Rev. Michael W. Waters, MDiv.
Founder and Senior Pastor
The Reverend Michael W. Waters is the founder and Senior Pastor of Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Church in Dallas, Texas. Named among the top young leaders in America by Ebony Magazine (April 2009), Rev. Waters is widely regarded as one of today’s rising leaders. He holds a B.A. and M.Div. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and he is presently a doctoral candidate (D.Min.) at SMU.
Rev. Michael W. Waters is in the fifth generation of ministers in his family who were ordained in A.M.E. Church. His great grandmother was one of the first women ordained in the 10th Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church, and his great-great-great grandfather was one of the founders of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas.
With a strong commitment to urban renewal and community transformation, Rev. Waters is also the founder of two nationally recognized programs: The Macedonian Project, an outreach ministry empowering adolescent males; and the SMU Civil Rights Pilgrimage.
Dedicated to issues of political activism and social justice, Rev. Waters is a former Coordi- nator of Outreach for the Dallas County Democratic Party and member of the Voter Regis- tration and Voter Mobilization Committees of the 23rd Senatorial District of Texas. He has also served as a member of the World Methodist Council and the SMU Alumni Board.
A much sought-after preacher, lecturer, and workshop facilitator, Rev. Waters has made numerous presentations before civic, collegiate, congregational, and corporate bodies on topics of interest ranging from Fortune 500 diversity practices and ethical leadership principles to the intersections of religion and hip hop culture.
An accomplished writer, Rev. Waters’ offerings have been featured in several publications, including The African American Pulpit, The A.M.E. Church Review, The SMU Magazine, and Becoming Fire: Spiritual Writings from Rising Generations. He has appeared in local and national broadcasts and in print and electronic media, including The NBC Nightly News, ESPN Live, The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle, and Ebony Magazine, and his keen insights have been quoted by the likes of noted journalist Bill Moyers.
Rev. Waters is wonderfully married to Attorney Yulise Reaves Waters, founding partner of Cox Waters PLLC. They are the proud parents of two young children: Michael Jeremiah and Hope Yulise.
Rev. Waters is also a blogger for several organizations. Here are the links to those pages:
http://faithforchange.org/section/blog/
