin, Ohio, from 1938 to
1941.
Taylor actively advocated civil rights as pastor
for four churches. He sought the presidency of
the National Baptist Church Convention in 1961,
and after losing, he and his followers formed
the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
Taylor taught at prominent divinity schools,
including Harvard and Yale. Now senior pastor
emeritus of Concord, he has traveled extensively
around the world and uses all his experiences in
his preaching.
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.
was called to serve the congregation of
Trinity United Church of Christ in March of
1972. Trinity’s membership was 87 adults in that
year. The membership now exceeds 8000!
Pastor Jeremiah A. Wright,
Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He
completed his elementary education in that city
and then went to the college where his mother
and father met, Virginia Union University, in
Richmond, Virginia. He was a third generation
family member to be a student at that college.
His grandparents also finished Virginia Union
University in the late 1800’s.
After
six years in the military, Pastor Wright
transferred to Howard University where he
completed his undergraduate studies and received
his first Master’s Degree. His second Master’s
Degree was from University of Chicago Divinity
School. His Doctorate was received from the
United Theological Seminary under Dr. Samuel
DeWitt Proctor.
In
addition to Pastor Wright’s four earned degrees,
he has been the recipient of seven honorary
degrees; a Doctor of Letters Degree (from
Colgate University), a Doctor of Laws Degree
(from Bethune-Cookman College), a Doctor of
Humane Letters Degree (from Valparaiso
University) and four Doctor of Divinity Degrees.
Over
the last three decades, Trinity Church has done
more than grow from 87 members to 8000 members.
Trinity Church has constructed two new worship
centers. (The present worship center seats 2700
and covers 150,000 square feet!)
Trinity
Church has also constructed two Senior Citizen
Housing complexes which provide comfortable
living quarters for 130 families. Trinity Church
has operated a Federally Funded Child Care
Program for low-income and unemployed families
for a quarter of a century. Trinity Church has
also run a federally funded Credit Union for 25
years. The Credit Union’s assets now exceed
$3,000,000!
Pastor
Wright’s ministry has extended far beyond the
400 W. 95th Street address in
Chicago, Illinois. Trinity Church tithes its
annual budget each year by giving one tenth of
its revenues to other churches, other agencies
and denominational missions (as well as world
missions).
In 2005
alone, Trinity gave $100,000 to the UCC
denominational effort to help the evacuees
displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In
addition to that $100,000, Trinity Church gave
another $199,000 to Dillard University to help
rebuild that school historically related to the
United Church of Christ. Dillard was virtually
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
In
addition to supporting mission work in Liberia,
Haiti, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil and
South Africa, Trinity makes a tremendous
investment in higher education (in general) and
theological education (in particular) each year.
Trinity church has given over $300,000 to the
United Negro College Fund and $325,000 in
scholarships to graduating high school members
who are college bound.
Trinity
Church incidentally, under Pastor Wright, has
ordained 38 seminary graduates. Trinity
currently has 65 additional members in
accredited seminaries throughout the country.
Trinity Church makes an annual investment in
excess of $300,000 to its members who are
students in accredited seminaries.
In
addition to supporting individual members who
are in seminary, Trinity has also "birthed" four
new congregations in the United Church of Christ
– two in Atlanta, one in Gary, Indiana and one
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Four of
the new pastors serving those new congregations
were sons and daughters of Pastor Wright. They
went to seminary with Trinity Church paying for
over $21,000 for each student’s graduate school
work, and they were all ordained by Pastor
Wright after completing seminary.
In
addition to theological education, Trinity
Church has been supporting missions in Ghana,
West Africa, in Bahia on Brazil, in Guguletu and
in Durban, South Africa for over a decade.
Trinity Church opened a Computer School in
Saltpond, Ghana in the summer of 2000!
In
August of 2003, Pastor Wright was enstooled by
the Ga-Dangme People of Ghana as Chief Afotey
Oblum, II. Seventy-six members of the church
accompanied Pastor Wright to Ghana for the
enstoolment. Thirty African Americans from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Pastor Wright’s
home), also were in Ghana to witness his
enstoolment.
