Outstanding Leadership in Queens
2010 Honoree of the Queens Federation of Churches

The Reverend Ojeda Hall-Phillips

The Rev. Ojeda M. Hall-Phillips is a graduate of Harvard University with a Bachelors Degree in Government. Before becoming a citizens’ organizer with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) five years ago, she worked in the private sector both in New York and London and served as Development Director for a non-profit organization in Brooklyn. For the last four years, she has led the effort to build and revitalize the Metro IAF community organization made up of congregations in Queens called “EQUAL” (Empowered Queens United in Action and Leadership).

Hearing a call to religious service, Rev. Hall-Phillips has dedicated herself to working seven days a week as a community organizer and a youth pastor. For this she left a career in finance to attend Drew University Theological School in Madison, New Jersey, from which she holds a Master of Divinity Degree (Summa Cum Laude). She was Licensed and Ordained to preach the gospel at the Brown Memorial Baptist Church, Brooklyn, where she was the Associate Minister and Lay Leader.
Reverend Ojeda M. Hall-Phillips currently serves as the Youth Pastor at the Bethany Baptist Church of Jamaica under the leadership of Pastor Craig S. Brown, Sr. For the past two years she has led the effort to re-organize the youth organization under the name “Level 7” and has grown it from 18 to over 100 regular participants. With regularly scheduled meetings and fellowship every week, Rev. Hall-Phillips builds youth ministry on her favorite scripture: Micah 6:6 & 8 (“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”).

In August of 2009, Rev. Hall-Phillips was featured in The New York Times “One in 8 Million” Edition for her outstanding leadership in Queens. Never quite understanding the completion of a days work, Rev. Hall-Phillips has also taken on the role of being a Christ Mentor devoting the past nine months to endless duties, compassion and time to an upcoming young adult walking in her shoes.
Rev. Hall-Phillips was born in Baltimore and lives in Brooklyn, where she was raised. She knows that without putting God first and having her family and friends as her support system she wouldn’t be where she is today.

“To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required.”