ABOUT
Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley
Visionary • Preacher • Teacher
Reverend Dr. Howard-John Wesley represents the fourth generation of Baptist preachers in his family. He is the son of the late Rev. Dr. Alvin J. Wesley and Dr. Helene J. Wesley. A 1994 magna cum laude graduate of Duke University; he doubled majored in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering. After his first year in medical school, he yielded to God’s call once again and walked away from a medical career to attend seminary in preparation for serving God’s people. He attended the Boston University School of Theology where he was a Martin L. King, Jr. Scholar and a 1997 summa cum laude graduate concentrating on Biblical Studies and African-American religious history. His passion for preaching and learning led him to the Associated Chicago Theological School’s Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program where he graduated from the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary with his Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003.
For his labor, Dr. Wesley has received numerous awards and accolades including the recent 2016 NAACP Chairman’s Image Award, which celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Dr. Wesley was inducted into the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 2015. He was one of seven to receive the 2014 James Floyd Jenkins Pillar of Faith Award presented by Howard University School of Divinity, in collaboration with the United Church of Christ. Additionally, he was one of the 2013 recipients of The Root 100: A Who’s Who of Black America Award.
Dr. Wesley is associated with several organizations including but not limited to: Alexandria NAACP, the Northern Virginia Urban League, the Community Coalition for Haiti, a member of the Board of Directors for the Hopkins House and the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, a member of the Board for the Lott Carey Convention, and a member of the board of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies. He has also served as honorary chairperson for the African American Adoptions, Inc. just to name a few. Dr. Wesley has also hosted the weekly Sunday, Life App Moment with Pastor Wesley which aired on DCW50/CW Network. The weekly Life App Moment provides practical life applications, leaving one empowered and able to cope with the stresses of everyday living while creating and encouraging a relationship with God. He is often a guest on various MSNBC talk shows discussing relevant social justice issues plaguing society.
A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Wesley is an avid golfer who also enjoys movies, reading, and working out. He is the proud father of two beautiful sons, Howard-John, II and Cooper Reece.
Reverend Dr. Howard-John Wesley represents the fourth generation of Baptist preachers in his family. He is the son of the late Rev. Dr. Alvin J. Wesley and Dr. Helene J. Wesley. A 1994 magna cum laude graduate of Duke University; he doubled majored in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering. After his first year in medical school, he yielded to God’s call once again and walked away from a medical career to attend seminary in preparation for serving God’s people. He attended the Boston University School of Theology where he was a Martin L. King, Jr. Scholar and a 1997 summa cum laude graduate concentrating on Biblical Studies and African-American religious history. His passion for preaching and learning led him to the Associated Chicago Theological School’s Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program where he graduated from the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary with his Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003.
For his labor, Dr. Wesley has received numerous awards and accolades including the recent 2016 NAACP Chairman’s Image Award, which celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Dr. Wesley was inducted into the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 2015. He was one of seven to receive the 2014 James Floyd Jenkins Pillar of Faith Award presented by Howard University School of Divinity, in collaboration with the United Church of Christ. Additionally, he was one of the 2013 recipients of The Root 100: A Who’s Who of Black America Award.
Dr. Wesley is associated with several organizations including but not limited to: Alexandria NAACP, the Northern Virginia Urban League, the Community Coalition for Haiti, a member of the Board of Directors for the Hopkins House and the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, a member of the Board for the Lott Carey Convention, and a member of the board of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies. He has also served as honorary chairperson for the African American Adoptions, Inc. just to name a few. Dr. Wesley has also hosted the weekly Sunday, Life App Moment with Pastor Wesley which aired on DCW50/CW Network. The weekly Life App Moment provides practical life applications, leaving one empowered and able to cope with the stresses of everyday living while creating and encouraging a relationship with God. He is often a guest on various MSNBC talk shows discussing relevant social justice issues plaguing society.
A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Wesley is an avid golfer who also enjoys movies, reading, and working out. He is the proud father of two beautiful sons, Howard-John, II and Cooper Reece.
Books
- Boyd, Gregory A. 2009. The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
- Crossan, John Dominic. 2008. God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now. New York, NY: HarperOne.
- Haugen, Gary A., and Victor Boutros. 2015. The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Hendricks, Obery M. 2006. The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of the Teachings of Jesus and How They have been Corrupted. New York, NY: Doubleday.
- Herzog, William R. 2000. Jesus, Justice, and the Reign of God: A Ministry of Liberation. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
- Wright, N. T. 2016. The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion. San Francisco, CA: HarperOne.
*Recommended books can be borrowed from the ASBC John O. Peterson Library.
Videos and Websites
- The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel’s Public Relations War in the United States
More information about the film: - Amnesty International – S. Death Penalty Facts
- Death Penalty Information Center – 50 Facts About the Death Penalty