Georgia Justice Project mourns the passing of Rev.

Dr. Joanna Moseley Adams, whose faith, leadership, and commitment to justice were essential to GJP’s founding and growth. In the early 1980s, while serving at Central Presbyterian Church, Joanna challenged her congregation to respond to poverty and homelessness in Atlanta. Her preaching provided the pastoral encouragement and theological provocation that inspired attorney John Pickens to use his vocation in service of justice, a calling that ultimately led him to leave corporate law and establish Georgia Justice Project in 1986. But Joanna’s commitment didn’t stop there. For decades, she remained a fierce and loyal supporter of GJP’s work of justice, rehabilitation, and redemption. She chaired fundraising efforts, encouraged her congregations to give their time and resources, and helped open doors that brought GJP credibility and stability during its earliest years. Her husband, Al, has also carried that commitment forward through decades of board service and volunteerism. As we celebrate GJP’s 40th anniversary, we are especially grateful for Joanna’s extraordinary place in our story. Her impact is simply too immense to count. We extend our deepest condolences to Al, her family, friends, congregations, and the countless people and communities touched by her life and ministry. In memory of Rev. Dr. Joanna Moseley Adams 1944–2026