Leadership
Rev. Darren A. Ferguson - Founder/Pastor
Born and raised in the village of Harlem and in the Bronx, NY, Rev. Darren A. Ferguson is passionate when it comes to ministry, advocacy for the disenfranchised and serving his community through preaching, teaching and social activism. Rev. Ferguson was recently called to Pastor the Mott Haven Reformed Church in the South Bronx. He is also the founder of Luke 4:18 Ministries- featuring the Friday Night FLAYVA hip hop worship service, now located at Mott Haven church in the Bronx. His experience in the area of Urban Hip Hop Ministry is work that he believes will become new paradigms for youth ministry. He also serves as Minister and Musical Director for the Hip Hop Church, along with hip hop pioneer Kurtis Blow. Rev. Ferguson served for 4 years as Youth Minister for the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York under the leadership and tutelage of the Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III. He is presently serving as a Development Consultant for the Exodus Transitional Community, Inc. and is a member of the Board of Directors of The Hudson Link, an organization that has sponsored the return of college-level education to correctional facilities in New York State. Most recently, Rev. Ferguson has been appointed to the Advisory Boards of both the Fortune Society and the Universal Federation for the Preservation of Hip Hop Culture. He is a former Team Chaplain for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association.
His work and story of redemption have been featured on numerous local and national television news programs and various print articles around the world, all noting his experience as a youth advocate, fiery preacher of the Gospel, anointed singer/songwriter and minister to the Hip Hop generation. Rev. Ferguson is constantly in demand across the country as a preacher, teacher, workshop facilitator and inspirational speaker, who never hesitates to use his personal experiences to send the message that "it is never too late." A graduate of Bronx Community College, Mercy College and New York Theological Seminary, Rev. Ferguson received the NY City Male Involvement Consortiums "Father We Cherish" Award in 2001, and he was the first ever recipient of the "Amos Award" from Sojourners Magazine/The Call To Renewal, Inc. He has received numerous awards from local and national organizations for his work with young people. Most recently, he was honored as one of the top community and business leaders of the Tri-state area by Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the New Bronx Chamber of Commerce and the Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace Foundation.
Rev. Ferguson is a gifted singer and songwriter who specializes in start-up choirs; he founded and directed the Voices of the Messiah at the Abyssinian Baptist Church for 4 years and now directs the Hip Hop Church choir and his new praise team, The Soldiers of Praise. Most importantly, he is a proud and devoted father to his 18-year old daughter, Naia and doting husband to his lovely wife, the former Ms. Kim M. Davis. He has recently completed an autobiography titled "How I Became an Angry Black Man."
By the power of the Holy Spirit, Rev. Ferguson has developed "Hip-Hop Homiletics," a preaching and worship technique designed to reach God's children in their language and highlighting their sensibilities, while bringing forth the Word of God. This "Keep It Real" evangelism style is the God-given centerpiece of Rev. Ferguson's ministry, one that speaks the plain language of the people, both young and old. "I have truly been redeemed," says Ferguson, "and if I can be a part of the redemptive process of healing for just one boy, girl, man or woman, then I have been obedient to my calling."