MEET THE SECOND COHORT

The second cohort consists of 11 clergywomen in two distinct peer groups. These pastors serve congregations from Louisiana to North Carolina and represent six different denominations. We celebrate their diverse and powerful ministries!

MF 6

Jessica Lowe

Rev. Jessica Lowe is the Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Lafayette, Louisiana. Jessica completed a Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School and then served as a Volunteer in Mission in Israel/Palestine for a year after graduation. She is passionate about engaging in interfaith dialogue and enjoys helping people connect the gospel message to everyday life. In her free time, Jessica enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and sewing. She and her husband Jim have three lovely fur-babies, two dogs named Ellie and Josie, and one cat named Cosmo.

DC Sills

 
DC Sills, identifies as a Child of God, who happens to be a singer-songwriter, worship leader, pastor, lesbian, daughter, wife, friend, sister and an occasional accidental activist.  DC has been a child of God and earthly parents for 49 years,  a songwriter for  37 years, a wife for 27 years, a worship leader for 12 years, and a pastor for 4 years...and still counting on all accounts.  In 2020, DC earned a Masters of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology in Denver. DC's pronouns are she/her/hers-but says they should really be WE, since she tends to never do anything alone, but with a gaggle of folks willing to jump off ledges with her to find new adventures.  She has served as the worship leader for the Contemporary Worship service at First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, LA , as Associate and Interim pastor at First Christian Church in Pineville, LA, Lead Pastor for Eat, Pray & Slay, Gospel Drag Brunch and is launching, "Feed & Seed", an ecumenical action oriented worship experience at a local coffee shop in downtown Alexandria, LA in July 2020.  DC has a passion for providing worship experiences where everyone is welcome and made to feel that they are worthy and loved, just as they are, because after all, we are ALL Children of God.

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Dawn Bennett

The Reverend Dawn Bennett lives and serves in Music City USA, Nashville, TN. In January 2020 she was called as the Pastor Developer to the The Table, a new ELCA faith collective centering the voices of LGBTQ+ folks and other vulnerable people groups. Dawn earned her MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School as well as a Graduate Certificate in Religion, Gender & Sexuality. Additionally, she holds a MACM from Luther Seminary and BS in Psychology from Liberty University. Dawn shares great joy in her community activist work and when she's not stirring up good trouble as a street chaplain you'll catch her with some of her favorite city folks (drag queen nuns!). She calls herself an introvert so when the weather permits, you'll likely find her hiking or gardening. Ministry aside, her favorite role is Mom to her three growns and Gigi to her three grands.

Leslie Stephens

Rev. Leslie Stephens is in her second year as the pastor of Jefferson UMC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received her Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theologic seminary in Evanston, Illinois and is currently pursing her MBA from Dakota Wesleyan University. She is the mother to three wonderful kids, Samantha 19, Thomas 16, and Ryan 6. In her free time she loves to run and spend time outdoors.

Kari Niedermaier

Pastor Kari is a lover of the Divine, wife of 20 years, and mother of six humans, three canines, and eight chickens. Kari received her Master of Divinity at Iliff School of Theology in Denver in 2019. Prior to seminary she worked with expecting families as a doula (a woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth) and childbirth educator and facilitated gentle parenting and home schooling communities for thirteen years. Kari loves holding space for people to encounter God, recognizing where God is already active in their lives and encountering the Divine anew. She has a passion for exploring how God calls us to just relationships, facilitating experiences that trouble the divide between sacred and secular, celebrating the Spirit sowing surprise partnerships with ecumenical and inter-faith partners as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations, and being the church for the sake of the world. In her spare time she enjoys exploring the outdoors through running, hiking, fishing, and gardening, playing competitive sports and games (look for her on the basketball court, ninesquare grid, or ultimate frisbee field), traveling, reading, and watching movies. 
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Tiffanie Postell

Tiffanie Certrina Postell was born in Americus, Georgia on May 12, 1981. She was baptized as a baby in the AME Church and confirmed at the age of twelve at Ben Hill United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Tiffanie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Upon graduation in 2003, she worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Biologist for 13 years. Tiffanie answered her call to ministry in January of 2010 and by August 2010 she started her first seminary class at Gammon Theological Seminary. While attending Seminary, she worked as the Children’s Minister at Ben Hill UMC. She graduated Cum Laude in 2014 with a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Tiffanie relocated in July 2016 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she served for three years as Associate Pastor of Camphor Memorial UMC and Director of the Wesley Foundation at Southern University. She currently serves at Newman United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana where she has been since July 2019. Tiffanie enjoys volunteering, mentoring, spending time with family, going to the movies, reading, writing, Spoken Word events and shopping.  

