Pastor Archie F. Manning Bio
Pastor Archie F. Manning is a humble servant of the Most-High God, guided by the principles found in the Holy Scriptures. His chief aim is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord (Micah 6:8). Rev. Manning was born in Cleveland, Mississippi, and raised in South Bend, Indiana. He is a mission-driven ministerial leader experienced in elements of organizational and spiritual leadership. He faithfully served as the Associate Pastor for Children and Youth at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, NY under the visionary guidance of Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson and oversaw 37 ministries geared toward building strong spiritual foundations and discipleship to enable young people to increase their faith while they share their love for God by providing opportunities to serve their community. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ, and was awarded the Frederick Buechner Prize for Excellence in Preaching upon graduation. This prize is named in honor of the writer, preacher, and theologian Frederick Buechner, and recognizes excellence in preaching and a public proclamation of the gospel.
Pastor Manning also holds two degrees in music from The Juilliard School in New York City. After receiving his master’s degree from Juilliard, he was blessed to travel nationally and internationally performing opera and classical music. In Europe, he met his wife-to-be, Elizabeth DeVaughn of Atlanta, Georgia, in 1998 while performing together in the opera, Porgy & Bess. After an evanescent courtship, they married on April 7, 2001. Their union has been blessed by God with three sagacious daughters, Victoria, Olivia, and Gloria. They are all singers and actresses who have performed on Broadway and on Television and earned a Day-Time EMMY nomination.
To be the husband and father God called him to be, Rev. Manning stopped touring professionally and became an educator. Teaching and mentoring proved to be an extension of his calling. He holds advanced degrees, certifications, and awards in education, including recognition from Oprah Winfrey and “Teach for America” for Excellence in Education. Pastor Manning is licensed in Marriage and Couples Counseling and is certified in Mental Health First Aid and has been trained to provide initial help to persons experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. He is the author of the book, “Keeping it Real, Lose Your Excuses, Find Your Greatness!”
Pastor Manning is grounded in the African American tradition and is faithful to the will of God as he seeks to empower the people of God through preaching, teaching, witnessing, advocacy, and program development so that the ministry of Jesus Christ will be realized in our time and place.
Reverend Manning and his family are prayerfully using all their gifts, talents, and energies to serve the Lord with gladness as they seek to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. (Micah 6:8)