PERSON: Michael Faulkner

Former New York Jets football player

Michel J. Faulkner (born May 21, 1957 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a former New York Jets football player and was the 2010 Republican nominee for U.S. Representative for New York’s 15th congressional district. He is the pastor for New Horizon Church in New York City. Faulkner was recently married to Dr. Sarai Padilla, a practicing psychologist. His mother, Queenita Hairston, a beautician, married Steve Faulkner, a Washington, D.C. police officer. After moving to D.C., he lived and attended elementary school in southeast Washington, D.C. area of Anacostia. His family later moved to Prince George’s County, Maryland, where Faulkner attend junior high and was graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in 1975. He was awarded a football scholarship to Virginia Tech where he was a four-year starter and freshman All-American. In 1980, he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and sociology. While at Tech Faulkner was involved in drama and spoken word presentations where he developed his public speaking abilities. After college, Faulkner signed with the National Football League and had tryouts with the Oakland Raiders and the Washington Redskins. In 1981 he attended training camp with the New York Jets and spent the 1981–1982 season with the team as a defensive lineman. e was cut from the Jets in 1982 because of a leg injury. After leaving the Jets in June 1982 Faulkner returned to Washington DC. After several unsuccessful attempts to get into broadcast media Faulkner attended graduate school at CBN, now Regents University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. While there, he served as Virginia Tech’s assistant academic advisory to athletes. Faulkner moved to Blacksburg, Virginia (Virginia Tech) to complete his master’s degree in education and career counseling. After completing his master’s degree in 1985, Faulkner met Jerry Falwell and joined Liberty University as assistant Dean of Students. In 1987, he was promoted to vice president for urban ministry. In 1988 he moved from Lynchburg, Virginia to Times Square area of Manhattan. In 1988, Faulkner served as assistant pastor of Lamb’s Church in Times Square. He worked directly with homeless people as a pastor and a social worker. Faulkner worked as an advocate for the homeless and the poor with both city, state and community organizations.

In 1989, Faulkner joined Calvary Baptist Church in Midtown Manhattan as a youth pastor and community outreach. He led the ministries to train and develop youth and managed the church’s programs serving the homeless, the prison ministry and an HIV/AIDS program. Faulkner was ordained at Calvary Baptist Church in December 1991. In 1993, Faulkner became the senior pastor of Central Baptist Church in Manhattan, growing the congregation from an average of 50 weekly attendees to over 400. He now pastors the New Horizon Church. Mayor Rudy Giuliani appointed Faulkner to Task Force on Police Community Relations, after working on Giuliani’s campaign. He has also served as Commissioner of the City Charter Review initiative, the co-chairman for the New York City Board of Education’s HIV/AIDS Task Force, and Vice President for Community Government Relations at King’s College from 1988 to 1992.

From June 2002 to February 2004, Faulkner served as World Vision’s Director of U.S. Programs. He oversaw the distribution of over $1 million in faith-based community and youth development grants to eight local churches in New York City. Faulkner served as Regional Chaplain for New York State Office of Children and Family Services from November 2005 to May 2006.

In 2005, Faulkner founded the Institute for Leadership, a non-profit organization to developleaders and leadership programs. The institute brings leadership principles to all areas and marketplaces such as teachers, business leaders, government officials, other public servants, sports coaches and ministers.

In June 2006, Faulkner founded the New Horizon Church of New York in Harlem. Faulkner describes New Horizon as a Christ-centered congregation focused on “bringing light to the darkness, and being an agent of transformation to bring the Gospel to Harlem.” In 2007, Faulkner sued the State of New York, on behalf of New Horizon Church, to overturn the Blaine Amendment to its constitution. The Blaine Amendment bans state assistance to schools that have a religious affiliation.

In addition to New Horizon Church, December 2014, Faulkner formed a committee with the NYC Campaign Finance Board to run for Mayor of New York City in 2017. In 2014, Rev. Faulkner accepted a Board Member assignment for two organizations: The Medicare Rights Center and The Chicago Hope Academy. Also in 2014, Rev. Faulkner also founded Over the Hump Resources, LLC (OTHR), which provides working capital and management assistance to small and medium businesses worldwide, where he serves as CEO. New Horizon Church is a member of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

Faulkner is also Regional Leader for Christ Covenant Coalition (Clergy Association), guest speaker for national and local radio and television broadcasts including ABC and “Live with Regis and Kelly” and he serves as President of The Institute For Leadership. The IFL received a grant from New York State Health Foundation’s in 2009 to run a statewide diabetes campaign for the faith-based community. On September 21, 2015, Faulkner, a registered Republican, announced his candidacy for the 2017 New York City mayoral race, thus becoming the first official candidate to contest incumbent mayor, Bill deBlasio.

— Wikipedia