OUR LEADERSHIP

Rev. Dr. Danielle Ayers

Rev. Dr. Danielle Ayers, a scholarvisit, policy and program strategist, national consultant, international justice advocate, author, content creator, and ordained clergy, holds a significant role as the Pastor of Justice at Friendship-West (Dallas, TX), a position of leadership and influence in the community, pastored by Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III.

Rev. Ayers oversees the church’s work in public policy, legislative initiatives, and justice projects. Through spiritual growth, Christian education, and training programs, she prepares the congregation and community to organize and take action on important issues like economic justice, food justice, gender equality, and environmental justice. Ayers also leads FW’s Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program legal clinic, racial justice efforts, civic engagement activities, and responses to the immigration and border crisis in southern Texas. She provides advocacy and organizing training to help the congregation live out their faith openly and challenge systemic racism in institutions and social structures. Additionally, she hosts and creates content for Fannie Lou’s Classroom, a podcast that promotes dialogue at the intersection of race, theology, and public life. 

Additionally, Ayers specializes in developing comprehensive justice initiatives to foster inclusivity and equity. Her approach is deeply rooted in understanding the unique needs of each community, ensuring that initiatives are both impactful and sustainable. By leveraging her extensive experience in advocacy and activism, she helps churches and organizations navigate the complexities of social justice work effectively.

As a consultant, Rev. Ayers plays a crucial role in facilitating sessions at churches nationwide, offering practical tools to decolonize state-side and international mission trips and construct justice ministries. She also conducts racial justice workshops and leads cohorts in creating and implementing actions that transform relationships across racial lines, leading to spiritual and social change. Additionally, she provides strategic planning services for faith-based organizations and churches, helping them align their missions with justice-oriented goals.

As the Pastor of Justice, Ayers builds strong coalitions and develops partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations seeking a just and equitable society. Rev. Ayers serves as the Co-convener of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc., and a delegate to the Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race. Ayers also serves as a board member on the following boards: Southern Sector Rising and the Faith Cooperative Federal Credit Union, and a former board member of Texas Impact, Faith In Texas, and President Jimmy Carter’s New Baptist Covenant.

Rev. Ayers’ dedication to justice work is unwavering. She imparts theoretical and practical teachings that empower individuals to take actionable steps to engage on with political systems, from municipalities to the federal government. Her holistic approach ensures that these efforts are not only spiritually enriching but also socially transformative. Her courage, commitment, and consistent work for justice have been recognized through several awards and accolades. 

Rev. Ayers holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of Memphis, a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology, where she was a Baugh Scholar. As is also a former  Better Together Fellow at the King Center in Atlanta, GA. Rev. Ayers is the co-author of To Serve This Present Age: Social Justice Ministries in the Black Church and Reimaging the Bible Belt. She has written peer-reviewed papers: America, Your Prescription is Ready, and  It Starts in the Mind: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Call to Move from Transactional Conformist to Transformed Nonconformist. Ayers is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

 "Actually, the world and America is upset and the only way to bring about a change is to upset it more"

FANNIE LOU HAMER