Pastor
Wright was awarded the Alumnus of the Year Award
by the Howard University Board of Trustees in
March of 2004. The Howard University Board of
Trustees recognized him as their leading alumnus
in the field of Religion and Theological
Education!
Pastor
Wright’s personal, pastoral and ministry
philosophy have been shaped by his mother and
father, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr. and
Dr. Mary Henderson Wright. He gives thanks to
God for having had parents who showed him by
their living what the gospel of
Jesus Christ really means.
He now shares those
lessons with his wife, Ramah Reed Wright, his
four daughters, his son and his three
grandchildren!
Rev. Dr.
Linda W. Bryan
is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Christian Faith Baptist Church in Raleigh is the
centering point in her spiritual life. There, as
a disciple of Christ, Dr. Bryan serves as
Associate Minister, Minister of the Elders and
Christian education teacher. Her full time
ministry is Shaw University Divinity School
where she serves as Assistant Dean.
As an
ordained Baptist preacher, Dr. Bryan was the
first woman licensed to preach the gospel at the
historic Martin Street Baptist Church in
Raleigh, NC in November 1987. She is an author
of special occasion litanies and various
articles. She is editor of The PETRA Model,
contributing author to Affirming A Future
With Hope, and is completing work on her
book. She has served as co-producer and co-host
of the weekly television program "Issues of
Life".
Her
community service includes a number of
capacities over the years. To name a few, the
YWCA planning committee, Wake County Public
Schools Curriculum Development Committee, the
N.C. Legislative Black Caucus Planning
Committee, the National Black Religious Summit
on Sexuality at Howard University in Washington,
D.C., the Steering Committee for the Association
of Doctor of Ministry Education and the Task
Force for Poverty and Homelessness in Wake
County. She currently serves on the Advisory
Council for Clinical Pastoral Education at Duke
University, the Steering Committee for Chief
Academic Officers Society, and board member for
Daughters of Zion Ministry and Touching Lives
Ministry. Her most recent project includes the
Health Education and Leadership Project at the
Interdenominational Theological Center in
Atlanta where she served on the Interseminary
Curriculum Development Team. Dr. Bryan was
instrumental in the successful development of a
grant proposal which was funded by the State of
North Carolina to develop an HIV/AIDS project at
Shaw University Divinity School.
Dr.
Bryan has earned the Bachelor of Arts degree
from Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, the Master
of Divinity degree from Duke University Divinity
School in Durham, NC and the Doctor of Ministry
degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of
Theology at Virginia Union University in
Richmond, VA.
Dr.
Bryan is married to Deacon John F. Bryan III and
they have three children. They desire above all
to love God and to serve as change agents for
the people of God.
Rev.
Dr. Charles E.
Booth
is the esteemed pastor of
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio, where
he has served faithfully for the last
twenty-eight years. Dr. Booth is a native of
Baltimore, Maryland. He is the son of William
Booth and the late Hazel Booth-Sutton. He began
his first pastorate in 1970 at the St. Paul’s
Baptist Church in West Chester, PA, where he
served for seven years. In 1978, he was called
to be Senior Pastor of the Mt. Olivet Baptist
Church, Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Booth was the
youngest Pastor called to both of these
churches.
Dr.
Booth received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from
Howard University, Washington, DC. He earned his
Master of Divinity Degree from Eastern
Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA. Dr.
Booth received his Doctor of Ministry Degree
(Proctor Fellow) from United Theological
Seminary, Dayton, Ohio.
Under
the leadership of Dr. Booth, the Mt. Olivet
Baptist Church completed a 2.1 million dollar
building program and is currently looking to
begin work on a Family Life Center. Dr. Booth is
also the founder of the Gloria S. Friend
Christian Academy (GSFCA), named in honor of its
first administrator, which opened its doors in
September 1993. The Academy currently has grades
kindergarten through fifth. The curriculum
stresses excellence in academics, African and
African-American History and Christian
education. The GSFCA is fully accredited by the
Ohio Department of Education.
A past recipient of The
Vertner Woodson Tandy Award for dedicated
community service, Dr. Booth is committed to
bettering Columbus neighborhoods and helping to
provide safe havens for children and families.
