Visionary, impactful, and transformative, Dr. DeForest B. Soaries Jr. has a wealth of experience and expertise in community development, public service, and financial empowerment. He is an international asset and a civil rights icon in the United States.
Dr. Soaries has a long and impactful history of community leadership, beginning with his 30-year tenure as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey. His extensive public service experience includes serving as New Jersey’s first African-American Secretary of State and chairing the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
He founded the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation (CJCDC), focusing on revitalizing distressed neighborhoods, and later established the Harvest of Hope Family Services Network to create permanent solutions for foster care children.
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Dr. Soaries was enstooled as a chief by His Majesty the Okyenhene to mark the 10th anniversary of Dr. Soaries’ first visit to Ghana and in recognition of his support for development in the region. As Nkosuohene (chief of development), he continues to drive projects that directly address community needs and especially support the growth and development of children.
Dr. Soaries has taken his Dfree Movement to the Continent and changed lives. As the President of Corporate Community Connections, Inc., a multimillion-dollar community solutions enterprise, Dr. Soaries is the driving force behind the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement, a revolutionary program that empowers individuals to achieve financial freedom through debt elimination. The dfree® movement has reached more than 100,000 people around the world, and his books and resources on financial freedom have inspired even more.
With a history of breaking barriers and empowering communities, Dr. Soaries brings a unique perspective on social change, financial literacy, and civic engagement. His recent partnership with the City of Newark’s First Lady to empower hundreds of women financially is just one example of his ongoing commitment to transformative change. Dr. Soaries’ passion to help people who look like him build wealth is a driving force in his work.
Born out of one man’s quest to teach and instill in all people of African descent a mindset of debt elimination and wealth creation, leading to self-sufficiency, independence, and higher standards of living, Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. first visited Africa in 1990 to speak at the Youth for Christ conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has since returned many times to different countries on the continent in a quest to forge connections with the people and support economic, social, and spiritual development, to make a meaningful impact on every life he encounters.
Since 1994, with the support of several institutions and individuals, great strides have been made to connect with communities and people from diverse walks of life to undertake impactful projects and programs. In 2007, Dr. Soaries made his first of many visits to West Africa at the invitation of the Ghana Baptist Convention, where he and his team connected with religious and traditional leaders, as well as statesmen. His host on that occasion and every visit since was His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene, ruler of the royal Akyem Abuakwa kingdom of Ghana.
This year, from June 30 through July 5, Dr. Soaries will lead a church delegation from Salem Baptist Church to Ghana, where they will engage with community leaders in Accra and Kyebi, continuing his legacy of empowerment and transformative change.
