Rev. Edward Davis serves as the Executive Pastor of God Can Ministries and the Pastor of St. Mark, United Church of Christ in Chicago Heights, Illinois  He currently serves as Interim Associate Conference Minister, Chicago Metropolitan Association, Illinois Conference, United Church of Christ. He also serves as a Chaplain for the Chicago Fire Department.

Dr. Edward Smith Davis is a founding member of the Covenantal Alliance of Ministers of Ford Heights, Illinois. Rev. Davis has an earned Master of Divinity Degree from The Chicago Theological Seminary. In addition to his ministry as Executive Pastor, Rev. Davis serves as Chaplain for the Chicago Fire Department and as St. Jude Chaplain for the Chicago Police Department. 

Educationally, Rev. Davis holds two Bachelors Degrees in Business and has earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, and a Master’s of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Davis completed Executive Education in Leadership from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.  Presently, Rev. Davis earned his Doctor of Ministry Degree in Collaborative Leadership in the 21st Century at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio where he currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty Advisor for the Doctor of Ministry Department.

Rev. Davis is a Certified Non-Profit Manager. He serves on the Board of Directors of the United Church Foundation, an Associate Ministry of the United Church of Christ which manages and directs socially responsible investments on behalf of churches and organizations of the United Church of Christ. He  also serves on the Board of Directors and Treasure for  The Doctor Sharon L. Ellis Education and Family Life Institute which seeks to transform the lives of individuals and families impacted by domestic and gang violence as well as HIV/AIDS through intervention, mediation and prevention through education. 

Edward Smith Davis is the Founder and Chief Strategist for K.B.E. Inc. an Independent consulting and investment company.

Rev. Davis is the Chairperson of the Strategic Financial Planning Committee of God Can Ministries which is the investment arm of the church. He also served the wider church as a member of a team of clergy and laypersons who introduced the capital campaign to churches within the Illinois Conference. He served as a partner in the Stewardship Mission of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rev. Edward Davis brings a wealth of knowledge and insight in Business having over 20 years of experience working in various financial, management, and marketing positions. He has worked with several corporations in executive positions along with being the Chief Strategist of an Independent Telecom Company, and as a consultant for others. Edward has held the various titles of General Manager, Chief of Staff, Marketing Manager, Director of Marketing, and Field Supervisor.

Rev. Davis uses these unique combinations of talent and experience in both the profession of business and ministry which emphasizes his calling to be a prophetic voice toward healing, restoration, and empowerment. Rev. Davis stands on the belief that God is calling us to ‘repair the breach and restore paths to dwell’ (Isaiah 58:12), in our churches, families and communities. He states, “For those of us who believe in the words of Jesus that the Kingdom is within us, then come, let us rise up and build a better world for all of us.” To that end, Rev. Edward Davis engages in developing models and avenues for community and economic development which also includes strategic and creative methods of intervention and prevention that bridges the gap between hope and despair.

Currently, Rev. Davis is working on a groundbreaking concept called “The NESOL Project. This project will be the driving force that realizes the vision of economic and community development. Standing on the Scriptures, “Come, Let Us Rise Up and Build” (Neh. 2: 20). Rev. Edward seeks to facilitate the rebuilding of communities and lives through community development and economic empowerment, through creative collaborations.

Rev. Edward Davis has extensive training in Domestic Violence and The Ethics of Clergy Boundary at McCormick Theological Seminary and The Chicago Metropolitan Association of the United Church of Christ. As an initiated Warrior with the Man-Kind Project, Rev. Davis has received boundary training for men as it relates to women and children. The “Man-Kind” Project is an internationally recognized organization that is “dedicated to transforming the world, one man at a time.” Rev. Davis is the Founder of B.O.Y.S. a mentoring ministry which seeks to unite boys with their fathers so as to build stronger bonds within families. Partnering in this Program’s beginning was Rev. Richard Magnall of the St. Mark, UCC where Rev. Davis served as Student Pastor.

Edward is a member of various affiliations. He is a member of the Man-Kind Project (Warrior Training). He is a member of the MBA Association of America. He is a member of the National Black MBA of America.

Rev. Edward Davis is a voice for justice and an advocate for equal rights for all as well as the elimination of economic injustices that plague the least, the lost, the left out.

Dr. Dow Edgerton, Dean of the Chicago Theological Seminary, says of Rev. Edward Davis, “It is unusual to find an individual who so loves both the deep traditions of their faith community and the challenges of new voices and thoughts. He has reached across perceived boundaries and built relationships of respect and trust, and represents a maturity and wisdom among us which in combination with his humility and gentleness makes him a gift to our society.”

Rev. Edward Davis is partner in ministry and in life to The Rev. Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis.  Together, they share the blended family of six children and ten grandchildren.