In 2005 and 2006, Dr. Booth led several peace
marches throughout surrounding communities and
led a bold campaign to close down crack houses
and combat violence.
In addition to
providing pastoral leadership to the Mt. Olivet
Baptist Church, Dr. Booth currently serves as
Professor of Preaching, Trinity Lutheran
Seminary - Columbus, Ohio and as a Doctoral
Mentor at United Theological Seminary. Dr. Booth
has traveled the world preaching and teaching
the Gospel. He has received many significant
invitations, honors and awards including being
listed on Ebony Magazine’s "Honor Roll of
Preachers."
A former member of the
Advisory Board Member of The African American
Pulpit, Dr. Booth’s written contributions
can be found in many resources. In 2000 through
Urban Ministries, Dr. Booth published his first
book titled, Bridging the Breach:
Evangelical Thought and Liberation in the
African-American Preaching Tradition.
Reverend Dr.
William H. Curtis
is
the Senior Pastor of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church,
located in urban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A native of Baltimore,
Maryland, Reverend Curtis accepted the call to
ministry at the age of 17. He possesses a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies and
Philosophy from Morgan State University, a
Master of Divinity Degree from the Howard
University School of Divinity, and a Doctor of
Ministry Degree from the United Theological
Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Pastor
Curtis serves on the Board of the Urban League
of Pittsburgh, is a member of the African
American Leadership Committee. Reverend Curtis
is the current President of the Hampton
University Ministers=
Conference. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of
the United Theological Seminary and is also a
member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Reverend Curtis is
married to the former Christine Y. Richardson,
and they are the proud parents of one lovely
daughter, Houston.
Rev. Dr.
Joel C. Gregory is
Professor of Preaching at Truett Seminary and
Distinguished Fellow of Georgetown College,
Georgetown, Kentucky. He is founder and
president of Joel Gregory Ministries. He is the
author of five books and co-author of two. Among
other pastorates, he served as pastor of First
Baptist Church, Dallas and Travis Avenue Baptist
Church, Fort Worth. He served for years as the
speaker on the International Baptist hour, heard
on more than 500 stations. In 2005 he spoke in
22 states at 25 national and regional
conferences as well as 36 local churches. This
summer he will teach Proclaimers Place at Oxford
University. He is a graduate Baylor University
with a B.A. Summa cum Laude and Ph.D. He
also was graduated from Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary with the M.Div., where he
also taught preaching. Dr. Gregory has spoken in
46 states as well as in Europe, the Middle-East,
the Pacific Rim, Middle and South America. He
has taught preaching or preached in venues so
diverse as Princeton Seminary, Spurgeon’s
College, London, Westminster Chapel, London and
the International Seminary or Buenos Aires,
among hundreds of other engagements.
Rev. Dr.
James A. Forbes, Jr.
has served as the fifth Senior Minister of the
2,400-member Riverside Church in New York City
since 1989. Prior to that, Dr. Forbes was
Professor of Preaching at Union Theological
Seminary. He is
known as the preacher’s preacher because
of his extensive career and charismatic style.
In 1995, Newsweek recognized him as ‘one
of the 12 most effective preachers in the
English-speaking world.’
Dr. Forbes was featured
on Bill Moyers’ Speaking to Power
in 2003 and in 2004, keynoted the Let
Justice Roll tour sponsored by the NCCC.
Dr. Forbes addressed the 2004 Democratic
National Convention.
He earned his degrees
from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, Union
Theological Seminary, and Howard University, and
has been awarded many honorary degrees, as well,
having spoken at Harvard, Yale, and the White
House.
Born in Burgaw, North
Carolina, Dr. Forbes is married to Bettye Franks
Forbes. They have a son, James A. Forbes III.
Rev. Dr.
Kevin Wayne Cosby
is a man highly favored of God. He was born in
Louisville, Kentucky on July 15, 1958. He
received a clear call to ministry at a very
early age. His earliest childhood memories are
of his fervent desire to become a preacher. He
fondly remembers preaching at the tender age of
six, from a small pulpit built by one of the
church trustees, at the request of his
grandfather, Rev. Benjamin James Miller. Dr.
