Bishop Lawrence and Rev. Dr. Virginia Ward

Bishop Lawrence Ward

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

 Bishop Lawrence Ward is a leadership consultant, educator, coach, and public speaker who helps people and organizations honor what has been while preparing wisely for what comes next. He brings more than 30 years of senior pastoral leadership, along with experience in board leadership, training and development, instructional design, and organizational development.

He is co-founder and managing partner of Wards of Wisdom Associates (WOW), alongside his wife, Rev. Dr. Virginia Ward. Guided by the promise “Wisdom for a Change,” WOW serves pastors, legacy and emerging leaders, congregations, nonprofits, and organizations through consulting, coaching, training, and facilitation.

His recent work focuses on pastoral succession, leadership transitions, organizational change, strategic planning, conflict transformation, and leadership development across generations. Through WOW’s ME–WE–NEXT framework, he helps leaders examine their personal readiness, strengthen their communities and organizations, and prepare responsibly for the future. His approach connects thoughtful reflection with practical decisions and next steps.

A Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, Bishop Ward combines change management knowledge with a commitment to helping people learn and grow. His teaching includes homebuyer education, leadership development, and integrating faith with everyday work and responsibility.

He is Pastor Emeritus of Abundant Life Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently serves as Bishop and Presiding Elder for the New England District of the United Pentecostal Council of the Assemblies of God, Inc.

Bishop Ward is a contributing author of Transforming Work: Missiological Perspectives for the Church in the World. He holds a B.S. from Northeastern University, an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and an M.A. in Workplace Theology, Ethics, and Leadership from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

In 2026, Bishop Ward and Rev. Dr. Virginia Ward were named inaugural recipients of Boston Flourish’s Legacy Award, recognizing their sustained Christian leadership, community service, and development of future leaders.

He resides in Boston with his wife. They have two adult sons.

Rev. Dr. Virginia Ward

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Rev. Dr. Virginia Ward is a seasoned leader and inter-generational minister focused on equipping the next generation of leaders. Rev. Dr. Ward’s local and national involvement in the training and development of leaders spans three decades.

Along with her husband, she co-founded Wards of Wisdom Associates and serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner. The practice provides support to individuals, churches, and organizations that are committed to transformative change and leadership development. Together, they combine pastoral leadership, scholarly insights, and practical strategies to inspire and equip leaders for enduring impact.

She served as the first Black female Dean of the Center of Urban Ministerial Education (CUME), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s former urban ministry program in Boston, and as Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry and Leadership. CUME prepared students from diverse ethnic backgrounds for practical ministry in urban settings. Her teaching focused on youth ministry, leadership, and urban ministry development. She also served as Grant Director for two Lilly Endowment-funded initiatives: Thriving Congregations and #MyFaith, a youth initiative.

After an initial study in Management at Northeastern University, Rev. Dr. Ward pursued education in ministry and is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary completing studies in Urban Ministries, a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry, and Doctor of Ministry in Emerging Generations.

Rev. Dr. Ward has served in various ministry organizations, including DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (DVULI) as a trainer, BMA TenPoint as a trainer and consultant, and InterVarsity as the New England Director of Black Campus Ministries. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Born out of Necessity (BOON), a ministry discipling black youth, the Urban Youth Workers Initiative (UYWI) and the Theological Advisory Council for Young Life. A third-generation minister, Rev. Dr. Ward is an Associate Pastor at Abundant Life Church where her husband, Bishop Lawrence Ward, is Pastor Emeritus.

Rev. Dr. Ward has contributed to the Every Woman’s Bible with Tyndale House Publishers, and co-authored 5 Views on the Future of Youth Ministry: Perspectives on What Could or Should Be and It’s Personal: Five Questions You Should Answer to Give Every Kid Hope. She is conducting a research project evaluating ethnic and multi-ethnic youth and family ministry in the Greater Boston area.

She resides in Boston with her husband and they have two adult sons.