Reverend Dionne P. Boissière, MDiv.

     Reverend Dionne P. Boissière is the Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN).  Reverend Boissière is the first woman of African Descent to hold this position in the history of this New York ecumenical and inter-faith landmark.  CCUN, owned by the United Methodist Women, exists to expand the ecumenical community’s capacity and access to the United Nations, to bring a greater voice to the broad moral and ethical concerns of the church in international affairs, peacemaking, and advocacy.  As the chief spiritual steward of the CCUN, Reverend Boissière, ensures that the Church Center provides sacred space, worship, hospitality, community advocacy, and a forum for partners and civil society to engage in transformative education that seeks to empower and build the things that make for peace.
Reverend Boissière received her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NY and served the seminary community for over a decade as Associate Director of Development and Alumni/ae Relations, staff/student facilitator, and guest lecturer.  Reverend Boissiere also serves in the local church as an Associate Pastor on staff at the Mt. Aery Baptist Church in Bridgeport, CT.   She uses her gift of preaching, teaching & facilitation, conducting workshops for various churches, faith-based, and civil society institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad.  
Her vocational experience includes corporate, organizational leadership development & global advocacy training, non-profit fundraising, socio-economic, religious & community improvement programming; women’s religious studies; church stewardship, worship, and liturgy design.  She continues to provide leadership and support for several ecumenical and multi-faith institutions as well as academic and non-profit organizations in urban areas and international contexts.  Reverend Boissiere has been listed among those called the ‘next generation’ of black women ministers and has one of her sermons and prayer devotionals featured in two publications; Those Preaching Women: A Multicultural Collection (Judson Press) and Soul Sisters: Devotions for and from African American, Latina, and Asian Women (TarcherPerigee)

Reverend Boissiere has served as the Chair of Ecumenical Women at the United Nations for two terms and currently serves on the World Council of Churches Gender Justice Reference Group as well as several international, advisory and community boards, such as: The Bureau of the Committee of Religious NGO’s at the United Nations; the International Humanitarian Outreach Ministries, Inc.; Center for Reparatory Justice, Transformation and Remediation; The Black Religious Scholars Group (BRSG); and she serves as a World Council of Churches Thursdays In Black global ambassador against gender-based violence, and is the current Board Chair of WomanPreach! Inc.,-the premier non-profit organization that brings preachers into full prophetic voice around issues of equity and justice.
She is the recipient of several awards including the Robert Wood Lynn Fellowship for exhibiting excellence in teaching and the ministry of education; The Caribbean Life Impact Award; The Women in Ministry State of NY, Reverend Dr. Renita J. Weems Trailblazers Award; the World Yoga Community Interfaith Leadership Award; Ameri-Corps’ President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Volunteer Service; she has been inducted into the Class of 2021 Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers; and received the 2024 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference “Beautiful Are Their Feet Award” which recognizes the ministry contributions of faith leaders whose work aligns with the organization’s mission, addressing the “critical needs of human rights and social justice within the local, national and global communities.”  Reverend Boissière recently received her honorary Doctor of Divinity from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania.  This academic honor recognizes her significant contributions and achievements in the fields of theology, public service, and local as well as global ministry within the church, society, and beyond.
Reverend Boissiere is a global citizen, a gender justice advocate and defender of the marginalized and the misdiagnosed; she is a conduit for ancestral healing and communal legacy; a womanist; pastor, counselor, and inter-generational convenor; a prophetic preacher and multi-faith educator; a holy agitator, community organizer, and peace activist.
Reverend Boissière continues to use her God given gifts and talents in every area of life and is called and committed to the ministry of relevant, wholistic, integrated teaching and preaching, local and global advocacy, and international human rights activism.  She is also a humble psalmist for God and uses the ministry of song as well as speech to proclaim the life and freedom available to the world through the radical and liberating love of God in Christ Jesus.