Cosby’s pulpit playtime, was the first
training ground for his dynamic "practical
living" biblical teaching ministry. God’s call
on his life later led him to earn a Bachelor of
Arts degree from Eastern Kentucky University in
Richmond, Kentucky, a Master of Divinity degree
from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Louisville, Kentucky, and a Doctor of Ministry
degree from United Theological Seminary in
Dayton, Ohio.
Dr. Cosby has served
St. Stephen Church as senior pastor, and the
Louisville metropolitan community, since 1979.
Under his anointed leadership, the church has
grown from 500 to over 10,000 members and in the
July/August 2005 issue of Outreach Magazine, was
listed as one of the top 100 largest churches in
America. In the words of Emerge Magazine, St.
Stephen Church is "One of the six super
churches of the South". During Dr. Cosby’s
tenure, the church has helped improve the
condition of the surrounding neighborhoods and
their resident’s lives, by building a 1,500 seat
worship center; erecting one of the premier
family life centers in the country; purchasing
and converting the former only Black owned and
operated, Simmons University property into a
multi-purpose life enrichment center;
establishing transitional housing for recovering
addicts, and purchasing and demolishing
neighborhood liquor stores and nightclubs. Dr.
Cosby also followed God’s guidance and led St.
Stephen Church into the planting and building of
a new church, and 1,000 seat worship/prayer
retreat center, in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in
the fall of 2004.
"Where God guides, God
provides", one of Dr. Cosby’s favorite quotes,
is an expression of his life. The "fruits" of
his obedience to God are visible to all.
Dr. Cosby’s amazing
life journey with God, has allowed him to
achieve the stuff that dreams are made of.
A
staunch proponent of education, Dr. Cosby was
recently elected as the 13th President of
Simmons College of Kentucky, Louisville, KY
(formerly Simmons Bible College), one of the
oldest Black owned and operated colleges in the
nation.
Dr. Cosby uses his
exceptional God given oratory and teaching
skills to lecture in colleges and universities
throughout the world. He was formerly an Adjunct
Professor of Christian Ministries at the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a
former Kentucky State University Trustee Board
member.
Notable organizations
have honored Dr. Cosby. He has received the
WAVE-TV S.T.E.P. (Service Through Excellent
Performance) Award; The U.S. Dept. of Commerce-
Minority Business Development Agency’s Regional
Minority Business Advocate Award; Louisville
Metro Government’s M. L. King, Jr. Freedom
Award; International Association of Business
Communicators – Kentucky Chapter and the Public
Relations Society of America – Bluegrass
Chapter’s Communicator of the Year Award; the
Catholic Education Foundation, Inc. Community
Service Award; the Long Run Baptist
Association’s Clarence Jordan Award for
exemplary application of the Gospel; the Lincoln
Foundation Spirit of Excellence Award, and
honorary doctorate degrees from Eastern Kentucky
University, Richmond, KY and Simmons College of
Kentucky, Louisville, KY.
In 2005, Greater
Louisville Inc. (formerly the Louisville Area
Chamber of Commerce) awarded Dr. Cosby one of
the first Passing the Torch awards. As
one of Louisville’s pioneer leaders and most
influential visionaries, Rev. Cosby’s life
experiences and leadership insights have been
captured in the book, Passing the Torch,
for the edification of the next generation of
leaders.
Dr. Cosby has been
featured on the television show "48 Hours" in a
documentary hosted by Dan Rather, and in a PBS
(Public Broadcasting System) Special entitled,
"The Issue is Race", hosted by Phil Donahue.
He’s also been featured in the following
magazines and newspapers:
• Jet Magazine
• The Atlanta Constitution
• The Baltimore Sun
• The Louisville-Courier Journal
• The Louisville Defender
• The Lexington Herald-Leader
• Louisville Magazine- cover story-September
1993
• Louisville Magazine- Ranked one of the "50
Most Powerful/Influential Louisvillians"-43rd
in 1994 and 23rd in 2005.
• Leadership Journal- "Wing Walkers" (Six Key
Leaders), Winter 1996
• Business First of Louisville, March 1997 issue
and April 2000 issue.
