Meet Our Founder

A spiritual leader and educational scholar, Rev. Dr. Rosalyn S. Barnes is redefining what it means to be a woman of purpose in ministry and leadership. Dr. Barnes takes a holistic approach to spirituality and education, focused wholeheartedly on spiritual, mental, and physical wellness. She is a Christian preacher and teacher. In her presentations, you will hear her draw connections between the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

For over two decades, she has provided spiritual counsel and high-quality service as an educator, professional developer, and ordained minister. She often speaks and engages audiences at faith-based, educational, and community events.

Dr. Barnes hails from New Jersey. Her education and honors range from the Historically Black Hampton University, New Jersey City University, New York Theological Seminary, and Fordham University. Her credentials include religious leadership and administration, K–12 executive leadership, and post-secondary instruction. She soared through the ranks in public education as a teacher, educational specialist, assistant principal, and principal until her retirement in 2023. She has also served in the Baptist denomination as a teacher, director of Christian education, and associate minister.

Dr. Barnes is passionate about developing and empowering others to show up authentically. She is gifted in teaching, developing leaders, and transforming organizations. Her mentorships include ministers, principals, entrepreneurs, and doctors, to name a few. In 2016, she answered the call to form Faith and Resilience Ministries, LLC, a company committed to building strong foundations and reviving organizations. The company is a God assignment to do transformative work in every context. She has provided training and professional development for school districts, churches, Baptist associations, and community organizations.

Dr. Barnes is also an author. Her most recent collaboration, Leading Equity-Focused Inquiry for Continuous School Improvement, was published by Teachers College Press in October 2025. She is committed to leaving a legacy of children’s literature, scholarly articles, leadership manuals, and memoirs that lift the voices of the marginalized.

In 2021, she was nationally recognized by the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) and was awarded Dissertation of the Year. Her scholarly practice focused on transforming schoolwide professional development to impact literacy achievement for Black boys. In 2022, she launched a YouTube channel with 12 episodes exploring a variety of topics including education, money, love, leadership, and more.

Currently, Dr. Barnes serves as a minister at New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, New Jersey. As an itinerant preacher, she travels throughout the country preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, inviting souls to the kingdom of God, and supporting leadership. She is also self-employed through Faith and Resilience, LLC.

Whether delivering a sermon in the Lord’s church, facilitating a workshop for a district, or serving as a keynote speaker, her authentic style is captivating and relatable. She possesses knowledge and wisdom that resonate across multiple generations. You will often hear her say “This is the greatest work I’ll ever do: inspire greatness and make an impact in the lives of others.”