|| BIOGRAPHY

Rev. Dr. Cedrick Von Jackson is a well-respected preacher, poet, speaker, writer, and educator. His list of accomplishments includes being a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Memphis Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree, a Chalice Press Award Winner, and an initiate of the University of Mississippi chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society where he earned both a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. He completed a Doctor of Ministry at Memphis Theological Seminary. The title of his dissertation was "Rethinking Mental Health in the African American Church Through Preaching, Teaching, and Hospitality."

Affectionately known as "Pastor J," Jackson currently serves as the Senior Pastor of the Historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, a 144-year-old institution with a distinguished civil rights legacy rooted in the ministry of Rev. Ralph David Abernathy. He also leads West Hunter Street Empowerment, Inc. (WHSEI), the church's 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm. Prior to his call to West Hunter Street, Pastor J served for over ten years as Senior Pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Sardis, MS., and four years as Senior Pastor of the Askew Grove Baptist Church in Sarah, MS. For several years, he served as Minister of Music at the church of his childhood, Second Baptist Church of Coldwater, MS. For over ten years, he served as the Musical Director for Tate County Mississippi's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration. He sits on the advisory board for WomanPreach! Inc., the premiere non-profit organization that brings preachers into full prophetic voice around issues of equity and justice both in the pulpit and in the public arena. In 2007, Jackson published a sermon entitled "An Unscattering of the Sheep" in The African American Pulpit, a quarterly journal that serves as a repository for the very best of African American preaching and provides practical and creative resources for persons in ministry. He served as a sermon illustration writer for The African American Lectionary, a collaborative project of The African American Pulpit and American Baptist College of Nashville, TN.

Pastor J has dedicated over twenty-seven years to the field of education. He has served as a classroom teacher, building principal, district special education director, school chaplain, and Dean of Students. As a building principal, Dr. Jackson was recognized as "Outstanding Administrator of the Year" by Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education at The University of Mississippi.

Pastor J is the author of several published works at the intersection of faith, mental wellness, and prophetic imagination. His book, The Healing Pulpit: Sermons and Strategies for Mental Wellness, establishes him as a leading voice in faith-based mental health ministry and serves as the foundation for his broader platform as an author and speaker. He is also the author of two poetry anthologies, Following the Breadcrumb Path: Navigating the Journey Toward God, Justice, and Love and Theoethnimusicology, Vol. 1 -- Nothin' But the Blues. His poetry draws God into the narrative of the Blues, bringing a sense of hope. The grace of that hope brings with it a sense of victory. He is the founder of the Ziklag Conference, an annual gathering dedicated to reclaiming mental health through the lens of faith.

In his spare time, Pastor J enjoys traveling, skiing, and writing poetry, and he is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Rev. Jackson has been married to his college sweetheart, the former Eulanda Willis of Meridian, MS, for thirty-two years. She currently serves as a staff pharmacist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA. They are the proud parents of two children, Jalise and Myles, one son-in-law, Patrick Wilson, one granddaughter, Lyric-Patrice Kaye Wilson, and their dog, Lady.