R.U.T.H.

Chenita Johnson Frierson

She is the daughter of decease United Methodist pastor, Reverend Dr. Franklin Johnson and Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson. She is a native of Sumter S. C., however, being a daughter of a minister, she has lived in Sumter, Camden, Kingstree, Seneca, Clover, and Hartsville. She is a twin and have three sibling that are all girls. The Mother of one beautiful daughter, Ashley Frierson who is a Senior at College of Charleston.
            Her first appointment was as the Senior Pastor was Bethel and Harmony United Methodist Church located in Edgemoor from 2014-2017 then Wesley Memorial 2018-2020 in Chester, SC and is currently serving at Mt. Olive and New Hope located in Rock Hill, SC. All these churches are on the Rock Hill District.
She is the graduate from Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C. in 1988 with a B.A. Degree in Sociology. In 2017, she received her Master of Divinity, from Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury NC. Completed a Unit of Clinical Pastoral Care at Roper St. Francis in Charleston, SC in 2018. She is seeking provisional elder with the South Carolina Conference in 2022.
Rev. Frierson has been active in civic engagement and community advocacy as an outpatient counselor for drug and alcohol with Goldman Clinic. Clinical Coordinator at Phila Community Court. Employment Specialist for people with special needs with Goodwill Industries. Residential Manager and Community Training Home Coordinator with Disabilities Board. Bible Study at the Detention Center. The CEO of Chandlers Transitional Homes for Veterans and a members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc Co.
Rev. Frierson is a dedicated servant of God and claims not to do ministry on her own power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit and for her, it’s simply being obedient in doing His will.

Edith Robinson-Davis

Rev. Edith Robinson-Davis is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in the Eastern North Carolina Central Conference.  She is currently serving as pastor the Chapel Grove A.M.E. Zion Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina.   Rev. Edith also served as pastor of St. John A.M.E. Zion Church, Dudley, NC; Millers Chapel, Goldsboro and St. Matthews, Sacreta, North Carolina.  Before pastorate,   Rev. Edith served as founder and CEO of New City Resources, a para-church not for profit for 16 years in Jackson, Michigan were she organized and implemented children and youth education and leadership training programs.  She also served on the faculty of Spring Arbor University. She taught Conference Studies for the A.M.E. Zion Church. She is a graduate of Spring Arbor University  with a BA degree in Christian Ministry; Michigan State University with a Master degree in Adult and Continuing Education; Duke Divinity School ‘13 of Duke University with a Master of Divinity and  Cornerstone College with a Doctorate in Human Potential Coaching in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  She has her certificate of Chaplaincy from Duke University Hospital, Durham North Carolina and New Hanover Regional Hospital, Wilmington, NC.  She enjoys reading, walking and nature.  She lives in Wilmington, NC with her husband, Anthony. They have 3 grown sons, 2 daughters-in-laws and 8 grandchildren.  

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Maureen Palmer

Rev. Palmer is an ordained Elder and bi-vocational Pastor of New Love’s Chapel AME Zion Church, Lake Wylie, SC. She currently works as a Corporate Chaplain and Associate Hospital Chaplain in the Charlotte, NC area. Rev. Palmer and her devoted husband, Warner, have four adult children and seven grandchildren of whom they are very proud. She enjoys visiting her family in New York, Virginia, and South Carolina, cruising to Caribbean Islands, and dinner dates with Warner.

Rona Williams

Rona serves as Executive Pastor at City of God Ministries in Concord, NC. She is an accomplished professional with career experience in law and financial services. She owns a nonprofit law firm and a church consulting firm, WebEP. Rona currently works on staff at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, NC as Project Coordinator for the Congregational Faith and Learning Center and is pursuing an M.Div. from Hood. She is an advocate for pastors and leadership development within churches. 

Kimberly Clarke

Rev. Kimberly Clarke Turner serves as Pastor of Triad Native American UMC in Greensboro, NC. Kim also serves as the Director for The Institute for Early Career Clergy Development at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury where she is completing her Master of Divinity degree. A native New Yorker with roots in Greensboro, NC, Kim is a graduate of Tufts University, attended The New School and Duke Divinity School. She has two adult children and is a recent newlywed. In her free time, Kim loves to read, travel, demonstrate her culinary prowess and mediate spats between the families’ three dogs Zuli, Buddy and Blu. 

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