Rev. Leslie M. Wilson

Reverend Leslie Marie Wilson describes herself as an encourager, activist, organizer, trainer, advocate, strategist, collaborator, poet, scribe, preacher, and servant leader. She is First Lady of Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church and the former National Director of African American Religious Affairs (AARA) for People For the American Way, a role she held for nearly 14 years. There she led program planning for the African American Ministers Leadership Council and African American Ministers In Action, and created five new initiatives to engage a membership of more than 2,500 faith leaders, including the Healing Grace Shepherds Gathering, the VESSELS civic education initiative, Courting the Courts In Faith, the Micah Leadership Council for faith leaders under 40, and the VASHTI health and leadership initiative for African American women and girls.

Recognized by the Center for American Progress as one of "15 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2015," Rev. Wilson served as national policy director for the Balm In Gilead and, for nine years, as director of the Multicultural Programs Department of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. She has also served as national coordinator and field director for the National Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and coordinator of the Public Policy Institute of the Citizenship Education Fund. A master trainer, she has written six training curricula, one of them award-winning, and has trained more than 28,000 leaders within the African American faith community over more than 30 years.

Formerly Leslie Watson Malachi, she is happily married to Rev. Melvin Eugene Wilson. She studied political science at Southern University and business administration at Trinity University, and graduated with a BA in Ministry from Richmond Virginia Seminary. A published poet, she contributed writings to "Mr. President: Interfaith Perspectives on the Historic Presidency of Barack H. Obama" and "These Sisters Can Preach" (volume 2). The oldest and only daughter among nine siblings, she serves as President of the Newark District AME Spouses and as advisor to the Women's Missionary Society and Minister to Women at Saint Matthew.

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