The Reverend James C. Simmons is the senior pastor of Baber African Methodist Episcopal Church and chairman of Rise Up Rochester, Incorporated. Born in Waynesboro, PA, Reverend Simmons received his Bachelor of Science in public administration and policy from Howard University, Washington, DC, and his Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary at American University, Washington, DC.
Reverend Simmons was called to preach at age nine and received his first pastoral appointment to Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Schenectady, New York at age 23. Under his leadership at Bethel the church membership quintupled, the music department expanded, the first person in the history of the church was called to preach, and the church was on the forefront of social justice issues.
On June 10, 2010, Reverend Simmons was appointed to the pastorate of Baber African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rochester, New York. Under his administration, Baber paid off three mortgages, renegotiated the worship center mortgage with a local bank, and paid in full the church’s other significant and aging deficit. Numerous repairs and improvements have been completed without debt such as the replacement of the church and pastoral residence roofs, HVAC replacement, and installation of a projection system. Some of the ministries incorporated under Pastor Simmons’ leadership include the Garden District Development Corporation, the Garden District Farmers Market, and the Baber Social Justice Commission. Baber has hosted the Session of the Western New York Annual Conference and three men and women have answered the call to preach.
Prior to his appointment to the senior pastorate, Reverend Simmons served as the Minister to Youth and Young Adults at Ward Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington, DC, under the pastorate of the Reverend Dr. Conrad K. Pridgen, and he served as a chaplain intern at the Petersburg Federal Correctional Center.
Reverend Simmons is the treasurer of the Western New York Annual Conference, Chairman of the Western New York Conference Board of Examiners, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and is the former Dean of the Mini sterial Institute. He is the secretary of the First District Self Help, Incorporated Board of Directors.
In Rochester, he is the chairman of Rise Up Rochester, Incorporated, a nonprofit that works to empower the community to establish and maintain a nonviolent culture and provides support to crime victims and their families. Reverend Simmons is also an adjunct professor at Monroe Community College, is one of the founders and the political action committee chairman of the Faith Leaders Roundtable, former chairman of the Faith Leaders Caucus of Roc/ACTS, and a member of the City of Rochester’s Universal Basic Income and Reparations (RUBI) Task Force and the Rochester Police Department’s Executive Order 203 Oversight Committee.
Reverend Simmons has received numerous awards such as the Alpha Kappa Alpha, Great Lakes Region, Social Justice Award and the Community Service Award from Haggai Chapter #41, Royal Arch Masons. In high school, he served as president of the largest student vocational organization in the state of Pennsylvania – the Pennsylvania Future Business Leaders of America – with a membership in excess of 12,000.
Each day Reverend Simmons strives to live out his favorite scripture: “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”