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Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis is a United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor and is the Pastor Emeritus of God Can Ministries, United Church of Christ, located in the south suburbs of Chicago. Rev. Ellis Davis, was ordained in 1988 and brings over 30 years of pastoral ministry experience. Since her retirement as Senior Pastor, (2014), Dr. Sharon now resides in North Carolina.


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis served as a Chicago Police Officer for 31 years until her retirement. over Her service within the Department included working as a Patrol Officer, a Criminalist Forensic Examiner in the Crime Laboratory, and upon her retirement, serving as one of the Department’s full time Police Chaplains, providing pastoral care and crisis ministry to police officers and their families. Crisis ministry is an immediate around-the-clock chaplain response to any critical incident involving police personnel.  This included officers killed or injured on or off duty, death notifications, response to suicides, and family emergencies, (death of a child, family disturbance, house fire, etc.).


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis currently serves as an Affiliate Professor at McCormick Theological Seminary located in Chicago, Illinois, teaching courses such as Sexual and Domestic Violence; Pastoral Care in Times of Crisis and Pastoral Care in African American Communities. She served also, as their Director of African American Ministries and Black Church Studies Program, from 2010-2014.


As an Adjunct Professor, Dr. Sharon also teaches Mass Incarceration and the Criminal Justice System and serves as a Faculty Mentor for Doctor of Ministry Students at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH, in her focus group, “Pastoral Care and Counseling.”


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis is a Trainer for Faith Trust Institute, Seattle, WA for Clergy Health Boundaries and Domestic Violence. She is a nationally recognized speaker on issues of Domestic Violence, especially as it intersects with race, class, gender, culture and the Criminal Justice System (CJS).


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis earned her Masters of Divinity Degree from Chicago Theological Seminary; her Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago; and her PhD in Theology and Ethics from Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Davis is a Board-Certified Chaplain, (BCC) with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis is a published author. Her recent book is titled African American Battered Women: A Study of Gender Entrapment.


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis has received numerous awards and recognition for her work. In 2015, during the United Church of Christ’s General Synod, 2015, Dr. Sharon was one of two individuals along with one agency, who received the Antoinette Brown Award, named after and celebrating the first woman ordained into the Christian ministry and awarded to those who exemplify Brown's spirit of trailblazing leadership in church and society.


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis is married to Dr. Edward Smith Davis, Conference Minister of the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ. Together they share a blended family of six children, fourteen grandchildren.


Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis believes that education is the key to liberation.


Her favorite scripture is, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)


Three Things I Do Well


  1. Professionally, I am a professor committed to teaching intensive classes on issues of Sexual and Domestic Violence especially as it intersects with the criminal justice system and issues of race, class, gender, cultural and sexuality
  2. I serve as a nationally recognized speaker, preacher, lecturer, or workshop leader for faith institutions, churches, and organizations for Healthy Clergy Boundaries and culturally specific sexual and domestic violence.
  3. Healthy Dialog:  Participating in and engaging with multi-faith communities from a variety of religious practices, as well as among the LGBTQ community for collaboration and dialog opportunities, toward building trust and developing best practices for intervention and prevention strategies. 

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