Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson

With her appointment as President in 2021, the Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson became the first Black woman and non-Presbyterian to lead Auburn Theological Seminary. With Rev. Jordan-Simpson’s leadership, Auburn Seminary is leaning forward in its mission to identify and strengthen leaders — from the pulpit to the public square — to build communities, bridge divides, pursue justice, and heal the world. Advancing a long-term view of social change, she is preparing Auburn to seed a thriving future with a new intergenerational focus on the formation of leaders the world needs.

Rev. Jordan-Simpson serves on the pastoral team of the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to her appointment at Auburn, Rev. Jordan-Simpson was the 26th Executive Director of Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR USA); and has led the Children’s Defense Fund – New York, Girls Inc. of New York City, was Executive Vice President of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.

Rev. Dr. Jordan-Simpson earned the Executive Level Certificate from the Columbia Business School Institute for Not-for-Profit Management; the Doctor of Ministry Degree (with distinction) from Drew Theological School; Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary; and BA from Fisk University. She is the immediate past President of American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York.