Reverend Cokiesha Bailey Robinson is the Founder of Cross Spring Ministries, an itinerant ministry of preaching & publishing and she is the first African American Dean at Grace College in Winona Lake, IN. She serves as Associate Dean of Diversity.
Becoming & belonging, justice & Inclusion are her passions as she strives to help all students feel loved, seen, prepared & affirmed. She also is passionate about racial reconciliation & advocating for students of color to have a voice, a place, belonging, equality & equity.
She is the wife of Rev. Timothy Robinson, her seminary sweetheart. Both are 2007 Master of Divinity graduates of Beeson and enjoy serving God’s people uniquely.
Cokiesha serves as an advisory member at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, TN, and is currently a doctoral student at Truett Seminary at Baylor University In Waco, TX.
Cokiesha is a national Bible teacher, conference speaker, and minister of the gospel but being a godmother, aunt, and mentor are her favorite jobs.
She worked in the field of radio and newspaper and also enjoyed a rewarding career supporting church staffs. She is a daughter of Concord Church where she served in ministry with her parents, founding Pastor, Dr. E.K. Bailey, and Dr. Sheila Bailey for more than 25 years.
She was licensed to preach the gospel at Concord Church by her late father, Dr. E.K. Bailey, and Pastor Bryan Carter in 2003 and she was ordained by Dr. J.M. Green at Mt. Neboh Church in Harlem, NY in 2010 where she served as Assistant Pastor.
Cokiesha served in ministry under the leadership of Dr. A.B. Sutton at 6th Ave Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, and feels like a surrogate member & spiritual daughter of Living Stones Temple in Birmingham. She served on the pastoral staff of Concord Church as Director of Growth after seminary with Pastor Bryan Carter, one of her fathers in the ministry, and attributes her professional growth to pastors who have invested in her life. In 2015 she launched Cross Spring Ministries. In recent years she has traveled full-time as an evangelist and gospel minister serving churches, conferences, publishing houses, and seminaries. She has also found great pleasure in teaching students in middle school and high school as well as being a mentor to college students and seminarians.
Known by some as Rev. Robinson and by others as Mrs. Robinson and now as Dean Robinson, Cokiesha has contributed to nearly 10 books and co-authored 2 books. She is also a contributing writer for Our Daily Bread and still enjoys traveling to share the gospel despite a new role on her professional journey.
She was named 2020 alumnus’ of the year for Beeson Divinity School and attributes Beeson to helping her to find her footing and focus in her life calling as an adult in ministry.
Rev. Robinson is a national conference speaker, Christian minister, pastoral leader & national speaker in Higher Education.
Cokiesha has served as a missionary in Africa, Turkey and Jamaica, and throughout the United States. She has a heart for evangelizing, preaching, leading leaders, encouraging students, equipping disenfranchised communities with fresh water, and building racial bridges for people with dignity. Seeing people come to know Christ, and discovering their purpose and voice in Him are her greatest passions, as well as helping others to value the diverse heritage & perspectives of all people made in the image of God.
Family, friends, ministry, mentorship, writing & higher education are her great loves & gifts of grace.
In her free time, Rev. Robinson enjoys traveling, concerts, cooking, meeting people & cheering for the next generation of leaders & preachers.
