Pastoral Staff
As Executive Director of the Children's Defense Fund-New York, the Reverend Emma Jordan-Simpson is responsible for leading the organization's strategic direction and day-to-day operations and acting as CDF-NY's lead advocate on behalf of children to New York's elected officials, policy makers and communities.Rev. Jordan-Simpson also currently holds the position of Associate Pastor of The Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn. She previously worked as the Executive Director of Girls Incorporated of New York City, formally expanding the organization's activities and programs citywide. She also was Executive Vice President for the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation where she was responsible for fund development, general oversight, policy and supervision of all programs.
Rev. Jordan-Simpson received her Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and her B.A. in religious and philosophical studies and music from Fisk University. She currently is enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Drew Theological Seminary.
Reverend Samuel Phillips III
Reverend Samuel Phillips, III is the Pastor of Families and Children at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York, where his responsibilities include pastoral care, as well as the facilitation of a weekly Bible Study and management of the Transition into Ministry Program for Pastors.
Prior to joining the Concord Church, Reverend Phillips was active in various teaching ministries as an Associate Minister at the Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Brooklyn. In addition to the weekly Bible Study, he taught the New Membership Class and the Men’s Bible Study. Reverend Phillips also played a leading role in the founding of Ministry in Action, an outreach program to draw inner-city youth to the church through sports. There, he served as a basketball coach, mentor and spiritual director for the 8-12 year old Boys Division.
Reverend Phillips holds a Bachelors Degree in Sociology from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master of Divinity Degree from the Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. Upon graduating from Drew, Reverend Phillips was selected as the 2003 Commencement speaker for the seminary and the winner of the Drew Theological School’s Dorr Diefendorf Award for Excellence in Homiletics.
Born and raised in the borough of Brooklyn, Reverend Phillips resides in Bedford Stuyvesant.
Rev. Michael Ojewale
Michael Ojewale holds a B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, M.S. in Animal science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a M.Div. in Biblical studies with additional studies in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary, in Newburgh, Indiana. He was the Protestant chaplain of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria, before he relocated to the United States in the fall of 1996. He is an ordained clergyman, a New York State certified science teacher (Biology 7-12), and also a board certified clinical chaplain under the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP). He did his four units of clinical pastoral education in two hospitals in Manhattan, NY: Beth-Israel Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, under the auspices of the Healthcare Chaplaincy, Inc. He is an accomplished and published author of a dozen books.
Minister Shakeema NorthCurrently, Shakeema serves as the Youth Pastor of The Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York where the Reverend Doctor Gary V. Simpson is senior pastor.
In addition to her ministerial vocation, Shakeema began her corporate career at The Chubb Corporation, which included a four year internship with INROADS. She is currently employed as a Production Manager at HBO.
Shakeema is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (cum laude) from North Carolina A&T State University; where she also was a member of the Lady Aggies Women’s Basketball Team. In addition, Shakeema holds a Certificate in Internet Technologies from New York University and a Certificate in Christian Ministry from New York Theological Seminary; where she also received the Master of Divinity degree.
PASTORS IN RESIDENCE
Minister Semaj Yorel Vanzant
Semaj Yorel Vanzant is serving as Pastor in Residence at Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York. He is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a 2009 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He was also educated at Gannon University, Erie, PA where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. As a result of his many contributions to campus life and high academic achievement, he was a recipient of top honors and graduated Magna Cum Laude. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Semaj received his license to preach from Shiloh Baptist Church, Erie, Pennsylvania in April, 2006. Since then God has blessed him with the opportunity to preach around the world including Liberia, Africa and Jerusalem, Israel.
