Rev. Jonathan Wilkins
The host and creator of this conference, this dynamic, youthful, energetic young man is on a quest to stir up the remnant of God in the youth across the Boston area. This conference is just the beginning of a greater movement of God. Rev. Wilkins was born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. He attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Fort Worth, where he graduated in 1997 after having served as a Drum Major, Student Body President and founder of the Distinguished Gentlemen mentoring program, which continues to encourage students of color to pursue higher education.
Prior to graduate school, Rev. Wilkins worked five years in the for-profit, non-profit and quasi government sectors. His work centered primarily on community and economic development. In 2003, while working at Allen AME Church, he accepted his call to ministry under Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake. That same year he successfully submitted a grant for the church that resulted in a $10 million grant to develop an affordable housing multi-use building.
On June 8, 2008 Jonathan was ordained in the Progressive National Baptist Convention under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams, Senior Pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church and Professor of Christian Ethics and Ministry at the Harvard Divinity School.
On June 4, 2009, Rev. Wilkins, completed four years of graduate work in real estate development and applied theology at Harvard University becoming the only student to graduate with a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School.
Rev. Wilkins has dedicated his life to serving others. While in graduate school, he served as an Associate Minister at Union Baptist Church leading the church's mission ministry to a local public housing project. In his final year of graduate school Jonathan was elected Interim Pastor of Western Avenue Baptist Church. On July 15th, Jonathan was elected Senior Pastor of Western Avenue Baptist Church in Cambridge, MA where their theme for 2009 is "Empowered by Grace to Live by Faith".
In addition to pastoring, Rev. Wilkins is a Teaching Fellow to Rev. Adams. Rev. Wilkins is also the proud father of Jonathan Thomas Gabriel Wilkins, Jr.
While his spiritual mandate is to carry his own personal cross and the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the earth, his ultimate desire is to do God's will. In the words of Paul in Acts 26:22, he has "obtained help from God to continue unto this day."
