DeForest Soaries facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
DeForest "Buster" Soaries
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Soaries in 2017
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| 30th Secretary of State of New Jersey | |
| In office January 1999 – January 2002 |
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| Governor | Christine Todd Whitman Donald DiFrancesco |
| Preceded by | Lonna Hooks |
| Succeeded by | Regena Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 20, 1951 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Fordham University (BA) Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv) United Theological Seminary (DMin) |
DeForest "Buster" Soaries, Jr. was born on August 20, 1951. He is an African-American Baptist minister, author, and public speaker from Montclair, New Jersey. He is known for his work as a church leader and for serving in important government roles. He was the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey, from November 1990 until he retired in June 2021. He also served as the Secretary of State of New Jersey and led the federal Election Assistance Commission.
Contents
About DeForest Soaries
Family and Education
DeForest Soaries lives in the Monmouth Junction area of South Brunswick, New Jersey. He is married to Margaret Donna Soaries. They have twin sons named Malcolm and Martin.
Soaries studied at several universities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University. He then received a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Later, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary. He has also been given five special honorary degrees from other schools.
Leading a Church Community
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DeForest Soaries was the main pastor at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) in Somerset, New Jersey. He led the church from November 1990 until he retired in June 2021.
Soaries in Government and Public Service
Serving New Jersey
From January 1999 to January 2002, Soaries held the position of Secretary of State of New Jersey. He was the first African-American man to serve in this role. He worked under Governor Christine Todd Whitman. In this job, he supported more funding for the arts. He also advised the governor on many topics. He created a program called V-FREE, which helped prevent youth violence across the state.
Working for Fair Elections
In 2003, Soaries was chosen to join the federal Election Assistance Commission. This group was set up by the U.S. Congress to help carry out the Help America Vote Act of 2002. He served as the chairman of this commission.
Community Development Work
Soaries believes in using faith to help communities grow. Through donations to his church, he started several non-profit groups. These include the Renaissance Community Development Credit Union, the Renaissance Education & Technology Academy, and the Harvest of Hope Family Services Network. These groups aim to improve life for people in the community.
In 2000, Coretta Scott King asked Soaries to be the main speaker at the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Atlanta. He has also worked with important organizations like the Urban League and Operation PUSH.
Helping Communities Grow
Central Jersey Community Development Corporation
In 1992, Soaries started the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation (CJCDC). This non-profit organization works to improve neighborhoods that are struggling.
The CJCDC's goal is to "rebuild communities, one family at a time." It works to make social, educational, and economic conditions better in specific areas of Central Jersey. The organization helps families with lower incomes to have a better quality of life. Its vision is to support families and help people become better community members. CJCDC has a long history of helping communities in New Jersey improve and grow economically.
The CJCDC believes that people must play a part in improving their own lives. It supports local groups that are close to the people who need help. By supporting these groups, CJCDC helps people who might otherwise be stuck in poverty.
Harvest of Hope Family Services Network
In 1996, Soaries founded the Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc. (HOH). This is a faith-based organization that finds and trains churches, agencies, and community groups. They use special methods to find families who can foster or adopt children.
The Harvest of Hope Program created a clear way to find, recruit, and train potential foster parents. At first, they focused on First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens. In just a few weeks, 85 families were found and approved as foster homes in New Jersey. All 57 "boarder babies" (babies who needed homes) were placed with these trained foster families. This success led to the creation of Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc. This new non-profit group trained other churches across New Jersey to do the same work.
Harvest of Hope expanded its services to include support for foster parents after children were placed with them. This support included activities to help families stay together, life skills training, and help with behavioral health. They also helped foster parents connect with agencies and get support. The program also grew to include placing older children, teenagers, and groups of siblings. For many years, Harvest of Hope also helped reunite children with their birth families when possible.
Current Work
DeForest Soaries currently serves as an independent director for three companies. These companies are Independence Realty Trust, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, and Ocean Financial Corporation.
