Born and raised in the village of Harlem and in the Bronx, NY, Bishop Darren A. Ferguson is a preacher, teacher, singer, motivational speaker, and social activist. He was recently called and currently serves as Pastor-Elect of Macedonia Baptist Church in Harlem, as God has allowed him to Serve just blocks from his childhood home. He is also Director of the Liberty Avenue Men’s shelter for Care for the Homeless, where he manages a 150-bed facility with over 70 staff in East New York for men who are both homeless and have mental health issues. He was the first-ever Reentry Director for the City of Orange, NJ from 2020 to 2024, where he provided both services for returned citizens and helped coordinate the city’s public safety food distribution for COVID. Over the last 25+ years, he has served Graham Windham, LaGuardia Community College. the Osborne Association, the Interfaith Center of New York, SUNY College at Old Westbury, The Children’s Village and as Youth Director for The National Action Network. He is a former Team Chaplain for the WNBA’s New York Liberty. He currently serves as Board president for Fathers Incorporated, a national clearinghouse for responsible Fatherhood, and the National Director of Public Relations of Healing Communities USA.

 

In his ministerial Career, he served as Youth Minister for Harlem’s Historic Abyssinian Baptist Church from 2000 to 2005, as Interim Pastor for Mott Haven Reformed Church from 2005 to 2008, and as Pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church for a decade beginning in 2008, helping lead the church and community through the ravages of Hurricane Sandy. He served as Pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church from 2018 to 2025, where he led the congregation through the COVID-19 epidemic, keeping the church both available and financially solvent through both virtual and hybrid worship services. He was also one of the founding ministers for the Hip Hop Church in Harlem NY, along with Hip Hop legend Kurtis Blow from 2004 to 2007. In 2022, He officially launched Luke 4:18 Ministries, a consortium of churches, ministers and ministries focused on creating opportunities for non-traditional and emerging servant-leaders.

 

Dr. Ferguson had the honor of helping to lead the charge during the national campaign for the passage of the Fair Chance Act and was a catalyst for getting the legislation passed in NY City in 2015. In his social/criminal justice work, he has chaired a White House meeting on Recidivism, Gun Violence and Police Brutality during the Obama Administration. A graduate of New York Theological Seminary’s (NYTS) Master of Divinity and 

Doctor of Ministry Programs (2009, 2017), Bishop served as an adjunct professor at Theological seminary for over decade -as an adjunct/group leader for the Supervised Ministry Program at NYTS, professor of Old Testament and Christian Ethics in their Certificate Program and in their Masters of professional Studies (MPS) Program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He was recently appointed Adjunct Professor at Union Theological Seminary as they have taken over the Sing Sing Program. Dr. Ferguson was appointed President and Academic Dean of Faith Bible Institute of NY in 2024 where he is also a professor of 21st Century Preaching.

 

He has received numerous awards, including the first ever “Amos Award” from Sojourners Magazine/The Call To Renewal, Inc in 2002, lauded as one of 2005’s top business and community leaders in the tri-state area by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the New Bronx Chamber of Commerce, the Christopher (Notorious B.I.G.) Wallace Memorial Foundation, along with Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus. He has been honored numerous times for his work in the areas of Youth Advocacy and Civil Rights by the New York City Council. In 2010, he was honored with the “House of Justice” Award by Rev. Sharpton’s National Action Network. July 15th, 2015, the day of his ordination to the Episcopacy, was marked as “Bishop Darren Ferguson Day” by then NYC Public Advocate Letitia James. Dr. Ferguson was also honored by the United Clergy of the Oranges with their Preachers Award in 2021. In 2025, Dr. Ferguson’s life and work has been chronicled in a documentary entitled “Religion, Racism and Reconciliation”, which has been featured on both PBS and in film festivals across the country. 

 

Dr. Ferguson’s self-published autobiography, entitled “How I Became an Angry Black Man: From Prison to the Pulpit” – is available on Amazon. Most importantly, he is a proud and devoted father to his adult daughter, Naia, godfather, and surrogate dad to dozens of his ‘children’ around the country and is a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Elder Kim Ferguson. Darren Ferguson speaks the plain language of the people, both young and old. “I have truly been redeemed,” he says, “and if I can be a part of the redemptive process of spiritual healing for just one boy, girl, man or woman, then I have been obedient to my calling.