Emerging Unafraid: Living Out the Courage of Our Compassion
Join us as we celebrate PSR’s Graduating Class of 2024 on May 19th at 4pm PT.
This year’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be held in person at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley and can also be watched live on our Commencement page.
Rev. Dr. John Vaughn is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches currently serving as the Executive Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He works closely with the Church’s Senior Pastor, and U.S. Senator, Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock in managing the overall vision, ministries, and operations of this iconic, international congregation. Known as America’s Freedom Church and the spiritual home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Ebenezer remains at the forefront of the fight for social justice and community transformation.
Previously, Rev. Vaughn served for almost ten years as the Executive Vice President at Auburn Theological Seminary. He has also served as the Program Director for the Twenty-First Century Foundation based in Harlem, New York, a national foundation that advanced strategic giving for Black community change, and as Executive Director of the Peace Development Fund, which provides funding, training and assistance for grassroots peace and justice community organizing.
From 1996 to 2000, Rev. Vaughn served as the Minister for Education and Social Justice at the historic Riverside Church in New York City where fellow PSR alumnx, Adrienne Thorne (MDiv ‘08) is currently Senior Minister. His responsibilities included overseeing the Church’s ministries with children, youth, young adults, adult education, social justice, social services and small grants. He has also served as the Director for Community Development at the Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) in Boston, Mass; The executive director of East Harlem Interfaith in New York City; The Action Assistant at The Riverside Church, and the Assistant Minister at the Hamilton United Methodist Church in San Francisco, Ca.
In addition to a Master of Divinity from PSR, Rev. Vaughn received his undergraduate degree from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass, and a Doctor of Ministry from Drew Theological School. He is married to the Rev. Dr. P. Kimberleigh Jordan, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Together, they are the proud parents of two sons – James and Caleb.