Pronouns: He/Him
Pastor. Theologian. Youth Worker.
Rev. Isiah Dennis hails from the historic Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul, MN. With a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary and a Master of Education from the University of Minnesota, he is deeply committed to community advocacy, leadership development, and youth work.
As the lead pastor of Prospect Park UMC, Rev. Isiah endeavors to cultivate a culture of collaborative ministry, emphasizing dynamic community involvement to foster significant relationships. He envisions ministry actively engaging with the people rather than passively waiting for them to come, advocating for proactive outreach into the community rather than remaining isolated within the church.
He desires people to be transformed by the Gospel so they can truly live and be the people God called them to be. Additionally, he envisions the church as a vibrant hub for fostering intergenerational community and deepening discipleship.
Rev. Isiah also holds the Pastoral Associate for Administration and Technology position at Camphor Memorial UMC, his home church. He is a proud member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., a 2022 Fellow of the Josie R Johnson Leadership Academy through the African American Leadership Forum, and a board member of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Guided by the wisdom of bell hooks, Rev. Isiah’s pedagogy centers on the transformative power of truth:
If we can’t recognize the truth, then it cannot liberate us from untruth. To know the truth is to prepare for it; for it is not mainly reflection and theory. Truth is divine action entering our lives and creating the human action of liberation.
bell hooks
