Edward L. Taylor is a native of Ville Platte, located in the heart of Louisiana's Acadiana region. Pastor Taylor is a graduate of Louisiana College, New Brunswick Theological Seminary and received a PhD from the University of London, Royal Holloway College, London, England. He has been a Fellow at Harvard Divinity School and has studied at Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton University and New Brunswick Seminary's International School in The Netherlands. Prior to serving as Teaching Pastor of Crosswalk Church and coterminous with his presidency of Taylor Ministries, Reverend Taylor held senior pastorates in New Jersey, New York, and California. In addition, Pastor Taylor has been a church planter and has served in numerous staff positions. Pastor Taylor has served as Associate Dean of Christian Education of the General Baptist State Convention of New Jersey, National Vice President and State President of Young Men for Christ, Chairman of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and member of the Board of Directors of the National Baptist Convention of America. During his ministry, Pastor Taylor has participated in civic affairs including service as Chairman of the Governor's Commission on Youth for Louisiana and a recently completed term as a member of the religious leadership committee for the White House. Pastor Taylor's most recent edited work is Faith in the Fire: Words of Wisdom from Gardner Taylor published by Tavis Smiley Books. He also editor the six volume series, The Words of Gardner Taylor and its accompanying media.Pastor Taylor has received numerous awards including the Outstanding Young Man in America Award, and was named Honorary Mayor of Ville Platte, LA, a member of Morehouse College's Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers, and one of the 30 Leaders of the future by Ebony Magazine. Reverend Taylor has spoken before audiences as few as 3 and as many as 10,000. Among them are numerous churches and universities including Dillard University, Princeton University, Union Theological Seminary, Southern University, the University of London, Palmer Theological Seminary, The Interdenominational Theological Seminary, Harvard University Divinity School and American Baptist Seminary of the West. He has led workshops at the Baptist World Youth meetings in Leipzig, Germany and Singapore. Pastor Taylor has ministered in and/or visited 36 countries or foreign territories on four continents.