In 2005, Dr. Soaries began a pilot program at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ. After five years of using the dfree™ strategy to motivate families to use resources that facilitate financial freedom, Dr. Soaries is now prepared to share this strategy throughout the country. The goal is to help one million families live a debt-free lifestyle.

The dfree™ strategy was designed as a response to this culture of debt. It provides tools and resources to help individuals and families become financially free. It is a holistic strategy that makes it popular to pursue economic freedom.

dfree™ is a grass roots strategy that mobilizes people to use existing resources for managing and using money. It is delivered through education, celebration and support. It is implemented by community organizations, credit unions, students groups and religious ministries.

A dfree™ lifestyle gives us peace of mind, economic power and most of all, it allows you the opportunity to focus on life’s real purpose and the achievement of dreams without the distraction and burden of bills and debt.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: http://www.mydfree.org/

  
   

Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. - Senior Pastor

Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey. His pastoral ministry focuses on spiritual growth, educational excellence and economic empowerment. A pioneer of faith-based community developm

ent, Dr. Soaries led First Baptist in the construction of a new $20 million church complex and the formation of many not-for-profit entities to serve the community surrounding the church.

Highlights of Dr. Soaries' ministry include recruiting 345 families to become foster parents to 700 children; helping 220 children find adoptive parents; constructing 145 new homes for low and moderate income residents to own; redeveloping 150,000 square feet of commercial real estate; operating a green jobs training program; serving hundreds of youth in an after school center and homework club; forming a youth entrepreneurship program; organizing a community development credit union; implementing a strategy to help 1,000 families become debt free and creating a foreclosure prevention strategy that helps homeowners avoid losing their homes.

In addition to his pastoral duties, he is the author of “dfree™ Breaking Free from Financial Slavery," which is expected to be published in January 2011 by Zondervan. “dfree™ Breaking Free from Financial Slavery” is based on Dr. Soaries’ dfree™ strategy, which uses a four-prong approach to teach people how to be debt free. It is his goal for his 7,000-member congregation to be debt free. A dfree™ lifestyle means living without debt, deficits and delinquencies. The dfree™ strategy, established in 2005, is available to churches, credit unions and colleges and universities across America.

dfree™ was also the focus of the third installment of CNN’s Black in America documentary “Almighty Debt,” which aired Oct. 21, 2010. The 90-minute cable-news feature, hosted by Soledad O'Brien, highlighted three families at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens who were facing tough financial times as a result of the recession, from home foreclosure to underemployment and the struggles associated with paying for college.

Dr. Soaries is also known for being an active agent for change. He served as the mediator and facilitator in the meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women’s basketball team on April 12, 2007, after the radio talk show host used racially insensitive language to describe the Scarlet Knights.

His experience in creating change stems from his youth. As a college student, Dr. Soaries led a campaign against drug use on campus that resulted in his being kidnapped at gunpoint from his dormitory room by drug dealers. He later worked on civil rights issues for the Urban League as a community organizer and Operation PUSH as the national coordinator.

His roles during and after college eventually led to historic and noteworthy government positions. From Jan. 12, 1999 to Jan. 15, 2002, Dr. Soaries served as New Jersey's 30th Secretary of State making him the first African-American male to serve as a constitutional officer of the state. In this position, he managed one of the premier departments of state government and served as a senior advisor to the governor on issues that transcended traditional departmental lines.

Dr. Soaries is also the former chairman of the United States Election Assistance Commission. This commission was established by Congress to implement the “Help America Vote Act” of 2002. Dr. Soaries was appointed by The President of the United States on Dec. 15, 2003 after being confirmed by the United States Senate. He was elected chairman of the commission on Jan. 5, 2004 at the first meeting of the four-member bi-partisan commission. In November 2004, this commission was the first federal agency to oversee a Presidential election. 

Dr. Soaries is a popular speaker at colleges, universities, conferences and churches around the world. He recently addressed religious and government leaders in Belgium at the request of the United States Department of State. He is special advisor to His Majesty the Okyenhene (King) of the Akyem Abuaka Traditional kingdom in Ghana, Osageyfuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II. And he is a frequent advisor to major corporations in the areas of diversity, philanthropy and community relations.

Dr. Soaries earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fordham University; a Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary; and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary. He has also received six honorary Doctorate degrees from institutions of higher learning. Additionally, Dr. Soaries has taught courses at the community college, undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dr. Soaries has received numerous awards for his leadership and community service. He was recently recognized by the both houses of the New Jersey Legislature for his religious and community leadership. His work has been featured in several publications including the The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Ebony Magazine, Black Enterprise and Government Executive Magazine.

Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Soaries resides in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey with his wife, Donna and twin sons, Malcolm and Martin.