Dr. DeForest "Buster" Soaries, Jr. served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) in Somerset, New Jersey from November 1990 to August 2021. His pastoral ministry focused on spiritual growth, educational excellence and economic empowerment.
In 2005, Dr. Soaries launched the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement. The dfree® strategy teaches people how to break free from debt as a first step toward financial freedom. dfree® was featured in a 90-minute CNN documentary "Almighty Debt." He is author of the books "Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom", and "Meditations for Financial Freedom - Volumes 1&2."
Dr. Soaries earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fordham University, a Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary.