Rev. David Black is an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He began pastoring First Church in 2020. He is spiritually rooted in Quakerism, and grew up in a diverse array of Protestant and Evangelical churches around the world. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2018 with a Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Education and Formation with a focus on Ministry with Young People, and a Certificate in Black Church Studies.

Pastor Black is called to serve at the edges of the church, where people are discovering faith and where the church is engaging with its community. As one writer puts it, “to be an insider who stands near the door.” His ministry has been focused on empowering individuals and communities who have been marginalized and dispossessed.

He lives in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Woodlawn with his gregarious husky Bella and several plants which are doing surprisingly well.