Rev. Dr. M. Frances Manning, Senior Pastor
New Hope Baptist Church of Hackensack, N.J.

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Rev. M. Frances Manning grew up in New York City where she received Christian nurture at the Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Harlem USA under the Pastorate of the late Rev. Dr. M. L. Wilson and Rev. Clarence P. Grant. It was there she received the call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Believing that the call to preach is a call to preparation, she began this process at New York Theological Seminary. She served an internship at both Convent Church and St. Matthews Church in Harlem as pastoral assistant. Prior to this, Rev. Manning worked as an advertising professional in media management for a New York Communications firm.

Thoroughly prepared for ministry, she graduated from the College of New Rochelle B.A., New York Theological Seminary with the Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Degrees. Her doctoral thesis was entitled Training and Equipping Laypersons for Prophetic Ministry which is a hallmark of her Pastorate .She has also done additional study at Princeton Theological Seminary, and has a certificate from the Harvard University Divinity School Leadership Institute. She is a graduate of the Institute of Church Administration and Management (ICAM) at Interdenominational Theological Seminary (ITC) in Atlanta, Georgia. She continues to strengthen her ministry and remain cutting edge through participation in clergy conferences that keep her learning current.

Rev. Manning is a writer. She has appeared in The Church Standing Up and Speaking Out on Human Values and Principles, Devotional Meditations on Social Justice-Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Songs of Miriam, a women's book of devotions-Judson Press; Esther, A Model for Courage and Crisis Management National Baptist Convention, USA Inc.; Lift The Veil, essays attending to the positive impact upon the collective psyche of African-Americans when women are embraced as Deacons within the Church. She has written and self published an essay entitled " Inclusive Ministry in the Old Testament - an essay regarding the role of women leaders in Israel and hermeneutical implications for the New Testament Church". The Women's Ministry of her Church developed a study guide for it's broader usage. She also has a book in process entitled Spirit Shadows, a collection of eulogies done over the years of her present pastorate. Future plans include the release of her Doctoral Thesis. Clergywomen of African Descent in N.J (WWW.coadinj.org) a mentoring/support group for women in the ministry, is among the recent projects she is spearheading. She has been a panelist at the Governor of New Jersey's State of the Black Church Forum.. A featured panelist at the prestigious Hampton University Minister's conference, she presented Spiritual Disciplines for Women in Ministry.. Her commitment to service finds Dr. Manning serving in pulpits, Colleges, Universities, Seminaries and denominational settings across the country.

She is a New York State certified Pre and Post-HIV Test Counselor (Cicatelli Associates in conjunction with Montclair University) as well as a Pastoral Care Specialist (Center for Living - Allendale, NJ) Her leadership experiences also include Past President and currently Vice-President Fellowship of Black Churches of Hackensack and Vicinity, first woman and current chaplain of the Hackensack, NJ PBA #9, past Corresponding Secretary Baptist Ministers Conference of Newark, N.J. and Vicinity, Past Assistant Recording Secretary Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater N.Y. and Vicinity, now assistant treasurer and former Corresponding Secretary North Jersey District Missionary Baptist Association. She is the first woman cleric to hold these positions. In conjunction with her involvement in the North Jersey Association, Dr. Manning is Second Vice Moderator of the District. In cooperation with Alliance (NYC, NY), Dallas (Dallas, Tex.), Drew (Madison, NJ), Eastern (Philadelphia, Pa) and New Brunswick (New Brunswick, NJ) Theological Seminaries, she has served or is presently serving as a supervising mentor to Seminarians, three of whom are now Senior Pastors; and two Senior Pastors who are involved in American Baptist Churches of New Jersey Healthy Pastory Healthy Church Program.

Ordained on October 27, 1985, in the Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. Manning, a pioneer, has the distinction of being the first woman to be both licensed and ordained into the Christian ministry by that body. Called to the New Hope Baptist Church, a dynamic leading congregation in Hackensack, New Jersey, on May 7, 1993, she is the seventh Pastor and the first woman to lead that congregation. They celebrated her 14th Anniversary May 2007. Under her leadership, New Hope Community and Economic Development Corp. Inc., the Church Not-for-profit- Corporation was birthed. Some of their programs include Camp Hope a 3 week state approved Summer Day Camp for children 5 - 12, a year round mentoring and tutoring program in partnership with the Hackensack Middle School, Hackensack High school and Bergen County Community College Student Association. The HIV/AIDS crisis is also addressed through a prevention and education program. Recently won grants afforded them the opportunity to serve the community through a 24 - month Financial literacy program. - Project Jubilee. A no nonsense preacher, She has inspired many other ministries that contribute to the quality of life of those in the Community and beyond.

Mobilized for Ministry in the Third Millennium, the Church is in Phase II of a capital stewardship campaign to augment a $2 million dollar project multiphase building program that will enable them to extend their outreach. New Hope has been featured in various media (Channel 12, NJ; UPN 9, The Bergen Record, Women of Faith and Spirit) for their prophetic thrust in freeing members from revolving credit debt. Rev. Manning has participated in a 12-day Ford Foundation Community Development project in S. Africa (Johannesburg, Durban and Capetown) with several other Ministers and Community Development Professionals where they dialogued around issues concerning health, housing, youth and the HIV/AIDS crisis. .In conjunction with her vision to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world as well a around the corner, she recently returned from two preaching trips that carried her to Guadeloupe and Martinique…two islands in the French Caribbean and Santo Domingo, D.R..

In connection with Not-for-Profit Community Development, Dr. Manning has lectured for the Chase Foundation both in New York and at the Chase Headquarters in Houston Texas. She is the proud mother of one son and two grandchildren.