From pulpit to platform, Otis Moss III’s powerful words have touched hearts and sparked change across generations. He leads Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and founded the Unashamed Media Group, a justice-focused, faith-based storytelling agency. Moss earned praise as one of the “12 most effective preachers in the English language” and brings his message of love, liberation, and Black spirituality to global audiences.
Otis Moss III was born in 1970 and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area. He is the son of Rev. Otis Moss Jr., a prominent civil-rights and religious leader, and his mother, Edwina Moss. His family home was a gathering place for leaders of the civil-rights movement, and his parents were married by Martin Luther King Jr. He spent his childhood in the suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Growing up, Moss was immersed in a household shaped by civil-rights activism and religious engagement. He later recalled being around figures such as Andrew Young during his youth. Music also featured strongly in his early life: he was exposed to gospel in church and to the emerging hip-hop and jazz culture of his time—he described having “hip-hop in one ear, the gospel in the other.”
Moss attended Shaker Heights High School, where he participated in athletics, running track among other sports. He then enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy. He continued his theological education at Yale Divinity School, where he earned a Master of Divinity in 1995.
Otis Moss III Net Worth 2025 Income And Latest Insights | Estimated Net Worth (2025) | Between $1 million and $2 million |
| Main Income Source | Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ |
| Other Earnings | Books, speaking, and Unashamed Media Group |
| Current Role | Pastor and Professor at McAfee School of Theology |
| Books | Blue Note Preaching (2015), Dancing in the Darkness (2022) |
| Education | Faith, justice, and community development |
| Active Since | 1997 |
Otis Moss III began his pastoral journey when he was called to serve as pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia, in August 1997. During his time at Tabernacle, the congregation experienced significant membership growth and pursued a renovation of its historic sanctuary building. In February 2006, reports indicated that Moss announced he would leave that post in May of that year.
During this early period, Moss also developed a reputation for linking the culture of hip-hop and jazz with the pulpit, and for engaging younger generations in ministry contexts.
In 2006, Moss accepted a leadership position at Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago). He initially joined Trinity in a leadership role, transitioning into full senior leadership by 2008 and formally installed as senior pastor in May 2009. Under his leadership at Trinity, Moss has served as Senior Pastor since 2008.
Moss expanded his influence beyond the local congregation. He founded the media-production entity Unashamed Media Group in 2012, which creates faith-based, justice-oriented content. He also accepted an academic appointment as Professor of Homiletics at McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University.
Additionally, Moss has held roles such as Chaplain for Children’s Defense Fund’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor Child Advocacy Conference, reflecting his engagement with faith-based advocacy and leadership development.
Moss achieved recognition as one of the “12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World,” an honor attributed by Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. At Trinity, he guided the congregation’s orientation toward what he describes as “unashamedly black, unapologetically Christian” identity, emphasizing racial justice, economic equity, and environmental concerns. His production company’s award-winning short film Otis’ Dreamdramatized his grandfather’s attempt to vote in 1946, underlining his commitment to civic and cultural storytelling.
In November 2014, Moss delivered the Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale University under the title “The Blue Note Gospel: Preaching the Prophetic Blues in a Post-Soul World,” which formed the basis of his book Blue Note Preaching in a Post-Soul World(2015).
As of 2024–2025, Moss continues to serve as Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He published Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Timesin 2022 and remains active in hybrid ministry models, embracing mobile church concepts and multimedia engagement.
In addition, his academic role at the McAfee School of Theology positions him to mentor future ministers and shape homiletical practice. Moss continues to emphasize themes of justice, community development (notably his involvement with the “Imani Village” project in Chicago’s Pullman community) and creative media engagement in his ministry leadership.
As of 2025, reports from online outlets estimate Otis Moss III’s net worth to be between $1 million and $2 million, though major financial publications have not verified this figure. He earns income through his role as Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, through royalties from his books and speaking engagements, and from his media-production venture Unashamed Media Group.