Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley

Regional Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York

The Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley has served as the Regional Executive Minister of the American
Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York since May 1, 2015. She was ordained in the
American Baptist Churches USA tradition in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was raised, but
through the years she has served in several locations. She is glad to call New York City her
home, having lived in the metropolitan area since 2006. Cheryl has earned degrees from
Pomona College, Claremont, CA, with a BA in Sociology; Princeton Theological Seminary,
Princeton, NJ, with an MDiv; and a DMin in Executive Leadership from McCormick Theological
Seminary, Chicago, IL.
Dr. Dudley has been in involved in pastoral, community, as well as global and philanthropic
ministries for many years. She has served as the Senior Partner of her own consulting group;
Global Religions Director at a local foundation; Senior Advisor to the President of Church
World Service; Associate Executive Director of Church in Community Transformation,
American Baptist Home Mission Societies; Acting Director of African American Studies at
Bradley University, and Executive Director of Peoria Friendship House. She has also served on
the pastoral teams of several churches in Illinois and Pennsylvania. Dudley has served on
several national and international boards and committees. Cheryl holds her membership at
Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Manhattan. She is a past President of the Baptist Peace
Fellowship of North America, and the current Board Chair InspirAction USA, a start-up faith
based humanitarian response organization. Currently, Rev. Dudley represents the Region’s
interests by providing spiritual and religious resourcing to Project SAFE which seeks justice and
restoration for black women who are survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
Dudley is also a part of the board of Flemister Housing Development Fund Corporation.
In this era and in changing realities within churches, Rev. Dudley is interested in strengthening
our collective expression of mission, vision and purpose. “In this time of decline and suspicion
about many institutions, and sometimes especially toward churches, we have an obligation to
be faithful in fresh, consistent and surprising ways, even in our hard-edged city. In the midst of
the hard edges though, we can find people with soft hearts and open spirits and are hungry for
God. We need to do best we can to feed their hunger.” Toward this understanding, ABCMNY
has adopted the Living our Vision & Values (LOV) strategic plan to guide our work through
2022.
Additionally, Dudley continues, “There is a need in challenging times to offer a pastoral and
prophetic voice within our rapidly changing and often volatile culture to proclaim justice and
mercy for historically disenfranchised persons and communities. It is faithful to offer a word of
continuing hope, justice and accompaniment, so that no soul will find themselves alone,
friendless or feel unimportant in the eyes of God and the church.”