Pastors Christine Y. Wiley, Ph.D., and Dennis W. Wiley are visionary faith leaders whose ministry has advanced justice, inclusion, and compassionate care across Washington, D.C. for more than three decades. Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley’s commitment to loving people without judgment was shaped early by her family’s diverse cultural and religious history and her mother’s lessons in humility and acceptance. Called to ministry at a young age, she pursued theological education alongside clinical training, becoming both a pastor and mental health practitioner. Beginning in the mid-1980s, she and Rev. Dr. Dennis Wiley served Covenant Baptist Church, where they dedicated their ministry to underserved communities, including individuals living with HIV/AIDS and members of the LGBTQ community, offering counseling, education, food access, and spiritual care rooted in dignity and presence.
The Wileys are widely recognized for their moral courage and leadership during pivotal moments in the church’s history. In the early 2000s, they guided Covenant Baptist Church through a deliberate process that led to becoming openly affirming of LGBTQ people and recognizing Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley as a co-equal senior pastor – bold steps within the Black Baptist tradition. Their advocacy extended beyond the church through leadership in D.C. Clergy United for Marriage Equality and interfaith organizing focused on housing, employment, and homelessness. Retired from the pastorate after 32 years, Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley continues her work as a psychotherapist, educator, author, and Director of Pastoral Clinical Services, while together the Wileys leave a lasting legacy of faith lived through justice, courage, and love.