Reverend Dr. Darla “Dee Dee” Turlington
Reverend Dr. Turlington is the Senior Pastor at The First Baptist Church of Westfield. As a former President of CONTACT’S Board of Trustees, Dee Dee is being honored for her vital leadership and steadfast support of CONTACT We Care. She served as a member of CONTACT’S board for more than six years, and as President from 1999 to 2001.
On staff at the First Baptist Church since 1991, Dee Dee has served as Minister of Christian Education and Evangelism prior to becoming Senior Pastor. A graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism, Reverend Turlington earned a Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies in the joint UTS/Columbia University program. During her tenure at First Baptist, she has been active in the Westfield/Mountainside Ministerium Associates, serving as President for several years, and participated on the Board of Education Strategic Planning Committee. Prior to entering the ministry, Dr. Turlington taught comparative religions at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY, and worked as a telephone counselor with the Help Line Crisis Center in New York City.