Shelley Best ’00 M.Div.
Rev. Dr. Shelley D. Best is a “soulpreneur,” visual artist, author, and the Senior Pastor of Redeemer’s A.M.E. Zion Church of Plainville, Conn. She previously served at Workman Memorial AME Church in Torrington, Conn., and as president and CEO of the Conference of Churches in Hartford. She is widely credited for its revitalization through the creation of the 224 EcoSpace, a $3.5 million social enterprise “where changemakers work, create, and lead.”
Dr. Best is an interfaith and human rights ambassador who has traveled extensively to Israel, Palestine, South Africa, India, and the Caribbean. With a passion for yoga found after the age of 50, she is a certified Hatha yoga instructor and sound healer who devotes her practice to community, individual, and personal transformation. Dr. Best is also the host of the WRCH 100.5 FM Sunday morning program “Rich Answers,” reaching an audience of over 75,000 each week. Additionally, she is an adjunct faculty member at Hartford International University in preaching.
In 2020, Dr. Best was the YDS Distinction in Congregational Ministry award recipient.
