I BELIEVE I’ll TESTIFY: MY JOURNEY OF christian MINISTRY

“god has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. god has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands”. - LUKE 1:52-53

“the spirit of the lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the lord’s favor has come”. - luke 4:18-19

I came of AGE in the black church, in a black neighborhood, cascade, in arguably the blackest city in america, atlanta.

In that blessed mecca, beautiful and beleaguered, i made jesus my choice at age 8. I experienced a call to preach at 15, WAS licensed at 20, ordained to the gospel ministry of Jesus at 25, all under the leadership of Rev. aaron L. Parker, Ph.d., pastor of Zion hill Baptist church. UNDERGIrding and alongside that formal trajectory in congregational christian ministry, I also developed a commitment to what I regard as the Joy-bringing, Justice-rooted ministry of Jesus, the Christ, in the following places.

At hampton university, I co-founded a campuswide bible study that I led for two years. That experience taught me that sincere efforts to interpret and apply the scriptures, when supported by habits of study and preparation, can bless God’s people.

At Princeton seminary, I completed the M. Div degree and was awarded the elder garnett hawkins award for academic excellence. There, with the support of excellent faculty, a world-class library, and fantastic fellow students, I first honed a passion for distributive justice, public policy advocacy as expressions of christian commitment to one’s neighbors, to creation, and to confronting the powers and principalities that frustrate abundant life for black folks and all God’s people.

at THe greater allen AME cathedral, I served for 10 years alongside my brilliant, beloved wife, Rev. Dr. Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes, under the leadership of revs. Drs. Floyd and elaine flake. at GAC, I founded and led the micah 6.8 social justice and advocacy minstry, which conducted campaigns on closing rikers, instituting living wages in nyc, promoting affordable rental housing, and helped pass a local law on waste equity in NYC. while at GAC, my wife and I were also co-appointed as young adult pastors, charged with holistically ministering to the lives of 21 - 39 year olds. that experience, in some ways, helped to introduce me to, and consolidated my commitment to, black christian socialism as one way to express how I follow the everlasting, life-preserving example of JEsus, the Christ.

in 2019, my wife and I co-launched the church that we now pastor together, the DOuble Love experience church. double love Experience is based in bedstuy, Brooklyn, and strives to be a Jesus movement committed to black lives. My conviction is that it is precisely that commitment to black lives, which establishes the grounds for an authentic, credible ethic of love, freedom, and joy for all of God’s creation. co-pastoring Double Love is a fulfilling, full court press to embody the gospel through dynamic worship, popular education, community organizing, and radical discipleship.

as expressions of christian ministry alongside the church, I am honored to serve on the board of directors for the Institute for christian socialism, where I serve as co-chair, the labor religion coalition of new york state, where I serve as Board President, and the black mountain school of community and theology.