Women's History Month: Rev. Dr. Lisa Goods

Throughout March, the Cleveland Baptist Association is celebrating the women pastors faithfully serving our churches and communities.

Rev. Dr. Lisa Goods

Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Cleveland, OH

Rev. Dr. Lisa Maxine Goods is a pastor, preacher, teacher, professor, chaplain, womanist, and justice-seeker. She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a 20-year resident of Chicago, Illinois. A sought-after preacher, teacher, and revivalist, Dr. Goods is currently the Senior Pastor of The Shiloh Baptist Church of Cleveland, Ohio - the first female pastor in the church’s 176-year history. She also serves as Affiliate Assistant Professor of Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Goods is a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh. She holds a BS in Finance degree from Penn State University. Dr. Goods enjoyed a successful career in sales and management before accepting the call to ministry in 2003. She received her Master of Divinity Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary, where she won multiple awards in preaching, and was selected by The African American Pulpit for publication in their 2006 Top Seminarians Edition. In 2020, Dr. Goods earned her Doctor of Ministry Degree with distinction from Chicago Theological Seminary. She is presently a Ph.D. candidate in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her dissertation PreacHer Story: In Search of a Womanist Trauma-Informed Homiletic is centered at the intersection of trauma studies, homiletics, and womanist theology, pastoral theology, and hermeneutics. She is a contributing author for the book Preaching During a Pandemic: The Rhetoric of the Black Preaching Tradition. She was also published in the June 2024 issue of Homiletic.

Dually ordained by the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Churches, USA, Dr. Goods served Covenant United Church of Christ in South Holland, Illinois, as Associate Pastor for over 11 years, working with digital ministry development, youth, singles and single parents, Christian education, and healthcare ministries. She was the first female Senior Pastor in the 132-year history of Kenwood United Church of Christ in Chicago. Dr. Goods served as Director of Community Life at Chicago Theological Seminary, overseeing worship and facilitating campus spiritual, professional, and community formation. She also served as a Chaplain Resident at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware, providing pastoral care to patients in acute care, trauma, psych, and addiction services, including during the pandemic. In 2023, Dr. Goods was awarded the prestigious Antoinette Brown Award Catalyst by the United Church of Christ, a top distinction honoring women clergy for their leadership, mentorship of women, and trailblazing work in ministry.

As Senior Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Cleveland, Dr. Goods has been lauded for her tireless work in the community and commitment to social justice. She served on the Cleveland Mayor’s COVID-19 Task Force and currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Centers for Families and Children, Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC), the Cleveland Baptist Association, and the City of Cleveland Commission on Black Women and Girls. She was awarded the 2022 Champion of Central Award by the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood and the Sisters of Charity Foundation.

Dr. Goods is a Silver Star member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is the daughter of Cassandra Jones and the late Richard Goods, Sr., and the mother of one son, Julian James Goods. Most of all, she loves God and has a heart for the people of God.