Pastor, Dr. Kevin Wayne Cosby is a man highly favored of God. Born on July 15, 1958, Pastor Cosby is the grandson of the first pastor of St. Stephen Church, Rev. Benjamin James Miller Sr. He received his calling and ministry training at an early age, which ultimately led him to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Kentucky); a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Kentucky); and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary (Dayton, Ohio).

Pastor Cosby is currently the Senior Pastor of St. Stephen Church. He was appointed to position in 1979 and through his dynamic “practical living” biblical teaching ministry, the church membership has grown from 500 to 10,000 members within the last 3 decades. His leadership and love of Christ led the church to effectively serve its community by:

• Building a 1,500 seat worship center
• Erecting one of the premier family life centers in the country
• Purchasing and converting the Simmons University property into a multi-purpose life enrichment center
• Establishing transitional housing for recovering addicts
• Purchasing and demolishing neighborhood liquor stores and nightclubs.
• Constructing and implementing a 1,000 seat worship and prayer retreat center in Jeffersonville Indiana in the fall of 2004

Recently, Pastor Cosby leadership and dedication to his calling led St. Stephen Church to be recognized as one of the top 100 largest churches in America and “one of the six super churches of the South” in the July/August 2005 issue of Outreach Magazine.

Pastor Cosby uses his exceptional God given oratory and teaching skills to lecture in colleges and universities throughout the world.”

A staunch proponent of education, Pastor Cosby was formerly an Adjunct Professor of Christian Ministries at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as a former Kentucky State University Trustee Board member. In addition, Pastor Cosby authored a number of books and publications including:

• Get off Your Butt!: Messages, Musings & Ministries to Empower the African-American Church
• As They Went
• Treasure Worth Seeking
• Who’s Your Daddy: Life Lessons from the Prodigal Son
• Black Baptist Sunday School Growth
• “No Other Help I Know: Sermons on Prayer and Spirituality”
• “The African American Pulpit Series”

Recently, Pastor Cosby became the 13th President of Simmons College (Louisville, KY), which is one of the oldest Black-owned and operated colleges in the nation.

Along with guest lecturing and writing, Pastor Cosby was featured in the following magazines and newspapers:

• Jet Magazine
• The Atlanta Constitution
• The Baltimore Sun
• The Louisville-Courier Journal
• The Louisville Defender
• The Lexington Herald-Leader
• Louisville Magazine- Cover Story (September 1993)
• Louisville Magazine “50 Most Powerful/Influential Louisvillians” (Ranked 43rd in 1994 and 23rd in 2005)
• Leadership Journal: “Wing Walkers: Six Leadership Keys” (Winter 1996) Business First of Louisville (March 1997 and April 2000 editions)

In addition, Pastor Cosby was featured on “48 Hours” in a documentary hosted by Dan Rather, and in the PBS special, “The Issue is Race”, which was hosted by Phil Donahue.

Pastor Cosby’s “fruits of his labor” led to him receiving a number of awards and special honors from notable organizations. During his tenure as Senior Pastor, he received:

• WAVE-TV S.T.E.P. (Service Through Excellent Performance) Award
• The U.S. Dept. of Commerce- Minority Business Development Agency’s Regional Minority Business Advocate Award
• Louisville Metro Government’s M. L. King, Jr. Freedom Award
• International Association of Business Communicators Communicator of the Year Award – Kentucky Chapter
• Public Relations Society of America Communicators of the Year Award – Bluegrass Chapter
• The Catholic Education Foundation, Inc. Community Service Award
• The Long Run Baptist Association’s Clarence Jordan Award for exemplary application of the Gospel
• Honorary doctorate degrees from Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY and Simmons College of Kentucky, Louisville, KY

In 2005, Greater Louisville Inc. awarded Pastor Cosby one of the first “Passing the Torch” Awards. His life experiences and leadership insights are captured in the book, Passing the Torch, for the edification of the next generation of leaders.

Just as “God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart, like the sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29) so has God given these same qualities to Pastor Cosby. A common thread found in Pastor Cosby’s teachings is that there is no “self-made” man. He preaches that “Self-help is no help!” and consistently stresses that there is only one person that can help all of humanity, and that person is Jesus Christ. Any success achieved by Pastor Cosby, is always attributed to the hand of God, and to those people who have helped him along the way.

Pastor Cosby’s amazing life journey with God, has allowed him to achieve greatness while being an example to Christian around the world. Along with being a true disciple and prophet of God, his devotion and love for Christ have also blessed him personally through the union with his wife, the former Barnetta Turner, and the raising of their two children who are now adults. One of Pastor’s Cosby’s favorite quote is “Where God guides, God provides.” His life is an excellent example of this quote and inspires all who come into contact with him.