The Ezra Project Chicago

Day: July 4, 2026

  • Vernon Mims

    Vernon Mims

    2023 Ervin -Carter Award for Church Leadership

    Vernon E. Mims, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to the union of Vernon, Sr. and Katy Rogers Mims. A few weeks after his birth, his mother, Katy, made her transition into eternity. Vernon Sr. later married Pearlie Mae Poole who helped to raise Vernon Jr. along with the two sons born to Vernon Sr. and Pearlie: Lamont and Erskine.

    The family resided in Chicago’s Blackbelt at 47th and Calumet, an area known today as Bronzeville. Vernon’s growth and maturation was shaped by two significant influences: his educational journeys at Frances Willard Elementary School and DuSable High School, and his spiritual development under the leadership of Rev. Dr. William A. Johnson at Greater St. John Baptist Church, now known as St. John Church-Baptist. When Vernon was baptized at St. John, he joined the Junior Usher Board, but his aspiration was to sing with the Senior Choir. inspired by his teachers Ms. Vivian Jones-Radford and Professor Will G. Radford, Vernon began taking piano lessons at age seven. He was.

    In high school, Vernon was accompanist for the DuSable High School Choir and played the trombone in the Jazz and concert bands under the direct tutelage of Captain Walter Dyett. After completing high school, Vernon graduated from Wilson Junior College with an Associate of Arts Degree. He later graduated from Roosevelt University with a B. A. in English and an M. A. in English education. He was also a Mellon Fellow at the University of Chicago.

    Vernon began his career as an English teacher at Wendell Phillips High School, but rounded out his career with 35 years as a teacher at Lane Tech College Prep High School where he taught English and Advanced Placement English. As an educator, Vernon has received awards from the University of Chicago, Western Illinois University. He has also earned the A. P. Baldridge Award in Education Project. He is included in the 2002 edition of Who’s Who Among Teachers. In addition, Vernon worked as an adjunct professor at DePaul University.

    Vernon never lost sight of his dream to sing with the Chancel Choir at St. John. He also became the historian for the choir as well as the chairman of the choir’s 80th Anniversary Concert in 2007. In addition, he served as the 2016 Men’s Day Chairman and was a member of the Discipleship team which works with new members. In June 2017, Vernon began service on the Faith-Based Team which presents progressive ideas for church growth.

    As a man of many talents, Vernon writes poetry and essays, and enjoys films, photography and traveling. Vernon E. Mims, Jr. walks and talks with God every day and sees himself as a Christian working in God’s vineyard and accepting of God’s Grace and determined to “walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

  • Tyronne Stoudemire

    Tyronne Stoudemire

    2021 Arthur M Brazier for Church & Community Advancement

    Tyronne Stoudemire’s life may look exciting now, but it has been an intervention by God at every step. Tyronne was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents had migrated from the south and he was raised in a Detroit neighborhood that afforded a good environment for raising the family of five children. But tragedy lurked at almost every turn. While he was in Junior High, Tyronne was hit by a car. The accident left him in a body cast and caused him to be homeschooled for 8th and 9th grades. He was not expected to ever walk again. Tragically, too, four of his siblings and his parents passed away before he was 21 years old.

    Raised primarily in the Church of God in Christ and encouraged by his grandmother’s belief that one must always find a church for “watch care” wherever you live, Tyronne came to Chicago at 24 years old and, after finding housing outside of Chicago, made his way to what he thought was a COGIC church he knew. However, when he got lost, he found himself at the Apostolic Church of God seated next to the pastor’s wife, Sister Isabelle Brazier, and meeting countless people, including Bishop Arthur Brazier, who would become his adopted family.

    Since then, Tyronne’s life has been guided by the Lord. God has ushered him into situations, relationships, and positions, where his conviction to live the Gospel of the Lord, has shown his integrity and given him opportunities few could expect. Today Tyronne and his wife, Valerie, have one daughter and are engaged in many community programs and their church. Tyronne is the Global Vice-President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Hyatt Hotels. A nationally recognized executive, his unique talent creates extraordinary strategic networking opportunities for the benefit of individuals and organizations, all of which bears witness to his faith and the hand of God.

  • Russea Barefield – incomplete

    Russea Barefield – incomplete

    2019 Michael Sailes Lagacy Award

    Rev. Frank C. Walton was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the 4th of 8 children born to Robert and Joetta Walton who always celebrated faith and Gospel music. Frank accepted Christ at the age of 5 at the church where his uncle, J. L. Walton served as the pastor, Calvary Baptist Church in Chicago. Frank grew up surrounded by Gospel music. The famous recording artist Arthur Scales was his father’s best friend. Frank’s father and uncles were known as The Walton Brothers, a Gospel A Cappella group that performed across the country. They were the first live group featured on the renown Isabel Joseph Johnson radio program.

