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Dr. Christopher Michael Jones is a pastor, professor, practical theologian, educator, author, grassroots organizer, and multi-platinum record producer whose work bridges the worlds of faith, culture, scholarship, and community transformation. Currently serving as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Hillside in Hillside, New Jersey, Dr. Jones is committed to proclaiming a prophetic message centered on love, social uplift, self-empowerment, and economic justice.

Widely recognized for his unique ability to connect the wisdom of the Black Church with the cultural influence of hip-hop, Dr. Jones has emerged as a leading voice at the intersection of faith and popular culture. Through dynamic preaching, engaging teaching, scholarly lecturing, and creative writing, he employs a practical hip-hop pedagogy and Black Church hermeneutic that resonates across generations while making complex theological concepts accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences.

A native of Queens, New York, Dr. Jones currently serves as Co-Faculty Mentor for the inaugural Hilliard-Jones Doctoral Cohort at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He previously served as Visiting Professor of Preaching and Worship at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, where he also taught Pastoral Administration and co-mentored doctoral students in the Doctor of Ministry Program in Pastoral Care and Counseling.

Dr. Jones has taught and lectured extensively in both academic and public settings. He serves as a Guest Lecturer at Columbia University, exploring the intersections of faith, culture, and hip-hop, and has lectured at Teachers College, Columbia University, on the prophetic dimensions of hip-hop as a cultural and prophetic movement. His scholarship examines how hip-hop can function as a transformative educational tool, entrepreneurial framework, and vehicle for economic empowerment within historically underserved communities.

His academic and ministry experience also includes serving as Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Leadership at Pillar College and Guest Lecturer at Long Island University–Brooklyn, where he focused on Faith and Public Policy. A frequent contributor to publications such as Ebony, Essence, The African American Pulpit, and The African American Lectionary, Dr. Jones has offered theological commentary, sermons, and cultural analysis through a distinctly African American theological lens. Across every platform, he remains committed to equipping pastors, seminarians, organizational leaders, and community advocates for effective leadership in both the church and the public square.

Dr. Jones graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University, earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and completed the Doctor of Ministry degree at Memphis Theological Seminary with a concentration in Preaching as Pastoral Care in the African American Tradition. He has also pursued advanced studies at several institutions, including the University of Oxford, where he served as a Graduate Fellow in Theology.

In recognition of his leadership and community service, Dr. Jones was appointed Chaplain of both the Hillside Police Department and Hillside Fire Department, becoming the first African American in the township’s history to serve simultaneously in both roles.

Dr. Jones is the author of A Sacred Storm: When God Speaks Through Radical Disruption, published by The Pilgrim Press. In this critically acclaimed work, he chronicles his journey from multi-platinum record producer to pastor, professor, and community advocate, offering practical and spiritual insights for navigating seasons of uncertainty, transition, and transformation through the lenses of faith and hip-hop culture.

Beyond the pulpit and classroom, Dr. Jones serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarships, mentorship, workforce development opportunities, apprenticeships, and professional networking resources for underserved youth pursuing higher education. Inspired in part by the iconic recording “Still Can’t Stop the Reign,” featuring Shaquille O’Neal and The Notorious B.I.G., a record produced by Dr. Jones, the foundation embodies a philosophy of resilience, possibility, and purpose for the next generation.

Whether serving in the church, the academy, or the community, Dr. Jones remains dedicated to helping individuals and institutions reimagine their futures, strengthen their faith, and cultivate transformative leadership for a changing world.

Dr. Jones is married to the former Nikki Michelle Etheridge, and together they are the proud parents of three children: Jordan, Taylor, and Imani.