The Reverend Dr. James Wesley Dennis III is a dynamic preacher, visionary thought leader, and church strategist with over a decade of transformative ministry experience, dedicated to cultivating thriving Christian communities as foretastes and instruments of the reign of God.

Rev. Dr. Dennis holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Morehouse College, a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, a Certificate in Black Church Studies from the Kelly Miller Smith Sr. Institute on Black Church Studies, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Church Leadership and Community Witness from Emory University's Candler School of Theology.

With deep roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Dr. Dennis served as an ordained itinerant elder across multiple congregations, including Pine Grove AME Church in Columbia, South Carolina—where he became the youngest pastor in the church's 151-year history—Bethel AME Church (Darlington, SC), and St. Philips AME Church (Nashville). He also served as Director of Ministries for the 7th Episcopal District of the AME Church, providing strategic oversight and leadership development for over 500 congregations across a multi-state region. Currently, Dr. Dennis serves as Executive Pastor of Watson Grove Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he provides comprehensive spiritual leadership, strategic oversight, and operational management for a diverse, intergenerational congregation.

A scholar-practitioner, Rev. Dr. Dennis has served as Adjunct Professor of Preaching at Emory's Candler School of Theology and as Associate Program Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, shaping the next generation of ministry leaders through rigorous theological education and mentorship. He is a member of the Board of Preachers at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College and is a published author in Faith & Leadership (Duke University), offering practical wisdom on spiritual integrity, resilience, and prophetic witness.

In 2020, Rev. Dr. Dennis co-founded The Common Seminary, an online learning community providing seminary-level content, training, and resources to help all people wrestle with and answer their theological questions.

A self-described foodie, he believes food has the power to bring family, friends, and strangers together to form a meaningful community. He is equally passionate about good music, great books, and rich conversation.

He is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Rev. Dr. Dennis believes that being a good Christian means doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God—qualities that will help transform the world.

James is the son of Cassandra and James Wesley Dennis II, the grandson of the Reverend Lottie Bates Parker and Rosa Dennis, the proud uncle of Miss Raegan Renae' Daniels, and is married to his best friend, the lovely Mrs. Joslyn White Dennis .