Dr. Cosby has authored
the following books: "Get off Your But! :
Messages, Musings & Ministries to Empower the
African-American Church", "As They Went",
"Treasure Worth Seeking", and the newly
released, "Who’s Your Daddy: Life Lessons
from the Prodigal Son", which has received
superb reviews. He has also served as
contributing author for the following
publications: Black Baptist Sunday School
Growth, No Other Help I Know: Sermons on Prayer
and Spirituality, and The African American
Pulpit Series.
A common thread found
in Pastor Cosby’s teaching is that there is no
"self-made" man. He says "Self-help is no help!"
He consistently stresses that there is only one
person that can help all of humanity, and that
person is Jesus Christ. Any success achieved by
Dr. Cosby, is always attributed to the hand of
God, and to those people who have helped him
along the way.
Just as "God
gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great
understanding, and largeness of heart, like the
sand on the seashore."
(1 Kings 4:29), so has God
given these same qualities to Pastor Cosby. He
is truly a wise, compassionate, and loving
servant of God.
Dr. Cosby is married to
the former Barnetta Turner, and they are the
parents of two adult children.
Rev.
Jasmin Sculark,
better known as
Rev. Jazz, is the Pastor of the historical
100+ year old Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
in York PA. She is the first female to be called
to pastor a Baptist church in York PA.
Rev. Jazz is a native of the Island of Trinidad
and Tobago. Rev. Jazz accepted the Lord Jesus
Christ at a very early age and shortly after
accepted God’s calling upon her life and went
into full time ministry.
She has been blessed by
God and received a second invitation to come
back and preach in Nigeria in 2006 following her
first invitation in October of 2004. She has
also traveled in September 2004 to visit and
preach the Gospel in her native land, Trinidad.
Rev. Sculark is
obedient to God’s Word to
"study to show thyself approved". In August
2005, she began studying at the United
Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, pursuing
her Doctor of Ministry degree in the Booth,
Scott and Williams Doctoral Group.
Rev. Jazz was an
Associate at the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in
Columbus OH in 1999-2002 and served as the
Minister of Ministry Development.
She is a graduate of
the Practical Bible College in Vestal, NY; a
graduate of the Washington Bible College in
Lanham, MD and received her Masters in
Theological Studies at the Trinity Lutheran
Seminary in Columbus OH. Rev. Jazz is currently
a doctoral candidate at the United Theological
Seminary for the Doctor of Ministry
She was licensed to
Preach the Gospel on February 4, 1992 at the Mt.
Pleasant Baptist Church of Washington DC and
received her Certificate of Ordination July 11,
1999 at the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in
Columbus OH.
Her professional
affiliations and community activities include
being a board member for such notable
organizations as the Coalition of 100 Black
Women of York PA, Access York, South
George Community Partnership, Advisory Board
Member for The African American Pulpit; serves
on the board of the Junior League of York, PA;
serves on the cabinet of the Hampton Ministers’
Conference and former member of the Susan P.
Byrnes Health Education Center.
To name a few of her
publications, honors and accomplishments:
- Featured on the
Trinity Broadcasting Network – January 2006
- Recognized and
preached as one of the new voices emerging
at the June 2006 Hampton Ministers’
Conference
- Nominated by
Judson Press as one of the "20-to-Watch
Young Preachers in the New Millennium"
- Her sermon,
"Don’t Worry, Be Happy" was featured in
African American Pulpit, Judson Press,
Summer 2004
- Ebony Woman of the
Month, April 2004, by The Heritage News
- Radio Ministry -
106.3FM in Columbus OH 2001-2002
- Publication,
"Making Something Out of Nothing" –
African American Pulpit, Volume 1, Number 5,
1999
- Awarded the Joe
Blunt Youth Excellence Award, 1992
- Outstanding
Leadership and Commitment to Ministry in the
Urban Community from the Washington Bible
College and Capital Bible Seminary, May 25,
1991
- Named "Who's Who
Among American Students?" 1989-1990
Daughter of Thunder
Ministry, Inc.
