For 26 years, Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes III has made it his mission to empower changed people to change the world. His message is clear: If Christians are to positively impact the world, they must be willing to minister beyond the walls of the church.Dr. Haynes will bring his message to graduates during the Fall 2008 Commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec. 19 in the Assembly Center.
As senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church since 1983, Dr. Haynes leads one of the largest church congregations in Dallas. In the last decade, the 31-year-old church has grown from approximately 500 members to over 8,000 members. The church currently has 45 full- and part-time employees and more than 45 ministries.
A native of San Francisco, Dr. Haynes is the third in a line of well-known, socially conscious preachers. He graduated from Bishop College in 1982 with a bachelor of arts in religion and English. He earned a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and received honorary doctorates of divinity from Paul Quinn College and Texas College.
The Rev. Haynes received his doctorate in ministry in 2005 from Oxford University in Oxford, England. A popular guest preacher, his progressive, Bible-based message has reached millions of people in locations around the world, including Africa, Australia, the Caribbean and throughout North America.
With a gift for relating to young people, Dr. Haynes has taken steps toward reaching the younger community that has been turned off by tradition and require a more contemporary method toward receiving Christ. In 2001, he was asked to close the No. 1 rated Dallas morning radio show, Skip Cheatham and Da Playground on K104-FM, with a spiritual segment called “Inspirational Vitamins.” His out-of-the-box approach and empowering preaching style have made him one of the most respected pastors among this generation.
The Rev. Haynes, a firm believer in community involvement, is the founder/CEO of FDH Ministries and chairman of the Board of FW Empowerment, the community development corporation of the church.
Dr. Haynes has received numerous awards and recognition. He was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College and was invited by President Bill Clinton to participate in dialogue about issues impacting the African-American community.
He is married to Debra Peek-Haynes. They are the parents of one daughter, Abeni Jewel Haynes, 15.