Experienced leadership doing God’s work.

The Rev. Dr. Gregory James Edwards

The Rev. Dr. Gregory James Edwards is Founder and Senior Pastor of Resurrected Life Church and President & CEO of the Resurrected Community Development Corporation, both affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Under his leadership, the church and community development corporation have experienced sustained growth marked by increased membership, financial self-sufficiency, and ongoing community investment and employment creation.

Grounded in a contextual approach to ministry at the intersection of faith, education, economic justice, and public policy, Dr. Edwards has led the creation of transformative initiatives including the Resurrected Life Children’s Academy, the Lehigh Valley Freedom School Partnership, and the James Lawson Freedom Schools.

To expand the organizations’ impact among children and families, Dr. Edwards led Resurrected Life’s acquisition of the historic Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ—also known as the Liberty Bell Church—in 2023, followed by a $1 million restoration in 2024. In 2026, under his visionary leadership, Resurrected Life and the Resurrected Community Development Corporation completed an $9 million renovation of the church’s educational facility in Old Allentown, significantly expanding services in a neighborhood with some of the city’s highest poverty rates and lowest literacy levels.

Dr. Edwards also serves as Executive Director of POWER INTERFAITH, Pennsylvania’s largest multiracial, multi-faith, multi-class community organizing network advancing racial and economic justice on a livable planet. He serves on several local and national boards, including the Community First Fund, the Church Building & Loan Fund, the Amistad Redevelopment Corporation of the United Church of Christ, and Sonej PM Holdings Corporation.

A frequent lecturer and public theologian, Dr. Edwards has presented nationally to faith-based, nonprofit, philanthropic, and corporate audiences, and has been featured in Inside Philanthropy, Newsweek, NPR, TIME Magazine, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Guardian. He is also a multi-instrumentalist specializing in Black sacred music and jazz.

During a 2016 visit to Liberia, West Africa, Dr. Edwards was enstooled as Chief by the National Council of Elders of the World-Wide Missions of Liberia and the people of Grand Bassa, Buchanan County.

In 2016, Dr. Edwards was inducted into the inaugural class of the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Pastoral Leadership at Morehouse College for exemplary leadership in advancing Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community through peace, truth, justice, and nonviolent direct action. In 2017, during its Sesquicentennial Celebration, Morehouse further honored him by inducting him into the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers.

As the first person of Black African heritage to run for federal office in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, Dr. Edwards’ historic 2018 congressional campaign drew national attention and was featured by major media outlets and in the documentary Battleground.

Dr. Edwards is a graduate of Geneva College (B.S., Urban Ministry Leadership), the University of Delaware Graduate School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs (Certificate in Community Economic Development), Drew University (Master of Divinity), and New Brunswick Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry in Prisons, Public Policy, and Transformative Justice).

His honors include the NAACP Man of Vision Award, the Peace Pilgrim of the Year Award, the Community Development Award from the Allentown Human Relations Commission, the William Gray III Leadership Award, and Drew University’s Prize for Multi-Cultural Church Leadership, where he also served as President of both the Theological Student Association and the Black Ministerial Caucus.