Reverend Sculark is the founder and president of
the Daughter of Thunder Ministry that assists
the local church in providing holistic, life
changing ministries to youths, singles, young
adults and women. She travels this country
preaching and teaching the Word of God. She is
actively involved in church conferences as
preacher, workshop presenter, conference speaker
and ministry consultant.
She stands as Esther -
A Woman for such
a time as this. Her greatest desire is to be
found faithful in the task God has given her.
Her life scripture is I Thessalonians 5:24
Rev. Dr. Claude R. Alexander,
Jr.
has served as the Senior
Pastor of University Park Baptist Church in
Charlotte, North Carolina since 1990. Born in
Waterloo, Iowa and reared in Jackson,
Mississippi, Pastor Alexander received a
Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors in
Philosophy from Morehouse College, a Master of
Divinity Degree from Pittsburgh Theological
Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Pastor
Alexander is an insightful speaker with a
narrative style that enables worshippers in the
congregation to put themselves into the biblical
episode. Local and national civic organizations,
as well as religious institutions have
recognized this God-given gift. This gift has
afforded him the opportunity to speak in a
variety of capacities, such as:
- 1999 Morning
Worship Leader for the Hampton University
Ministers’ Conference
- Published in
Outstanding Black Sermons, Volume 4
- Inducted into the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers
of Morehouse College
- Appointed
Vice-President of the Hampton University
Ministers’ Conference
- Guest speaker for
2002 Bishop T. D. Jakes ManPower Conference
in Charlotte
- Guest speaker for
Crusades in Kenya and Brazil
Pastor Alexander is a
visionary. During his tenure at University Park
Baptist Church or "The Park", the name members
and visitors affectionately use, the church has
grown dramatically both in numbers and in
ministries.
- One Church in
Three Locations in the Charlotte area
- Membership from
less than 500 to more than 8,000
-
Under Pastor
Alexander’s direction more than 80
ministries and services are now available at
"The Park", which reflect the diversity of
age groups and the needs and interests of
the congregation and community
-
"The Park" has a full
service Christian Bookstore at the main
campus and The Park South
The
church’s evangelistic scope has expanded to
include a television ministry and a radio
ministry. Pastor Alexander’s dynamic messages
are broadcast nationally on The Word Network,
The Inspiration Network and XM Radio. The church
purchased 54 acres of land, and on April 15,
2001 University Park Baptist Church moved into
its new $13 million sanctuary and Family Life
and Wellness Center. The church purchased 46
acres in the South Charlotte area and dedicated
The Park South sanctuary on August 22, 2004.
Future plans include senior citizens bungalows
and the development of a residential community.
Believing that the call
of God includes a call to civic involvement and
responsibility, Pastor Alexander has served in
the following capacities:
- Board of Directors
of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
- Board of Directors
of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Urban League
- Board of Directors
of the United Way
- Board of Directors
of the Arts and Science Council
- Co-Chair of
Community Building Initiative for the
Foundation for the Carolinas
- The N.A.A.C.P.
Educational Committee
Recent honors and
recognitions:
- Ranked as one of
seven to watch by The Charlotte Observer
- Named by The
Charlotte Post as Newsmaker of the Year for
2006
- Ranked among the
75 most influential persons in Charlotte by
Charlotte Magazine
- Named by the
Charlotte Business Journal as one of the top
40 leaders under 40 in the City of Charlotte
- Received the FBI
Community Service State Award
Pastor
Alexander is married to Minister Kimberly Nash
Alexander, a speech and language pathologist at
Morehead Elementary School and a Sales Director
for Mary Kay. They are the proud parents of two
daughters, Camryn René and Carsyn Richelle.
Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson
is the Senior Pastor of Concord Baptist Church,
Brooklyn, NY.
Profoundly spiritual, deeply dedicated, talented
visionary, and skillful leader are but a few
phrases used to describe the illustrious Senior
Pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of Christ.
Dr. Gary V. Simpson, a
native of Columbus, Ohio, is the son of the late
Reverend Rufus N. Simpson and Mrs. Mary H.
Simpson Price. He answered the call to the
ministry while a youth and preached his first
sermon at the age of fifteen at the Southfield
Community Baptist Church. Dr. Simpson was
ordained at age 20 by the Eastern Union
Missionary Baptist Association in August, 1983.
