About
Dr. Kevin W. Cosby
Occupation: Senior Pastor, St. Stephen Church;
President, Simmons College of Kentucky; Author and
Lecturer
EDUCATI ON: B.S., Eastern Kentucky University; M.Div.,
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Doctor of
Ministry, United Theological Seminary
FAMILY: Married, two adult children
RESIDENCY: Louisville, Kentucky
Since 1979, the Reverend Dr . Kevin W. Cosby has served as Senior Pastor of St. Stephen Church in Louisville,
Kentucky. Due greatly to his practical and dynamic Bible teachings, the congregation has grown from 500 to
approximately 13,000 members, and has been recognized by Outreach magazine as one of the 100 largest churches
in America (2010) and Emerge magazine as one of six “super churches” of the South. During his tenure at St. Stephen,
the church has grown from the “little church on the corner” to a multi-faceted institution that includes a 1,700-seat
worship center, a cutting-edge $4 million inner-city family life center and a 1,000-seat worship facility in Jeffersonville,
Indiana.
The thread of God’s hand is interwoven into the tapestry of Dr. Cosby’s life and ministry. The providence of God is
seen most clearly in Dr. Cosby’s ministry in the story of Simmons College of Kentucky. In 1997, the Lord led Dr. Cosby
to encourage the church to purchase and convert into a lifestyle enrichment campus, the original four-acre campus
of Simmons University (now Simmons College of KY). The four-acre campus was once home to Simmons University,
the first black-owned and operated educational institution in the state of Kentucky, but had been lost to foreclosure
during the Great Depression. In 2005, Dr. Cosby was named the 13th President of Simmons. Two years later, because
of his obedience to God’s guidance to purchase Simmons’ original campus a decade earlier, Dr. Cosby was the human
instrument God used to lead the college back to their original campus. To God be the glory for the great things He has
done and continues to do in the life and ministry of Dr. Kevin Cosby!
A staunch proponent of education, Dr. Cosby earned a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond,
a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, and a Doctor of Ministry degree
from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
He has held administrative and teaching assignments at Kentucky State University, the University of Louisville, The
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary. Additionally, his exceptional oratory skills have
produced lecture engagements at universities and institutions around the world, including Harvard University. Further, he
is a member of the University of Louisville’s board of trustees.
Dr. Cosby has authored four highly-acclaimed books: Get off Your But!: Messages, Musings & Ministries to Empower the African-
American Church; As They Went; Treasure Worth Seeking; and Who’s Your Daddy?: Life Lessons from the Prodigal Son. He has
been a contributing writer to a number of books, journals and periodicals.
He has been the subject of many national articles and documentaries, which consistently list him among the most influential
leaders in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His 2007 selection as “Louisvillian of the Year” is a tribute to his outstanding
contributions to the community. He was ranked #1 of the Top Ten Religious Leaders in Louisville by Louisville Magazine in
the October 2011 issue. Although Dr. Cosby has achieved many notable accomplishments, he is most known for his intense
commitment to serving the Lord through improving the lives of others.
Dr. Cosby is married to the former Barnetta Turner; they are the parents of two adult children.
