First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens to install new senior pastor Rev. Danté R. Quick, Ph.D.

Five-day celebration to include Grammy award-winning gospel artist Kurt Carr

SOMERSET, N.J. — First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) is pleased to announce the installation of Rev. Danté R. Quick, Ph.D., as the fourth senior pastor. The installation is a five-day celebration June 8-12 that will conclude with a formal ceremony where Rev. Aaron L. Parker, Ph.D., senior pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta and professor of Religion and Philosophy at Morehouse College, will preach and Grammy award-winning gospel artist Kurt Carr will provide musical selections. Other program highlights include:

Wednesday, June 8 at 6 p.m. (virtual) and 7 p.m. (in-person)
The festivities will begin with a virtual and in-person reception with Rev. Quick. Live music will be provided by the B-Side Entertainment Group.

Thursday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of music, artistic interpretation and fellowship. Featured musicians for the special night are Sounds of A& R and the four-time Grammy-nominated duo The Baylor Project.

Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m.
A revival will be preached by Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart, pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis and president of the Lott Carey Foreign Missions Society.

Saturday, June 11 at 10 a.m.
A scholarly discussion will be led by Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas, associate professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences, Rev. Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert, professor of homiletics at Howard University School of Divinity, and Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray Jr., former president of Chicago Theological Seminary and the immediate past president of the Society for the Study of Black Religion. The program will be moderated by Rev. Dr. David Latimore, director of the Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Saturday, June 11 at 4 p.m.
A family bowling outing will be hosted in the afternoon for all ages.

Sunday, June 12 at 10 a.m.
A morning worship service will include preaching by Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson, senior pastor of the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, Calif. Recording gospel vocalist Lena Byrd Miles is a special guest who will enhance praise and the worship experience.

Sunday, June 12 at 4 p.m.
The official installation ceremony will be preached by Rev. Parker and music selections by Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers.

More details and registration information will be available online at www.fbcsomerset.com.

“Pastor Quick’s installation is a formal and celebratory ceremony that marks the end of an interim period,” says Charles Corpening, III, chair of FBCLG’s Board of Trustees. “However, since Pastor Quick’s arrival, he has been leading with such a strong conviction and has already begun to implement a new God-ordained vision for our church.”

The start of Rev. Quick’s ministry is marked by his practical preaching style, boldly addressing what some may perceive as “taboo” topics in a traditional Baptist church. His sermons acknowledge that Christians are not immune to everyday challenges like coping with mental illness, living life after divorce, grappling with issues surrounding sexuality, and more.

In a recent sermon Rev. Quick said, “We have to stop having church devoid of reality. I can stand here and recite scripture all day, but if I ignore the fact that you are depressed, if I act like you are not having sex before you get married, and if I pretend that you don’t steal paper from the office, then I am not actually preaching for your real life,” said Rev. Quick. “Far too often we act like we are holy. I don’t come to church because I am holy…I come to church because I have done wrong and I need God to make me right. I don’t come here because I am perfect. I am a wretch undone, but God’s grace and mercy do follow me.”

“Everything that we do at First Baptist is to help people engage their faith in their everyday life. From our worship services to our community events, we aspire as a church to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” says Rev. Quick. “We want everyone that we encounter to realize that church matters and their faith is relevant.”

Rev. Quick began his new role in August, immediately following the retirement of Pastor Emeritus and former NJ Secretary of State Rev. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.