Rev. Willie Dwayne Francois III, M.Div., D.Min.
Associate Professor of Theology, Director of Master of Professional Studies Program, Co-Faculty Director of Doctor of Ministry
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Education
D.Min., Emory University
M.Div., Harvard Divinity School
B.A., History and Religion, Morehouse College
bioGRAPHY
Willie Dwayne Francois III is an Associate Professor of Theology at Union Theological Seminary, where he directs the Master of Professional Studies Program at Sing Sing and Bedford Hills Correctional Facilities and co-directs the Doctor of Ministry program. Likewise, he serves as Senior Pastor of Fountain Baptist Church in Summit, New Jersey, and President of the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality—a national think tank and policy advocacy organization. His second book, titled Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome our Inaction on Race, was released in August 2022 through Brazos Press. His upcoming book, tentatively entitled Outing Blue Privilege: A Call for Public Love when Public Safety is Not Enough, is under contract with Oris Books. Francois’ pastoral activism takes shape around racial equity, economic justice, and criminal justice reform.
He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religion, holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, and earned a Doctor of Ministry from Emory University. He serves as a commissioner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of the New Jersey State Department and national co-chair of the Social Justice Commission of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. Francois co-authored the book Christian Minister’s Manual: For the Pulpit and the Public Square for All Denominations—the most progressive and comprehensive clergy resource and the first interdenominational manual written for Black clergy in 56 years. He also has bylines in HuffPost, The Hill, Religion Dispatches, Sojourners, and The Christian Century concerning a range of matters pivoting around race, class, and religion in America.