"Joyous Word"

Reverend Valdasia Merrick, is the founded and visionary of global ministry, Joseph Dream, Inc. The mission of this innovative ministry is to encourage, edify, teach, and inspire racial healing and reconciliation within the church. Reverend Merrick received her B.A. in Religion from Duke University; Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; and commenced her PhD Studies at Harvard University; in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
     During the summer of Valdasia’s Junior year at Vanderbilt, she lived in Israel, studying politics, culture and religion of Jerusalem and excavating in Upper Galilee, where her excavation team uncovered a 3rd century synagogue ark of the covenant. Merrick studied the ancient Ethiopian language Ge’ez at Vanderbilt and Akkadian, ancient Babylonian at Harvard University. While at Vanderbilt, she established the Vanderbilt Anti-Apartheid Society and used her leadership skills to become president of the student government for the purpose of spreading agape love in a divided student body. Valdasia Merrick wrote her Master’s thesis on the Ethiopian Coptic Church and the Ethiopian Jews.