Thank you for the opportunity to interview you. We would like to give everyone the opportunity to know a little more about you.
Where were you born? I was born in Fort Worth Texas.
Please share with us your educational background. I graduated for Green B. Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth. I received my bachelor’s degree for Texas Woman’s University for occupational therapy in Denton Texas. And then I changed career paths and attended Brite Divinity School on the campus of Texas Christian University with a masters of arts in Christian service. My most recent degree is a Doctorate of occupational therapy that I also received from Texas Woman’s University in Denton.
Can you tell us about your calling into ministry? I was involved in ministry as a 17 year old at Stuart Chapel CME where the late Rev. John Barnett was my pastor. I participated in youth ministry at a young age as well as creating a youth and young adult choir at Stuart Chapel CME in Fort Worth. I received my calling for the ministry for preaching and teaching at the age of 29 in 1998 when my son was a baby. From there I was ordained under former Senior Bishop Marshal Gilmore. And was given my first charge and Mount Pisgah CME church in Jacksboro Texas. I was ordained after one year and then was assigned to Hugh’s Chapel CME in Mineral Wells Texas. I took some time off from ministry and served in the young adult ministry at Mount Pilgrim and Carter Metropolitan. I then returned to a pastoral charge at Benson Chapel on the North side for Forth Worth and served there for four years. Senior Bishop Lawrence L Reddick III appointed me Presiding Elder in August of 2018.
Why do you feel called to serve the CME church? Well, I found out during my season of sabbatical that my roots are with the CME church. My grandfather’s land in Homer Louisiana was used for Forest Grove CME and as I began to speak with family members I understood that my father and my aunt attended Forest Grove CME as well and my grandmother and grandfather. When I heard that information, it confirmed the calling and the pulling that I had towards the CME church. Even though I tried other entities, the CME church was where I was lead to serve my people. People that I feel need to be empowered. I am here to impact change and make a difference in the lives that I come in contact with. Weather they look like me or not.
As a Presiding Elder do you struggle with the most? Well right now I’ve been assigned to the North West Texas district and the churches are pretty spread out so the distance is a challenge. Therefore I have to be creative in my scheduling and my planning. I have to be intentional and strategic in my planning. Juggling a fulltime job and a sixteen year old who is active in several extra curricular activities and also elderly parents. I have to make sure that I am present to nurture and to guide and to mentor the pastors of the North West district as well as the members of those ten churches.
What are the top three responsibilities of a Presiding Elder? The top three responsibilities would be making sure that I am available number one, for the pastors and what ever needs they might have administratively ministeraly any type of planning that they may need help with any guidance. And then secondly make sure I am providing guidance to the laity of the church and serving as that mediator that voice, that eye if you will for the presiding bishop to understand what is going on at his churches. Making sure that I give a monthly report to follow up and let him know what I’ve observed and what I’ve experienced and what my plans are for those churches.
Tell us about your leadership philosophy and how it influences the culture of the ministers under you and the CME church at large? I believe in servant leadership. I believe that Jesus said come to serve and not to be served. I try to share that same mantra and belief with the pastors I lead on the district. We meet monthly, we share with on another our struggles our challenges as well as our celebrations and our accomplishments. I try to provide nuggets each month to help guide them on a path of improved leadership. The leadership I receive on my job an assistant program director, I change them or tweak them if you will to share with the pastors from a biblical prospective. I read literature form John Maxwell, Franklin Covey and several different gurus’ in the leadership realm that I share with the pastors. I want to make sure that I build a culture of servanthood , commitment, availability as well as accountability.
Lastly I would like to give you an opportunity to add anything that you would like to share with the reader of this newsletter.
I would like for people to understand that I am willing to help anyone. I don’t hold all of the information that God has given me all to myself. I’m more of a giver and I am open to helping anyone in anyway that I can. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t feel like a presiding elder has to have all the answers but must know where to find all the answers. And to help those that he or she is leading to find those resources and find those answers to their questions. I believe it is also important to have a daily plan of meditation with God. Making sure that you are completely grounded in His word. Making sure that you have the full armor of God because there with be attacks from all angles, but know that all things are possible with God, which is the theme of the Northwest district. So no matter what challenges we are faced with, no matter obstacles we are encountered with we have to understand that with God all things are possible. And if we put him first we can take care of God’s business God’s way. And everything will be according to his will and plan for our lives. I also want to add my passion for Christian education. My passion for Christian education began as a young child, who was transported to church by someone who was not from my family but had a van ministry. They would come pick me up and transport me to Pentecostal church. The church was primarily Caucasian. And I did not see people that looked like me but everyone was excited and engaged in worship and praise. And as I got older and started studying the bible for myself, I wanted that same excitement around people that looked like me. So I started studying at a young age and reading my bible and started asking questions. I started Bible College before I answered my call to ministry. And was determined to educate the African American community with Christian education and with biblical principals so that we can all be empowered and we could understand the word in a way that would make it effective in our lives and it would represent our love for Christ. And I built upon that passion for Christian education I have been afforded that opportunity to share within the CME church on many different levels. Part of my goal is to merge my training from occupational therapy with the ministry. With that being said. Part of my capstone dissertation for graduate school was understanding spirituality of caregiver for children with special needs. So at some point I want to pull in the special needs ministry within our denomination as a part of Christian education.
