Dr. DeForest B. Soaries is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ. Dr. Soaries recently addressed religious and government leaders in Belgium at the request of the United States Department of State. Dr. Soaries was New Jersey’s 30th Secretary of State. President Bush appointed him public director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. He served as chairman of the US Election Assistance Commission. Dr. Soaries contributed significantly to the establishment of the urban contemporary gospel music industry, having managed Bebe and Cece Winans and Fred Hammond. He earned a B.A. from Fordham University; master’s from Princeton Theological Seminary; a Ph.D. from United Theological Seminary.