  • Rev. Nicholas Pearce

    Rev. Nicholas Pearce

    2022 Arthur M. Brazier Award for Church and Community Advancement

    Dr. Nicholas Pearce is a proud alum of Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and holds the S.B. in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Management & Organizations from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

    God has blessed Dr. Pearce to touch tens of thousands of lives across cultural, generational, and denominational boundaries with the timeless truth of God’s Word. His journey in ministry and service began at the historic Apostolic Church of God when he was just three years old. He was baptized at age six and called to the ministry at age seven. At seventeen, he entered public ministry under the tutelage of his mentor and pastor, the legendary Bishop Arthur M. Brazier. In 2012 he was appointed as Assistant Pastor, becoming the youngest minister to serve the Apostolic Church of God in that role since the church’s founding in 1932.

    Beyond the pulpit, Dr. Pearce is an internationally sought-after thought leader and speaker on purpose-driven leadership, diversity & inclusion, and organizational culture. God is using Dr. Pearce in the academy as an award-winning professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Celebrated for his leadership and scholarship, he has been honored with The Aspen Institute’s Ideas Worth Teaching Award and has been a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow since 2015. He has also been named Kellogg’s MSMS Professor of the Year, a Galbraith Scholar by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, a Public Voices Fellow by The OpEd Project, a Harvey Fellow by the Mustard Seed Foundation, a Fitzhugh Fellow by the National Black MBA Association, one of Chicago’s 40 Game Changers (under 40) by WVON/Ariel Investments, and one of Today’s Joshuas by The Christian Outlook. He has been spotlighted by such global media as ABC, CBS, and NBC News, China Global TV Network, Christianity Today, CNN, Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, NPR, Univision, UrbanFaith.com, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

    Committed to community impact, Dr. Pearce serves as a trustee of the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Field Foundation, Fuller Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary, and the Seminary Co-Op Bookstores. Previously, Pearce served as a board member of Access Community Health Network, the Chicago Community Trust African American Legacy Fund, and the Harvey Fellows Advisory Board.

    Dr. Pearce serves as the founder and chief executive officer of The Vocati Group, a boutique management consultancy founded in 2012. He and his team serve hundreds of the world’s most significant corporations, social impact organizations, communities of faith, and government entities on matters of leadership development and organizational strategy. He is also the author of the bestselling book The Purpose Path: A Guide to Pursuing Your Authentic Life’s Work. A native of Chicago’s South Side, Dr. Pearce resides in his hometown with his wife & childhood sweetheart, Tammy, their son, and their dog, Baxter.

  • Bishop Yolanda Hunt

    Bishop Yolanda Hunt

    2022 President’s Award for Denominational Service

    Suffragan Bishop Yolanda Hunt is one of 14 children born to Hiram and Annie Mae Jackson. Born and raised in Chicago, Yolanda and her 12 living siblings were blessed to have parents committed to faith, family, and education. While she and her eleven siblings were blessed to have attended college, Yolanda graduated with a B. A. in English Education and a minor in Psychology from Chicago State University. A lifelong learner, Suffragan Bishop Hunt has most recently begun study with a cohort of pastors at Hampton University.

    The Jackson family was always united in their love for and service to the Lord. Starting in 1967, the Jackson’s worshipped at True Holiness Apostolic Church where Florence Nixon was the pastor. Following the death of Pastor Nixon, Yolanda’s father was elected as pastor. When True Holiness joined the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (P.A.W.), the direction of Yolanda Hunt’s journey as a Christian leader and minister began to take shape. Having served in ministry since the age of 16, she has worked at the local level as a church administrator always focusing on ministry development and restructure, staff development and training. As a preacher and traveling evangelist, Evangelist Yolanda Hunt has preached, taught, and ministered in churches, retreats, and leadership conferences across the United States, Canada and throughout parts of Europe.

    An anointed and much sought-after woman of God, Yolanda Hunt was mentored by such luminary leaders as her father, Elder Hiram Jackson, Bishop Horace Smith, and Bishop Arthur Brazier. When her father retired in 2004, Evangelist Yolanda Hunt became the pastor of True Holiness Apostolic Church. In 2010, with her father’s blessing, the church was renamed Rehoboth Apostolic Worship Center (RAWC). As a result of her passionate pastoral work, the membership of RAWC has grown tremendously and the church has moved to a much larger worship and teaching facility. The ministry of RAWC includes a passion for work with community outreach programs, local shelters, and neighborhood schools. RAWC also hosts an annual Community Day the public can obtain needed supplies, healthcare information, and educational support. 

