Christopher Michael Jones (born in 1969 in St. Albans, New York) is an American former

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

and R&B record producer (

Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

, " You Can't Stop the Reign", Nasty Nas,

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

, S.W.V.,

Whodini Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York–based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; Jun ...

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won seven ...

, etc.) He is also the author of the first published resource written for African-American high school graduates and Christian college students entitled ''What to Expect When You're Accepted: An African American Christian's Guide to College'' (Judson Press 2007). A hybrid of hip hop culture, the historical African-American church and the academy, Jones also serves as senior minister to First Baptist Church of Hillside, Adjunct Professor of Homiletics and Co-Mentor of the Doctor of Ministry Degree program in Pastoral Care and Counseling at

New Brunswick Theological Seminary New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), a mainline Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States that follows the theological tradition and Christian practice of John Calvin. It was fo ...

. Pastor Jones also studied Religion and Society as a Graduate Fellow at Christ Church College,

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, and was selected in 2006 as one of America's emerging young adult leaders by the NCAAP "Leadership 500 Summit". Jones was selected in 2006 as the first graduate assistant and research fellow for the State of New Jersey Amistad Commission and was selected by The African American Pulpit in 2008 as one America's "20 to Watch", a group of outstanding pastors under 40 who have distinguished themselves as preachers, teachers, and scholars in the

Christian Church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus Christ. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a syn ...

. Jones is also a contributing writer to Gospel Today, ''

EBONY Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...

'' magazine, ''Black Collegiate'' ''Magazine'', and ''Precious Times Magazine''. Pastor Jones serves as a lectionary contributor to the African American Lectionary, the first resource tool created for pastors and preachers to highlight the African American ecclesial traditions and moments that creatively express the African-American worship experience. Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

(2000–2004), a Master of Divinity Degree from

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...

(2004–2007), and the Doctor of Ministry Degree from

Memphis Theological Seminary Memphis Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Although it is affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, it accepts and trains ministerial candidates from other denomi ...

(2008–2011). On October 7, 2000, Jones married Nikki Michelle Etheridge and they are the parents of three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Christopher 1969 births Living people American hip-hop record producers People from St. Albans, Queens Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Memphis Theological Seminary alumni Rutgers University alumni