Rev. Darren A. Ferguson, D.Min.
Adjunct Faculty, Sing Sing
contact
education
D.Min., New York Theological Seminary
M.Div., New York Theological Seminary
biography
Born and raised in the village of Harlem and in the Bronx, NY, Bishop Darren A. Ferguson is known as a leader for this generation – a preacher, teacher, singer, motivational speaker, and social activist. He serves as the 7th Pastor in the 107-year history of Bethel Baptist Church in Orange, NJ. He was appointed as the first-ever Reentry Director for the City of Orange, NJ, in 2020, where he provided both services for returned citizens and helped coordinate the city’s public safety food distribution for COVID relief from 2020 to 2022. Over the last 25 years, he has served Graham Windham, LaGuardia Community College, the Osborne Association, the Interfaith Center of New York, SUNY College at Old Westbury, The Children’s Village, and as Youth Director for The National Action Network. He is a former Team Chaplain for the WNBA’s New York Liberty. He currently serves as Board President for Fathers Incorporated, a national clearinghouse for responsible Fatherhood, as a National Board Member for Crossroads Prison Ministry, and as the National Director of Public Relations of Healing Communities USA. In his ministerial career, he served as Youth Minister for Harlem’s Historic Abyssinian Baptist Church from 2000 to 2005, as Interim Pastor for Mott Haven Reformed Church, and as Pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, helping lead the church and community through the ravages of Hurricane Sandy. He was also one of the founding ministers for the Hip Hop Church in Harlem, NY, along with Hip Hop legend Kurtis Blow from 2004 to 2007. In 2022, He officially launched Luke 4:18 Ministries, a consortium of churches, ministers, and ministries focused on creating opportunities for non-traditional and emerging servant-leaders.
Dr. Ferguson had the honor of helping to lead the charge during the national campaign for the passage of the Fair Chance Act and was a catalyst for getting the legislation passed in NY City in 2015. In his social/criminal justice work, he was honored to chair a White House meeting on Recidivism, Gun Violence, and Police Brutality during the Obama Administration. A graduate of New York Theological Seminary’s (NYTS) Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Programs (2009, 2017), Bishop served as an adjunct/group leader for the Supervised Ministry Program at NYTS and has taught at their Master Program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. and as a professor of Christian Ethics, The Old Testament, World Christianity, and Church History for their certificate program. Most recently, Dr. Ferguson was appointed President and Academic Dean of Faith Bible Institute of NY, where he is also a professor of Christian Ethics and 21st Century Preaching.
He has received numerous awards, including the NY City Male Consortium’s “Father We Cherish” Award in 2001, the first-ever “Amos Award” from Sojourners Magazine/The Call To Renewal, Inc. in 2002, and was honored as one of 2005’s top business and community leaders in the tri-state area by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the New Bronx Chamber of Commerce, the Christopher (Notorious BIG.) Wallace Memorial Foundation, along with Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus. He has been honored numerous times for his work in the areas of Youth Advocacy and Civil Rights by the New York City Council. In 2010, he was honored with the “House of Justice” Award by Rev. Sharpton’s National Action Network. July 15th, 2015, the day of his ordination to the Episcopacy, was marked as “Bishop Darren Ferguson Day” by then NYC Public Advocate Letitia James. Dr. Ferguson was also honored by the United Clergy of the Oranges with their Preachers Award in 2021. Dr. Ferguson has self-published an autobiography entitled “How I Became an Angry Black Man: From Prison to the Pulpit” – which is available on Amazon. Most importantly, he is a proud and devoted father to his adult daughter, Naia, godfather, and surrogate dad to dozens of his ‘children’ around the country, and a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Kim. Darren Ferguson speaks the plain language of the people, both young and old. “I have truly been redeemed,” he says, “and if I can be a part of the redemptive process of spiritual healing for just one boy, girl, man or woman, then I have been obedient to my calling.”