Reverend Lakeesha Walrond, Ph.D., made history on May 20, 2019, when she was appointed President of the New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), which was founded in 1900 as the Bible Teacher’s College. Walrond is the first woman and the first Black woman to lead NYTS, which is based in New York City, New York. For over a century, NYTS has prepared women and men for faith-based ministries in New York and around the world.
Lakeesha N. Fonteneaux was born in Houston, Texas, in 1971. She is a child abuse survivor, which fueled her desire to provide empowering resources for children and women. Walrond graduated from Spelman College in 1993 and went on to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching, a Master’s Degree in School Administration, and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by May 2005. In 2014, she received her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary. She went on to work in public and charter schools, as well as for the United Church of Christ and the Baptist Churches.
In 2013, Walrond founded the Getting to Greatness Women’s Conference (G2G). Walrond published My Body Is Special: Let’s Talk About It, the first in a six-part children’s book series, in 2017. Stronger Than Your Worst Pain: A Spiritual Guide to Activating Your Inner Power, her first e-book, was released in 2018. She has given lectures in South Africa, Canada, the Bahamas, South Korea, and India.
Walrond is now the Executive Pastor of New York City’s First Corinthian Baptist Church (FCBC), where her husband, Michael A. Walrond Jr., is the Senior Pastor. She was also the Chief of Staff, the Executive Director of Ministries, and the Executive Director of Church Administration. Walrond has continued to advocate for FCBC’s presence in the community and around the world. She oversees and promotes mental health programs, yoga, and free co-working spaces for local businesses and professionals in addition to Worship Services. Her responsibilities are significant; the church has grown from 300 to over 10,000 members under the Walronds.
Walrond is a member of The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts’ Board of Directors (FORE).
Among her many honors are the National Council of Negro Women’s Outstanding Contributions to the Community (2011), the Robert Wood Lynn Fellowship Auburn Theological Seminary Shining Star Award for Outstanding Service (2015), and the NAACP Leadership Award (2017). Jasmyn and Michael III are the children of Walrond and her husband, Michael Jr.