DeForest Soaries

Reverend Dr. DeForest “Buster” Soaries, Jr. has served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) in Somerset, New Jersey since November 1990. His pastoral ministry focuses on spiritual growth, educational excellence and economic empowerment. As a pioneer of faith-based community development, Dr. Soaries’ impact on the church and in the community has been tremendous. In 1992, he founded the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation (CJCDC): a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that specializes in revitalizing distressed neighborhoods. In 1996, he founded the Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc. (HOH) which develops permanent solutions for children in the foster care system. From 1999 to 2002, Dr. Soaries served as New Jersey’s Secretary of State, making him the first African-American male to do so. He also served as the former chairman of the United States Election Assistance Commission, which was established by Congress to implement the “Help America Vote Act” of 2002. Dr. Soaries launched the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement teaching people how to break free from debt as a first step toward financial freedom, currently used by over 3,000 churches and organizations. dfree® was featured in a 90-minute CNN documentary entitled “Almighty Debt.” He is author of the books “Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom,” “Meditations for Financial Freedom – Volumes 1&2” and “Say Yes When Life Says No.”