Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church names new pastor

The Rev. Lukata Mjumbe

The Rev. Lukata Mjumbe has been named the new pastor of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton.

The church is a historically black church that was founded 178 years ago. Today the church has members of many backgrounds from a wide geographical area.

“I give thanks for the honor and privilege of standing upon the incredible legacy of leadership and service of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church,” Mjumbe said of his new position. “This is a new day and I am convinced that even greater is yet come.”

A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Mjumbe earned his master’s of divinity and master’s of theology degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He recently served as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Irvington. Previously he served as the evangelist and executive director of the Urban Mission Cabinet, Inc. for the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and as the organizer for the United Mercer Interfaith Organization in Trenton.

Prior to moving to New Jersey, Mjumbe was the lay pastor of the historic Northern Heights Presbyterian Church in Selma, Ala. and the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. He also worked as the policy director for a member of Congress and as a leader of  the Community Action Association of Alabama, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and the Black Alliance for Peace. He has ministered with mission partners in Ghana, Nigeria, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

He will begin his new duties on Dec. 1.

“We could not be more delighted to welcome Reverend Mjumbe to lead our congregation to new heights,” said Denyse Leslie, a lay leader at the church.“We feel incredibly blessed to have him and his family as a part of our beloved community. With a shared vision, we expect to forge important collaborations with our sister Presbyterian churches and with other interfaith organizations.”

Mjumbe is married to Kayren Carter Mjumbe, an educator and founder of the mobile African American History Museum “Museums in Motion.” The couple has twin daughters who are in college and a son who is a senior in high school.

For more information about the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, visit www.witherspoonchurch.org