Professor De Lafayette Awkward
Professor De Lafayette Awkward is a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He has been in the preaching ministry for over 22 years. He is married and the father of two sons ages 5 and 2.
His spiritual journey involves a range of ministries with a host of churches. At home, he has worked with six different churches serving as Youth Minister, Christian Educator, Chaplin, Minister of Senior Citizens and Assistant to the Pastor. He has served at: the Greater Mt. Moriah, Linden, NJ, Gravel Hill Baptist Church, Richmond, VA., Mt. Tabor Baptist Church Richmond, VA. Six Baptist Church (Day Care Center) Richmond, VA., St. James Baptist Church, Richmond, VA., St Paul United Methodist, Trenton, NJ, and First Baptist Church, Princeton, NJ. In Israel, he worked as one of the Pastor for the Mission of Jesus. He also began a Bible Study especially targeting Christians from Ethiopia, Cameroon, and The Netherlands.
His intellectual journey began at Virginia Union University, where he obtained a BA in Philosophy and Religion. He later graduated Princeton Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Theology; after which he spent a year at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as a Visiting Graduate Student. As a result of his varied and extensive theological studies, Pastor DeLafayette Awkward has been inspired to focus on scholarly theological depth dimension, and the study of Semitic languages for the purpose of translating the Old Testament and the Ancient Near Eastern texts. His studies have also cultivated his perspectives and values of dignity and human worth of every person regardless of ethnic origin and have offered him the space to think in a multi-dimensional way so that he can better appreciate diversity as a value rather than an issue to be discussed.
Pastor Awkward is currently the Pastor of New Lots Community Church in East New York Brooklyn and Professor of Bible at Alliance Theological Seminary and Nyack College (New York Campus).
Among Pastor De Lafayette Awkward’s accomplishments, that benefit the people of East New York Brooklyn and surrounding communities, are:
- Co-founder of the East New York Enrichment Coalition, Inc. at New Lots Family Center; where in 2008 more than 5000 Brooklyn residents received adult education, exercise, counseling, nutrition, youth athletics and education services and referral to social services and entitlements
- Founder of Community Think Tank, Inc. which gathers the best of minds to create strategies and collaborative action plans to address the prevalent social and economic problems of East New York and surrounding areas.
- Executive Board Member of the newest senior housing development in East New York Brooklyn- Coretta Scott-King Senior Housing; Slated for construction in 2010, the project has been awarded over $12 million dollars in grants and funding from HUD, HPD and funding supportive elected officials. The funding will create 51 units of low-income senior housing on a 23,803 sq. ft parcel of formerly city-owned property.
- Vice-President of the 75th Precinct Clergy Council, Inc focused on empowering citizens and ensure justice for people by working with law enforcement and building bonds and collaboration with the community.
In short, Pastor Awkward has a continuous drive and vision to empower individuals holistically by working in collaboration with specialized non-profit and for-profit organizations that address community needs and build healthier communities.