“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.!”
Meet the Pastor
Dr. Winterbourne Harrison-Jones is a distinguished Churchman, scholar, author, philanthropist, cultural curator, and highly sought-after preacher, workshop facilitator, and philanthropic consultant. A fifth-generation minister, his ministry and public witness stand at the intersection of Black liberation theology, prophetic civic engagement, philanthropy, education, and the arts. Known for his visionary leadership and creative approach to ministry, Dr. Harrison-Jones brings together theology, culture, justice, and public witness to inspire transformation, reflection, and hope.
Holding degrees and professional certifications from Fisk University, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Hertie School, and Estudio Sampere, he has built a national reputation as a creative and results-driven ecclesial leader with entrepreneurial vision and a deep commitment to transformational ministry. Simultaneously matriculating through two national doctoral programs, Dr. Harrison-Jones earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from the historic Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and is currently completing the Ph.D. in Urban Education through the Indiana University School of Education.
For nearly a decade, Dr. Harrison-Jones has served as Senior Pastor of the historic Witherspoon Presbyterian Church — often described as “the Abyssinian and Ebenezer of Indianapolis.” Under his leadership, the congregation has flourished spiritually, culturally, and institutionally through expanded outreach, strengthened stewardship, congregational growth, and strategic physical development. Among the defining achievements of his tenure has been the acquisition, design, and development of the new Imani/Witherspoon campus on Kessler Boulevard. During his leadership, he has helped steward more than $6 million in real estate assets, land development, and institutional growth in service to the church’s long-term mission and legacy.
A true Renaissance man in the tradition of Dr. Howard Thurman, Dr. Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, Alain Locke, Dr. Albert Barnes, and Dr. David Driskell, Dr. Harrison-Jones uses ministry, scholarship, art, and cultural preservation as tools of counter-storytelling, ancestral memory, and liberation. Deeply informed by Black Liberation Theology and Critical Race Theory, his work seeks to recover silenced histories, elevate Black sacred imagination, and preserve the stories, symbols, and spiritual traditions that have sustained Black communities across generations. As an avid art collector and cultural curator, he has amassed a private collection of nearly 500 original works — including paintings, sculptures, textiles, rare books, photographs, and historical artifacts — exploring themes of Black liberation, sacred memory, faith, resistance, and cultural identity.
Dr. Harrison-Jones is married to Dr. Jillian Ardelia Harrison-Jones, a celebrated concert vocalist, clinician, conductor, and arts leader. Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones previously served as Professor of Music at Butler University and Thomas More University, Music Director for MUSE Cincinnati Women’s Choir, and founding Associate Artistic Director for the Delaware Academy of Vocal Arts. Formerly the Richard Wesp Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Children’s Choir, she has appeared on stages throughout Prague, Poland, New Zealand, Japan, and at the iconic Carnegie Hall. She currently serves as Visiting Professor at the University of Arkansas and Director of Choral Music at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church.
Together, the Harrison-Joneses embody a shared ministry of faith, culture, education, music, and public witness rooted in excellence, creativity, and service.