Rev. W. Lee, Sr. Pastor
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
Rev. William Derek Lee was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended New York City public schools through high school, earned his Bachelor’s Degree from St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, and Masters of Divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, New Jersey.
In October 1998, he was licensed to preach by Rev. Anthony Trufant at Emmanuel Baptist Church (Brooklyn, New York) and hired as Emmanuel’s pastor for youth. He was ordained in the Baptist denomination in the spring of 2002. In the summer of the same year, he left Emmanuel to serve as Executive Pastor of Macedonia Church in the Historic Hill District, in Pittsburgh, Pa.
In the summer of 2004, Rev. Lee returned to Brooklyn and Emmanuel Baptist Church to serve as assistant pastor. In April of 2006, he spearheaded the launch of Ai, a Ministry in Jersey City, New Jersey, organized as a church plant by Emmanuel Baptist Church. Rev. Lee worked to build a dynamic ministry that helped to reveal God’s transforming power as experienced through second chances.
Reverend Lee resides in New Jersey with his family.
The Imani Baptist Church family welcomes Rev. William Derek Lee, our third Pastor.