Rev. Sutton, a native of San Antonio, has served as David Chapel’s Minister of Infants, Children, Youth, and Young Adult Discipleship since April 2017.
He is an ordained minister with experience in children, youth and young adult ministries, having served a congregation in Washington, D.C., while pursuing his doctoral studies. He’s married to Sharonda “Bonnie” Sutton, a native of Washington, D. C. and former school teacher and children ministry worker and they have two daughters, Ryleigh and Siea.
Since 2015 he has served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, where he provides therapy and crisis services at the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, and psychological and custody evaluations with Legal Consensus Forensic Evaluation. He directs the African American Male Research Initiative (AAMRI) as part of the Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence. He also works with the Black Student Athlete Summit hosted by the University of Texas at Austin.
Rev. Sutton earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Howard University, in the field of Counseling Psychology and studied at the Howard University School of Divinity. He received clinical experience at Tree of Life Public Charter School, D.C. Jail, Howard University Counseling Services, and various community-based mental health centers.
He has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at numerous national conferences on the areas of academic achievement, juvenile justice and mental health among Black males. He completed his doctoral internship at the District of Columbia Superior Court, Child Guidance Clinic, where he was responsible for forensic psychological testing, therapy and research.
Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the Hogg Foundation, has said the following about Rev. Sutton’s professional background: “First, his counseling background is that of someone who has learned the challenges and rewards of treating the individual. Second, his scholarly concern with the issues confronting African American males shows his commitment to equity and justice.”
Rev. Sutton earned his B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in African-American Studies, at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. While at Xavier, he worked with Tulane University’s Upward Bound and Young Scholars program as director of tutoring services and college readiness.
His dissertation was entitled, “The Relationship between Personal Values and Mental Health Functioning among African American Youth in the Juvenile Justice System.”
