PASTOR BIO

Elder Dr. Vincent E. Stokes II is the seventh elected Pastor in the historic line of succession of New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church. A lifelong native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Stokes is a pastor, scholar, educator, civic leader, and public servant whose life and ministry integrate Christian faith, education, justice, and community transformation.

Born and reared in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Stokes was reared by his maternal grandmother, Mother Elsie L. Rowser-Thomas, alongside his sisters, Derenda Nicole, Dr. Shamarah Jimmise, Paula Deniesha, and Shayla Janee. During his teenage years, he became involved in street life, including drug dealing and gang activity. These choices interrupted his formal education, and he dropped out of high school. He later completed his secondary education at the Lifeskills Center of Cleveland, an alternative school.

Dr. Stokes accepted his call to preach on July 4, 2004, after hearing Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III eulogize a friend. He was mentored by his pastor, Elder Dr. Larry D. Tatum of New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church, and was ordained as a full Elder in good standing and full communion in the Primitive Baptist Church on June 11, 2011.

Elder Dr. Larry D. Tatum has had the greatest impact on Dr. Stokes’ ministry. Following the eulogy of Sister Gladys Blackwell, and on the very day of his 35th wedding anniversary, Dr. Tatum took time to help Dr. Stokes process his initial response to the call to preach. He counseled him, saying, “We start down on our knees, because this preaching way is a humble way. You start low, and God will let your gifts make room for you.” These are words Dr. Stokes has never forgotten.

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Fisk University & Fisk Memorial Chapel Formation

Prior to matriculating at Fisk University, Dr. Stokes first learned of the institution through an unexpected but formative encounter. As a teenager appearing before Juvenile Magistrate C. Mamye Buggs, he was asked whether he had plans to attend college. Hoping his response might lessen his punishment, he replied, “Morehouse.” Magistrate Buggs responded, “Oh, that’s an HBCU—I went to Fisk!” and proceeded to render her verdict. That moment left a lasting impression on Dr. Stokes. He never forgot the exchange, and in time, he applied to—and enrolled at—Fisk University.

In 2005, Dr. Stokes matriculated at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, majoring in Religion and Philosophy with a minor in History. While at Fisk, he participated in advocacy efforts, including the student march to the Tennessee State Capitol protesting the convictions of the Jena Six. He was active in the Fisk Race Relations Institute and emerged as a campus leader, serving in student leadership roles that culminated in his election as Student Government Association President (2008–2009), where he worked across student organizations to advance student advocacy and institutional engagement. He also served in student leadership that brought national figures—including Former President William Jefferson Clinton, Poet Laureate Nikki Giovanni, and Rev. Dr. Benjamin Hooks—to the historic campus.

Central to Dr. Stokes’ ministerial, intellectual, and leadership formation at Fisk was his service through Fisk Memorial Chapel, where theology, worship, leadership development, and public witness converged under the guidance of Rev. Dr. Jason Richard Curry, Dean of the Chapel and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Under Dr. Curry’s leadership, Dr. Stokes served as a Chapel Assistant, assisting in worship planning, pastoral formation, and student engagement. Dr. Curry’s disciplined scholarship, principled leadership, and justice-centered ministry were among the primary factors influencing Dr. Stokes’ decision to join Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and he was initiated into the Eta Psi Chapter in Spring 2007. That fraternal commitment, grounded in intellect, service, and moral responsibility, complemented his expanding campus leadership. Dr. Stokes graduated magna cum laude in May 2009 with the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Through the Fisk Memorial Chapel Assistants Program, Dr. Stokes encountered nationally and internationally recognized leaders in preaching, scholarship, and public theology, including the late Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III of Abyssinian Baptist Church (New York City); The Honorable Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church (Atlanta) and United States Senator (D–GA); Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend-Gilkes, whose work in Womanist theology shaped his theological imagination; the late Rev. Dr. Charles Gilchrist Adams, known as “The Harvard Whooper”; and Bishop Vashti Murphy-McKenzie, the first elected female Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. These encounters affirmed ministry as moral witness in public life.

While in Nashville, Dr. Stokes received ecclesiastical formation at Ephesian Primitive Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Elder Dr. J. Lucius Fitzgerald and served under watchcare at Temple Baptist Church, where Rev. Darrell Drumwright—his pastor— provided pastoral guidance and mentorship.

Immediately following his graduation from Fisk University, Dr. Stokes interned at Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia, during the tenure of Bishop Gregory V. Eason, Sr.

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New Haven Years

Before enrolling at Yale Divinity School, Dr. Stokes met with Rev. Dr. Marvin A. McMickle, Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church (Cleveland, Ohio) and President-Emeritus of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, who encouraged him to pursue Ivy League theological education, telling him, “A Black man with a Ph.D. before 30 can do whatever he wants in this world!”

Dr. Stokes matriculated at Yale Divinity School, where he served as Secretary of Yale Black Seminarians and later as President of the Yale Divinity School Student Council (2010–2011). As president, he led the revision of the student constitution and handbook, which remain in use today. He graduated in 2012 with the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and received the Two Brothers Fellowship.

While at Yale, standing outside Richard Niebuhr Hall awaiting Old Testament Survey with Dr. Robert Wilson, Dr. Stokes met Rev. Fannie Rebekah Braboy, an AME Zion preacher. Their friendship developed into a courtship, culminating in marriage in 2015.

