The Rev. Dr. J. Frederika Eaddy is a Womanist Pastoral Care Practitioner and Theologian, Spiritual Director and Loss Navigation Specialist ™️. Death Doula, chaplain, author and artist. She was licensed and ordained to ministry at the Metropolitan Baptist Church by Dr. H. Beecher Hicks Jr. and Dr. Maurice Watson, respectively. She has served in leadership, advisory or board capacities for several ministries including Grace and Race, Inc. , Restore Together, Inc. Church Women United and The Garment's Hem. Within the local church, she has served in various areas including, Social Justice & Public Policy, Pastoral Care & Counseling, Christian Education & Discipleship, Administration, Evangelism & Outreach and International Missions.

She has over twenty years of experience providing direct support to and advocating for survivors of abuse. She founded I Just Believe, Inc. in 2011 because she realized that many churches were either uninformed, unable or unwilling to speak to topics like child abuse, intimate partner violence, addiction and mental wellness. IJB helps churches create an environment that invites healing, guides them in creating a sacred space for survivors to speak their truth and supports them as they develop ministries and programs that address violence against women and children, as well as a host of other social justice issues.
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Dr. Jay is the CEO of Thoughtful Transitions, LLC and the world's only Loss Navigation Specialist™. Thoughtful Transitions provides holistic support to individuals and communities navigating their way through grief and loss. She also serves as the organization’s Lead Death Doula with a speciality in sudden loss, traumatic loss and end of life care. However, her work with loss does not center solely on death; she helps people navigate all kinds of loss- from loss of relationship, identity, relationship, normalcy, etc. She is a non-anxious, non-judgmental guide helping people with grief and loss, meaning making, end-of-life care, crossing over and bereavement care. Dr. Jay prepares others to provide end of life care and has worked with several churches, preparing leaders to take a more holistic approach to providing care.

A visionary leader, Dr. Jay has over 15 years of proven experience providing strategic leadership. She has led teams to consistent growth and improvement during all of her years in corporate leadership. Dr. Eaddy possesses exceptional knowledge of organizational principles, practices, procedures; analytical and evaluative techniques and methods sufficient to provide expertise in the assessment of people and program effectiveness and overall operational efficiency. Organizationally, Dr. Jay was known for her integrity, superior coaching and leadership development ability and compassion. She gets the job done- with heart.

Dr. Jay is a 2015 Princeton University Black Theology and Leadership Institute Fellow. She received her Master of Divinity degree from The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. She is a highly sought-after preacher, keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, panelist and pastoral counselor. She has published several articles on pastoral care and spiritual and emotional wellness, and her poetry has appeared in For Harriet Magazine. She was a featured artist for the 2015 Celebration of Black Writing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and released her first collection of poetry, titled "Getting Naked to Get Free," in 2016.

This Womanist Pastoral Care Practitioner and Theologian enjoys art, traveling, 90's hip-hop, writing poetry, believes in Black Girl Magic, that Black people need therapy too, and that Black Lives Matter. She is an Associate Minister at the historic St. Paul's Baptist Church in Philadelphia and assists the pastor, Dr. Leslie Callahan with Congregational Wellness.