Rev. Dr. Justin R. Lester is a pastor, author, educator, and strategist committed to building joyful, justice-driven communities rooted in the Black Church tradition. He serves as the Senior Pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, California, where he is leading a multigenerational, tech-forward congregation into deeper discipleship and civic impact. A graduate of Marquette University (B.A., M.A.), Vanderbilt Divinity School (M.Div.), and Boston University School of Theology (D.Min.), Dr. Lester’s ministry bridges the sacred and the digital. His doctoral work focused on gamification in the Black Church, rethinking how spiritual engagement can be revived through play, design, and innovation.

Known online as @ThatTechPastor, Dr. Lester is a national voice at the intersection of faith, AI, and Black futures. He is the creator of PastorGPT, an AI platform built to serve pastors and churches, and the founder of TheoXTech, a national conference exploring theology, innovation, and emerging technology. He also develops AI tools, masterclasses, and digital resources that equip leaders, families, and congregations to engage technology ethically and creatively. Whether preaching about joy and family at Friendship or teaching on AI and discipleship, his work consistently centers liberation, relevance, and radical hope.

A proud husband to Courtney and father to Camden, Justin is also the author of The Church of AI, Necessary Endings, and the Brown Dad, Brown Boy children’s series. His leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the NASS Medallion Award for civic engagement. At his core, Dr. Lester is a preacher with a pastor’s heart and a technologist’s imagination, helping churches and communities not just adapt to the future, but lead it.