Dr. David Ireland is founder and lead pastor of Christ Church, a thriving 10,000-member congregation in northern New Jersey.

Early in the life of the church, as a young pastor in his 20s, Dr. Ireland sensed God’s heart deeply leading him to become intentional about ensuring that the church would reflect society’s multiracial mix. Dr. Ireland poignantly remembers the moment he tearfully embraced the church’s God-given mission to unite people to God and people to people. “I was on a routine errand for my then-pregnant wife in a local supermarket when suddenly I became mesmerized by the melting pot of races gathered in the store,” Dr. Ireland says. “I knew right then and there that God wanted me to grow and lead a multiracial, multiethnic congregation.”

In his 30-plus years of ministry, Dr. Ireland has experienced God throughout the world—addressing national and international audiences in over 75 nations including Australia, Malaysia, India, Cuba, and South Africa to name a few. He has embraced this global platform and has built a reputation of teaching culturally relevant messages that inspire and empower.

Dr. Ireland is also passionate about helping other pastors and church leaders maximize their potential for the kingdom.