Pastor Joseph P. Deck, III is the Pastor and servant leader of Wayman AME Church located in Frederick,
Maryland. He shepherds a vibrant and loving congregation. His heart has connected to the heart and spiritual well being
of this, praying, and loving church family! Wayman AME Church, founded in 1868 has a rich history in ministry that has
impacted the Frederick area. Pastor Deck stands on the legacy of the lay and clergy that has led the way such as Pastor
Simmons, who had the vision to move the congregation under divine direction to the present location on top of the knoll.
The congregation has embraced a new vision and scripture: “Serving the community through love, reconciliation &
determined Christian Discipleship!” Church foundational scripture: Philippians 2:3-4.

Pastor Deck served the congregation at Reid Temple AME Church faithfully under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Mark E.
Whitlock, Jr. as the Director of Pastoral Care for a congregation of 6,000 members where he is responsible for their
holistic wellness. Minister to 2,000 men at Reid Temple African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. The Men’s
Ministry includes Friday Night Bible Study (Fresh Oil), and the monthly “Man Cave,” where men come for strong
spiritual formation and development according to the Word of God! He led a major men’s conference, “Under
Construction” that has attracted as many as 800 men. licensed to preach in 2008, he joined the ministerial staff at Reid
Temple AME Church.

Pastor Deck has served God in various roles, such as Reid Temple Bible College Professor, creating the elective class, “A Suffering
Hope, African Americans and the Cross” utilizing the scholarship of Dr. James Cone. Chaired the college’s appointments
committee. He is a past faculty member of the Reid Temple Patricia Clark Christian Institute teaching classes such as
“The Spiritual Essence of a Complete Man” that motivated him to write a book “Meditations To Improve the Lives of
Men,” published December 2018. He taught the popular class “Black Presence in the Bible.” He is a contributing writer
to “The Discipleship Manual, published by Reid Temple AME Church. He teaches the Senior Center’s weekly Bible
Study Class. He is responsible for leadership and direction of Reid Temple Ministerial Staff, their callings, journey, and
movement through the system. Reid has a ministerial staff of 40 ministers.

At various times, Rev. Deck taught mid-week Bible Study, help manage the morning worship program, and occasionally
preach Sunday morning service at the pleasure of the Pastor; Rev. Mark E. Whitlock. Rev. Deck takes studying the
Scriptures seriously to help people understand the Word of God. He has a passion to empower men and women;
spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. He serves as a mentor to many young adults and enjoys sitting and
learning at the feet of elders and teachers of any age and generation.

 

Pastor Deck is an inspirational pragmatist. Who founded the Institute of Radical Reconciliation, an organization that
focuses on building the beloved community through racial, relational, arts justice, and mutual liberating mentoring
programs. He served as the Executive Director of the Festival Center, home of the Servant Leadership School, a seminary
of the people, where he organized classes and workshops in social, economic, ecological, and Biblical restorative justice;
along with theology, scripture, prayer, racial reconciliation, and Servant Leadership.

Called to the ministry of reconciliation; Rev. Joe completed an intensive seminar of study at the Duke Divinity School,
Institute of Reconciliation in Durham, North Carolina. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business
Management with a concentration in International Business from the University of Potomac. He matriculated for his
Masters of Divinity Degree at Payne Theological Seminary. He worked as a mentoring elder for the Harvard University
School of Divinity Fellows and “On Being” Fellows Programs studying the impact of eldership to millennials on their
ministry and spiritual formation. He led a nine month co-hort to see if a spiritual community could be formed utilizing
technology via slack and zoom.

Pastor Deck has guest lectured to seminarians about the history of the AME Church, and its connection to Anglicanism, at
the Virginia Theological Seminary located in Alexandria, Virginia. He also lectured from the subject; The Theological
aspect of Servant Leadership at Union Theological Seminary in New York and at Memphis Theological Seminary. His
ministry is ecumenical in scope which has led to many preaching and teaching assignments in various denominational and
nondenominational pulpits across the country.
Committed to social justice and spiritual activism, he sits on the Board of Directors of Jubilee Jobs, and Recovery Café
DC.