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About our Pastor
Willard W. C. Ashley, Sr., Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Humanities
The Reverend Dr. Willard W. C. Ashley, Sr., D. Min., D. H., MFT
is the founder and senior pastor of the Abundant Joy Community Church. He is also the Executive Director of the Abundant Joy Community Development Corporation which is a not for profit 501(C)3 organization. Dr. Ashley serves as the Program Director for the Black Psychiatrists of Greater New York. The Reverend Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr., is a staff psychotherapist at the Riverside Church, New York City, where he works with teenagers, parents, adults, couples and groups.
Pastor Ashley has served as the senior pastor at churches in New Hampshire and New Jersey since 1982. Dr. Ashley has worked in various hospitals and prisons as a clinical supervisor to clergy. He has a long history as a community organizer and social activist. As a plaintiff Pastor Ashley won a $400 million federal lawsuit against Honeywell International for their failure to clean up toxic waste in Jersey City. Reverend Ashley has testified before Congress on environmental and urban issues. He is a contributor to The Men of Color Study Bible. The Reverend Dr. Willard Ashley hosted his own television program on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and was a regular on the New York City radio market for over six years. Pastor Ashley was the project director for the Care for the Caregivers Interfaith Project of the Council of Churches of the City of New York.
Willard Ashley, Sr., is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where he played small forward on the basketball team. Dr. Ashley earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Theory from the Montclair State University. Pastor Ashley earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS), Newton Centre, Massachusetts, where he also served as the assistant dean of students. Dr. Ashley was granted an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Natchez College, Natchez, Mississippi. Willard Ashley completed the residency program in Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as Pastoral Psychotherapy at the Blanton Peale Graduate Institute, New York City. Dr. Ashley taught at Princeton, The University of Pennsylvania, Drew University, Andover Newton Theological School, and the New York Theological Seminary.
The Reverend Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr., is listed in Who's Who in the World for the last four years; Who's Who in America for the last six years; and Who's Who in Medicine and Health Care, the last two years. He holds numerous awards for his work in the community.
Willard Ashley is the proud father of an adult son. Pastor Ashley has three sisters. When asked who are Pastor Ashley's heroes, he says with a smile, "My mother and father who are both dead now except in my heart are my heroes. Every child should be so fortunate to have had parents like Will and Clara Ashley."
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