Justin Cohen was born and raised in the Oxford Circle section of Northeast Philadelphia on Saturday May 17th 1969. Raised in the Catholic denomination, he attended private Christian grade school and high school in Philadelphia.
He received the call to ministry in a vision at the age of 11, but rejected it throughout his teen years of rebellion. At the age of 18, he left Philadelphia temporarily, enlisting in the United States Navy as an Inventory Manager, determined to pursue a career in business, but God had another plan.
During a crisis period in his life, Bishop Cohen received his PERSONAL salvation, receiving Jesus Christ as his Savior through the personal ministry of a faithful deacon at Trinity Baptist Church of Jacksonville, FL where he was eventually water baptized and discipled.
He finally obeyed the call of God to ministry while living in Jacksonville, FL under the ministry of Bishop Paul D. Zink of New Life Christian Fellowship.
Upon successful ministerial internship under the direction of the late Rev. Dr. Harold Vick and graduation from Jacksonville Theological Seminary in 1995, he returned to Philadelphia and ministered as an Urban Missionary assisting several inner city Assembly of God ministries and ultimately founding "Master's Commission" which consisted of the Master's Commission Bible Institute, and a short term inner-city urban home missions base.
In 2001, He founded World Harvest and began conducting evangelism and outreach / mission ministries in multicultural inner city areas domestically and short term missions work internationally.
World Harvest is a parachurch ministry which encompasses the Evangelistic / Outreach, Pastoral, Chaplaincy, Counseling, Preaching, Teaching, and Missions efforts to establish, equip, and edify churches.
With a heart for community ministry, Cohen is a member of the Philadelphia Police Clergy, the Past President of the Frankford Ministerium, and member of Philadelphia Mayor's Faith Based Advisory Committee.
Formerly licensed as an Assembly of God minister, Rev. Cohen was ordained by the World Harvest Minister's Network under the late Rev. Dr. Lester Sumrall of South Bend, IN.
In 2003, Bishop Cohen joined and affiliated his ministries under the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship and served in several capacities such as the Pennsylvania Director of Elders & Ministers, the State Director of Christian Education, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of Christian Education. On the International Level in the Christian Education Department under Bishop Andy C. Lewter, he served as Provost of Academic Affairs, the President of the Full Gospel Baptist Bible Institute (with 4 Branch Campuses in 3 States), the Dean of Students for the Full Gospel Baptist Online Bible College, the Editor of the Theology Digest, and the Vice President of the National Accrediting Association of Theological Schools.
In 2012, he authored his first book; “Unwrapped – Discovering God’s Gifts to the Body of Christ” published by the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.
In 2013, Master's Commission was re-birthed as Bible Institute alumni and clergy whom Cohen mentors gathered to form an alliance, reform the school, and transform relationships resulting in the re-birth of Master's Commission Bible Institute and the launch of Master's Commission International Ministerial Fellowship unto which Dr. Cohen was elected to serve as Presiding Bishop. He was subsequently Consecrated to the Office of Bishop on August 9th 2014.
In 2016, Bishop Cohen along with other Episcopates throughout the country formed and founded the Ecumenical Council of Bishop and Apostolic Leadership (ECOBAL) bringing Bishop Cohen back into involvement in a nationwide ministry of education to those who aspire proper training for the Bishopric.
Bishop Cohen is a 2004 graduate of the Carolina University of Theology, earning a Master of Theology degree with a specialization in Ecclesiology. The Th.M. thesis became the basis for his subsequent book, Unwrapped, on the topic of Spiritual Gifts.
Bishop Cohen is also a 2012 graduate of the International Bible College and Seminary earning a Ph.D. in Apologetics with a specialization in the worldviews of incarcerated juveniles based upon 3 years of research at the Philadelphia Youth Study Center (the city's juvenile detention center) where he served as the full time Chaplain from 2008 to 2011.
Having previously served as a Police Chaplain and Juvenile Justice Chaplain, he in 2012, subsequently became the official Post Chaplain in several Veterans organizations, several of them with a County wide jurisdiction.
Rev. Cohen is Ordained as a Chaplain with Ecclesiastical Endorsement from the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship and serves as a U.S. Missionary to Veterans.
His ministry transcends and extends beyond the Veterans organizations he serves by engaging in soul wining and discipleship ministry to Veterans. He is also a Career Counselor who serves Veterans in their job searches through personality assessments, resume preparation, and interview skills.
Chaplain Cohen serves on the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association, the Delaware County Veterans Network, and the Delaware County Reentry Coalition, the Advisory Council of the American Bible Society’s Armed Services Ministry as well as a Veterans Ambassador for Guideposts
He is a member of the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains, the Spiritual Care Association, the Military Chaplains Association, and the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Chaplain Cohen's God given mandate is to be a Pastoral resource who develops individuals both spiritually and practically, empowering them to fulfill their life purpose through Chaplaincy, Pastoral Care, Career Counseling, by mentoring, resourcefulness, and encouraging relationships.