After completing
elementary and high school in Columbus, he
graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Denison
University, with a BA degree in Religion and
Black Studies (1984); and received a Master of
Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary,
New York, New York (1987). Successful completion
of his dissertation "Breath in Bones: A
Preaching and Teaching Program for Leadership
Derived from Ezekiel 37:1-14 that Enhances
Structure and Strength in an Historic, Urban,
African-American Congregation" earned him a
Doctor of Ministry degree from United
Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio (1995).
In 1984, he came to The
Concord Baptist Church while a student at Union
and remained on staff as an Associate Pastor
until 1989 when he was called to the pastorate
of Calvary Baptist Church, Morristown, New
Jersey, where he led that historic church into a
renaissance that still remains a vibrant
ministry today. Dr. Simpson returned to Concord
as Senior Pastor in October 1990 and continues
to preside over the 4000 congregation and such
community outreach ministries as the Concord
Baptist Elementary School, Concord Seniors
Residence, Concord Nursing and Rehabilitation
Center, Concord Home Services for the Elderly,
Concord Federal Credit Union, Concord Clothing
Exchange, Concord Baptist Christfund, Concord
Family Services, and the Concord Community
Development Corporation.
This renowned preacher
has shared God’s Word extensively at churches
and conventions throughout the United States;
Panama City; the Republic of Panama; Pune,
India; and the Bahamas. Student ministers have
benefited from his vast knowledge when he:
preached at Harvard Divinity School, Union and
Drew Theological Seminaries, Morehouse and
Manchester Colleges, and Denison University;
served as Adjunct Professor at New Brunswick
Theological Seminary; lectured at Union (New
York) and Princeton (New Jersey) Theological
Seminaries; gave the Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lectures, University of Greifswald, Greifswald,
Germany,1997; and the Howard Moody Lecture at
Union, 2004;
In 2002, he was chosen
by the Lilly Endowment of Indianapolis, Indiana
to create and implement a Pastoral Residency
Program for young seminary graduates at the
Church. Under his leadership, Concord is one of
a handful of churches across the country serving
as a teaching congregation for young pastors.
The Lilly Foundation was so impressed by the
results, that it extended its five-year grant to
ten years.
Committed to the
development and nurture of the pastoral call,
Dr. Simpson currently serves as Assistant
Professor of Homiletics at Drew University
Theological Seminary and
mentors four full-time
pastoral residents at Concord. Unofficially, he
has quite a network of "little brothers and
sisters" in the pastorate throughout the nation
who seek him out for counsel and prayer.
His numerous religious
affiliations include: Chair, The Fund for
Theological Education; Chair, Long Range
Planning Committee – Progressive National
Baptist Convention; Board member, Denison
University, Institute of Church Administration
and Management (ICAM); former Board Member,
Union Theological Seminary (NY); Advisory Board
member, African American Pulpit; and member,
American Baptist Churches, and New York Council
of Churches. He demonstrates the theme, "Concord
Cares" through support and membership in the
following civic and community organizations:
Allocations Committee, United Way of
Metropolitan New York, National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People, and Brooklyn
Borough President Transition Committee.
His literary works have
been published in the The Circuit Rider,
Preaching Today, Chicago Divinity School Press,
The Denisonian, Upscale Magazine, National
Chronicle of Philanthropy, Leadership Journal,
and Time Out New York Magazine.
In addition to his
preaching and teaching gifts, Pastor Simpson (he
prefers to be called) is an accomplished
musician who sings; plays both piano and organ;
and is a composer and lyricist. At his Eleventh
Celebrated Pastoral Anniversary (March 2002), he
and members of the Concord Praise and Worship
Team performed music from an original piece,
"The Pastor’s Hymnal: Ten Songs of Praise and
Thanks to Encourage and Strengthen Pastors and
People.
He is married to the
Reverend Emma Jordan-Simpson, Pastor of
Programs, at The Concord Baptist Church of
Christ. They have three wonderful children,
Candace Yonina, David Michael, and Jordan
Elizabeth.
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