While at Yale Divinity School, Dr. Stokes, serving as President of the Yale Divinity School Student Council, and Rev. Fannie Rebekah Braboy, serving as President of Yale Black Seminarians, co-hosted The Honorable Rev. Andrew Young—former Mayor of Atlanta, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and civil rights icon—for the prestigious Parks–King Lecture.

During his years in New Haven, Dr. Stokes was active in the life of the local church, served as a Young Adult Steward for the National Council of Churches, worked as a Research Assistant for Yale University, preached in every Connecticut town that housed a Black Baptist Church, and served as Interim Pastor of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church (Hartford, Connecticut) and Mt. Zion Baptist Church (Norwalk, Connecticut).

He worshiped and learned at Immanuel Baptist Church under Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee, First Calvary Baptist Church under Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber, former President of the Connecticut Missionary Baptist Convention and current President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, and Community Baptist Church during the tenure of Rev. Dr. J. Lawrence Turner. These congregations exposed Dr. Stokes to varied expressions of Black Baptist life and strengthened his understanding of the church as both a spiritual home and a public witness.

During this same period, Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee, Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber, and Rev. Dr. J. Lawrence Turner—all members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.—modeled prophetic courage. Dr. Stokes recalls preaching at First Calvary Baptist Church the Sunday immediately following the acquittal of Officer Michael Brelo in the killing of Tamir Rice. His sermon, “It’s Time to Flip the Tables” (Matthew 21:12–13), confronted injustice directly. Unaware that the New Haven Chief of Police was present in worship, Dr. Stokes hesitated out of concern for decorum. Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber responded emphatically: “YOU PREACH THE GOSPEL! DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE POLICE CHIEF—HE NEEDS TO HEAR THOSE WORDS!” That moment solidified for Dr. Stokes the call to speak truth to power regardless of the audience. He also volunteered with Abraham’s Tent, serving unhoused neighbors.

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Continued Education

In 2016, Dr. Stokes earned the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Azusa Pacific University, concentrating in Black Church History and Spiritual Formation, and successfully defended his dissertation, With a Strength Not His Own: The Christian Formation of Rev. Nat Turner and Its Impact on the Black Baptist Church of the 21st Century.

He earned a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University, a Certification in Administration and Supervision from Cleveland State University, completed graduate coursework toward a Master of Social Work at Case Western Reserve University, and is currently pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Policy alongside a Juris Doctor / Master of Public Administration (J.D./M.P.A.) at Cleveland State University.

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Return to Cleveland, Pastoral Leadership, and Advocacy

Dr. Stokes returned to Cleveland in the fall of 2017 to serve as an educator in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and to support his wife in her educational pursuits. In June 2017, Dr. Vincent E. Stokes II and Rev. Fannie B. Stokes welcomed their son, Vincent E. Stokes III, into the world.

While teaching in New Haven and Cleveland, Dr. Stokes mentored and became a father figure to TyShon Mi’Kiel and Matthew Thomas, both of whom lived with his family and were reared into adulthood.

In 2021, Dr. Stokes was named University Heights Citizen of the Year for his service on the University Heights Citizen Police Commission, where he helped draft policy related to the city’s use-of-force standards.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Stokes joined the inaugural Vessel Votes coalition alongside Bishop Tony Minor of Community of Faith Assemblies (Cleveland, Ohio), Rev. Jimmy Gates of Zion Hill Baptist Church, Rev. Jerome Hurst of Southeast Seventh Day Adventist Church and Ethnan Temple SDA, and Rev. Dr. C. Jay Matthews of Mt. Sinai–Friendship Church (Cleveland, Ohio), organizing a historic Get Out the Vote effort during an international public health crisis.

On March 13, 2023, Dr. Stokes became the seventh Pastor of New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church. Under his leadership, he founded Genesis Community Connections, led the church in raising $50,000 in capital funds during his first year, secured the Neighborhood Safety Fund grant for a youth workforce development program now in its third year, joined the Greater Cleveland Interfaith Alliance, served on the Neighborhood Connections grant-making committee, and on Congresswoman Shontel Brown’s Interfaith Advisory Council.

On November 4, 2025, Dr. Stokes was elected to the University Heights City Council, and on January 5, 2026, he was sworn into office by Rev. Dr. E. Theophilus Caviness, former City Councilman and Pastor of Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church, the senior-most pastor and preacher in the City of Cleveland.

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Honors and Recognition

Over the course of his ministry, scholarship, and civic leadership, Elder Dr. Vincent E. Stokes II has been recognized for his sustained commitment to faith-rooted leadership, public service, education, and social justice.

In 2021, Dr. Stokes was named University Heights Citizen of the Year in recognition of his service on the University Heights Citizen Police Commission, where he played a significant role in helping draft and revise the city’s use-of-force policy, advancing accountability, transparency, and community trust between residents and law enforcement.

In 2026, Elder Dr. Vincent E. Stokes II was named Pastor of the Year by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), honoring his leadership at New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church, his advocacy for social justice, and his visible commitment to connecting faith with public life at the local, regional, and national levels.

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Looking Forward

Looking ahead, Elder Dr. Vincent E. Stokes II remains committed to a ministry and public vocation rooted in the vision “Making Jesus Our Top P.I.C.K. (Priority, Influence, Commitment, and Kingdom).” As Pastor of New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church, his focus remains on discipleship, intergenerational leadership development, and faithful stewardship.

In public life and scholarship, Dr. Stokes continues to serve the residents of University Heights with integrity, while advancing doctoral research in Educational Policy and legal training. Across every sphere, his leadership reflects a consistent commitment to centering Jesus Christ in personal identity, public service, and communal responsibility.