    In both her denomination and her church, Yolanda Hunt has always served with excellence and led by example. In the P.A.W., her denomination, she has her diocese as the chairperson of the Illinois District Council (IDC) Young People’s Union and the advisor to the IDC Singles’ Ministry. She served two terms on the executive board of the IDC as Vice Chairman of the Illinois. Nationally her P.A.W. work has included positions with the International Pentecostal Young People’s Union (IPYPU) as Regional Coordinator of the Satellite Program, the Public Relations Assistant, and Director of the Worship Ministry. A prominent voice in her denomination, Evangelist Hunt was elected to the P.A.W. Executive Board where she served as a Lay Director. Her work as pastor led to her ordination as a District Elder, the first woman in her diocese to receive that designation. On July 12, 2019, she was ordained a Suffragan Bishop, one of the few women elevated to that position in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.

    Suffragan Bishop Yolanda Hunt has walked gracefully into ministry with the determination to encourage and teach the people of God. Despite her pastoral and denominational duties, Suffragan Bishop Hunt finds time to serve in the local campus ministries at both Saint Xavier University and Chicago State University.  In addition, she is a devoted mother and grandmother.

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  • Zinn Amos

    Zinn Amos

    2023 Michael Sailes Legacy Scholars

    Zinn Amos will be attending Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this fall where he will major in biomedical engineering with plans to become an orthopedic surgeon. He is a graduate of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois with a weighted G.P.A. of 5.22. Zinn was awarded as an Illinois State Scholar and a membership in both the National Honor Society and the French Honor Society.

    The founder of his high school medical club, Zinn has taken to heart a determination to engage in biological research in order to enhance the quality of life for African Americans and people in poverty. Zinn is an active member of the Apostolic Church of God where Dr. Byron T. Brazier is his pastor. Zinn is an Ezra Project Sankofa Memorial Scholars.

  • Post template-01 – [Cloned #9671] – [Cloned #9676]

    Post template-01 – [Cloned #9671] – [Cloned #9676]

    Trailblazer Award for Exceptional Achievement

    Rev. Frank C. Walton was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the 4th of 8 children born to Robert and Joetta Walton who always celebrated faith and Gospel music. Frank accepted Christ at the age of 5 at the church where his uncle, J. L. Walton served as the pastor, Calvary Baptist Church in Chicago. Frank grew up surrounded by Gospel music. The famous recording artist Arthur Scales was his father’s best friend. Frank’s father and uncles were known as The Walton Brothers, a Gospel A Cappella group that performed across the country. They were the first live group featured on the renown Isabel Joseph Johnson radio program.

  • Rev. Victoria Snow

    Rev. Victoria Snow

    2023 Ella Mae Davis Award for Pastoral Care

    Rev. Victoria Snow is the oldest of two children born to Lewis and Jane House on October 28, 1947. Victoria’s mother was stricken with tuberculosis soon after Victoria’s birth. With her mother in a sanitorium for several months, Victoria was nurtured by her maternal grandparents. Her mother had a second bout of TB when Victoria’s brother was born but lived to be 96 years old. As a child, Victoria was placed in special education classes as the adults in her life believed that she had a serious learning disability. However, at age 25, it was discovered that she had been legally blind from birth with a condition called Keratoconus. The condition required several surgeries, but eventually she saw the world for the first time as it really was.

    Because of her mother’s illness, Victoria was introduced to the Lord and to ministry through the work of her grandmother, Emma Miner, who was a founding member of Saint John Church Baptist in Chicago. Victoria was a model “church girl” until age 18, but an incident led to her disillusionment with the church and for 10 years, she refused to attend. After her sight was restored, Victoria returned to church with a renewed spirit and a burning desire to serve young women who feel minimized by life’s challenges.

    Years later, Victoria returned to the Lord and was eventually ordained by Bishop Arthur Brazier. For 35 years, she has been dedicated to a ministry of Pastoral Care and leadership in programs designed to provide faith-based social services to inner city families. Rev. Snow credits God for the fact that she holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in theological studies.

    Rev. Snow has served as the director of the Inner-City Families Project at Northeastern Illinois University. From 1992-1995, Rev. Snow directed The Center for Whole Life in Cabrini Green, a ministry of Fourth Presbyterian Church. From 1995-2005, she was the director of the Family Rescue Shelter for battered women and children. As part of The Woodlawn Organization Rev. Snow worked in the CHILD Family Preservation Center at Ida B. Wells. She has also served the Englewood area as the consultant for the Beloved Community Family Services. Rev. Snow has been the Manager of Anchor House Residential Services for the homeless population. Rev. Snow served as an Associate Pastor at Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church under Dr. Leon Finney from 1995-2021. She currently serves in ministry at the Beloved Community Church of God in Christ where Congressman Bobby Rush is pastor.

    Rev. Snow has an adult daughter, Nena, and has enjoyed life changing travels which include a 2001 journey through Israel and participation in a mission project in Ghana, West Africa.