Over the past two decades, the work and ministry of Rev. Melech E. M. Thomas has traveled around the world, impacting lives, families, communities, and organizations with a passion for Jesus, justice, and joy. Rev. Melech is a graduate of Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Culture and a Minor in Community and Economic Development. He also received his Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, under the tutelage of Dean John W. Kinney. In 2021, Rev.

Rev. Dr. Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes is a pastor, public theologian, innovation strategist, and author. She is the founding colead pastor of The Double Love Experience Church in Brooklyn, New York and the inaugural director of The Technology, Innovation & Digital Engagement Lab Fellowship at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. Gabby has a heart for God’s people and prioritizes creating experiences of connection and love through the physical church, the digital space, and local community engagement. 

The Reverend Danté R. Quick, Ph.D., was installed as the fourth Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) in Somerset, NJ on June 12, 2022.

Pastor Lawrence E. Aker, III currently serves as Lead Pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York. In 2003, he was elected as the eighth pastor in the church’s history succeeding his spiritual mentor, Rev. Dr. Harry S. Wright, Sr. Pastor Aker, a native of Oakland, California, was raised in Dallas, Texas. 

Dr. Thema Bryant is the past president of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology with more than 120,000 members (apa.org).

Affectionately known as “Rev. Raquel,” the Reverend Raquel S. Lettsome, Ph.D. is committed to excellence and loves to help people move forward in their lives and ministries. Building on her core values of scholarship, integrity, and authenticity, Dr. Lettsome informs and inspires congregants and classes through her preaching, teaching, writing, and online course and webinar experiences. To this end, she founded Raquel S. Lettsome, LLC. to use these gifts in the service of churches and educational institutions to help them advance their missions.

Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is president & CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and CDF Action Council. CDF envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. Wilson is board chair for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE).

The Reverend Eboni Marshall Turman, Ph.D. is the associate professor of theology, African American religion, and African American studies at Yale University Divinity School in New Haven, CT. A first-career concert dancer and ordained National Baptist preacher, her research interests span the varieties of twentieth and twenty-first century US theological liberalisms, most especially Black and womanist theological, social ethical, and theo-aesthetic traditions.

Bishop Thomas has served as the pastor of the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland since 1975. Under his leadership, the church body has grown to over 8,000 active members. On October 16, 2010, a vision was fulfilled, and a testimony of God's faithfulness when the New Psalmist family moved into their new edifice, a 4000-seat state of the art facility, designed to minister to the needs of individuals in the 21st century.

Called to empower people through transformative preaching, teaching, and organizing, Willie Dwayne Francois III serves as the Senior Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Pleasantville, NJ and President of the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality. He is a 2009 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religion, named the ranking scholar in both departments. While at Morehouse, he was named the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar.