KEYNOTE SPEAKER
BISHOP VASHTI MURPHY MCKENZIE
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the new President/General Secretary of the National Council of Churches (NCC). She provides executive leadership to 37 communions (denominations) representing 100,000 churches and 30 million people. She is the first African American woman to hold both positions.
Bishop McKenzie is also the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first female elected to episcopal office in the more than the two-century-old AME Church. She is the first female to serve as President of the Council of Bishops and President of the General Board.
Bishop McKenzie has served as a Presiding Prelate in the 18th Episcopal District, in Southern Africa, the 13th Episcopal District which includes Kentucky and Tennessee and the 10th Episcopal District, the state of Texas. While serving in Texas, she also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Paul Quinn College, Dallas, Texas which experienced exponential growth including the renovation of the Richard Allen Chapel and the new Trammell Crow Life, Living and Learning dormitory complex that includes a new-state-of-the-art gymnasium. She also established two non-profits which raised funds outside of tithes and offerings for church and community projects in two of her districts. Bishop McKenzie serves the National Council of Churches after recently retiring from active service in the AME Church at the 51st Quadrennial session of the General Conference in 2021. She is also serving at Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio, working on documentaries. She has been the visionary behind five documentaries, four of them in The Anvil series, of the Council of Bishops serving as producer, executive producer, and senior editor. The newest documentary, AME Next, was released in early 2022.
She has been the visionary behind five documentaries, four of them in The Anvil series, of the Council of Bishops serving as producer, executive producer, and senior editor. The newest documentary, AME Next, was released in early 2022.Characterized as “an electrifying preacher”, Bishop McKenzie continues to preach and teach globally as well as serve as a workshop/seminar instructor for congregations, corporations, and a variety of organizations on the topics of advocacy, women, and leadership.
Bishop McKenzie has been active in social justice issues for more than three decades. She was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama to be on the inaugural White House Commission of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnership. This group worked on behalf of Americans committed to improving their communities, no matter their religious or political beliefs. She was named by Huffington Post in 2014 as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women Religious Leaders in the World.
Bishop McKenzie is the author of six books including Not Without a Struggle and Journey to the Well. Her newest book is The Big Deal of Taking Small Steps to Move Closer to God. The book shows how to develop a stronger relationship with God with a more effective Christian lifestyle by taking small steps that lead to big changes.
Bishop McKenzie is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Howard University, School of Religion and has an earned doctorate from United Theological Seminary.
She is the widow of former NBA player, Dr. Stan McKenzie, the mother of three adult children and “Nina” to three grandchildren.
Featuring: BRINAE ALI
Alexandria “Brinae Ali” Bradley, born and raised in Flint, Michigan is a interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the conditions of the human spirit. Brinae blessed United Women in Faith with her electrifying and deeply moving performance at Assembly 2018 in Ohio and you definitely won’t want to miss her when she graces the 2024 NEJ stage in Rhode island! When she is not traveling and performing, she is giving back to young people and grass roots organizing.
MUSIC DIRECTOR AND WORSHIP LEADERS
Grace Pugh-Hubbard, Music Director
Denise Snyder, Worship Leader
Grace Pugh Hubbard has spent the last 40 years teaching, writing, playing and directing church music. She graduated from Lambuth College with a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and an emphasis in church music. She also studied at Scarritt College and Vanderbilt University. Hubbard has served as minister of music at several churches in the Memphis Annual Conference, the Tennessee Annual Conference and the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Denise Snyder has been a member of United Women in Faith for over 30 years. Previously, she served as President of the Northeastern Jurisdiction for 2020 and before that, as a member of the 2016 Jurisdiction Leadership Team as a nominations committee member. In addition to being a part of these Jurisdiction Teams, Denise has served in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference United Women in Faith as a Dean and Assistant Dean for Mission u. She also served as Secretary and President for the Dover District United Women in Faith within the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference. Denise holds a Bachelors degree in Special Education and a Masters degree in Elementary Education.
Workshop Facilitators
Francine Davis
soul care
Francine Davis is a member of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference, United Women in Faith where she serves as the conference Mission Coordinator for Membership, Nurture and Outreach and the Delaware District – Communications
Coordinator. Drawing purpose and inspiration from her faith, family, and circle of friends. Francine is passionate about the advocacy work she does through United Women in Faith’s “Just Energy 4 All” climate justice campaign and Mission u studies that impact her spiritual growth. Francine enjoys working with the UWFaith Digital Resources Team as one of the Community Guides on the Mighty Networks platform where she gets to engage with our members and assist with the monthly Community Gatherings. In order to maintain balance in her professional, home and spiritual life, Francine focuses on both SOUL care and SELF care through intentional practice.
Emily Jones
SCHOOL 2 PRISON PIPELINE
Emily Jones is the executive for racial justice at United Women in Faith, a national, faith-based women’s membership organization. She staffs three core areas of the organization’s work: the campaign to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline; the reading program; and the Charter for Racial Justice. Prior to her current position, Emily served as the director and lead organizer for the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty. She has also worked as a program manager for an education non-profit and as a lay associate pastor for discipleship at a new church plant in Chicago, IL. She began her career as a labor organizer with the healthcare employees’ union in Connecticut.
Susan S. Kim
CHARTER 4 RACIAL JUSTICE
Susan S. Kim currently serves as a member of the Charter for Racial Justice Support Team since 2015 representing the Northeastern Jurisdiction United Women in Faith. She previously served as the President of the New York Annual Conference United Women in Faith from 2010-2014 and continues her justice work serving as the co-chair of the Racial Justice Task Force for Korean Ministry Plan of the Global Board of General Ministries. Susan is currently serving as the business manager in Mission u and advisor to Korean United Women in Faith’s network in the New England Annual Conference.
Patricia Parent
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Patricia Parent was born and raised in Maine, and during her childhood she learned about not only her European heritage, but her Native roots as well. She became first the secretary, and then the chair of the New England Annual Conference Committee on Native American Ministries. She served as chair for 9 years. Eventually, Pat accepted the position of Secretary of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Native American Ministries Committee and is now the chair of that committee.
Rebecca Parsons
MISSION ADVOCATE
Rebecca (Becky) Parsons is a United Methodist Missionary currently serving as Mission Advocate with the Northeastern Jurisdiction. Mission Advocates preach, teach, and connection conferences through the Jurisdiction in mission locally and globally through our connectionalism and The Advance. As Mission Advocate, Becky is a missionary serving the churches, districts, UWF, UMM, UMVIM, NEJ Missionaries, Mission sites and Annual Conferences by being a resource to connect the church with the activities of Missions through Global Ministries.
Finda Quiwa
regional missionARY
Finda Quiwa’s work as a Regional Missionary with United Women in Faith began in 2008 when she created a pan-African youth network serving United Methodist youth and young women throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Regional Missionaries are selected and supported by United Women in Faith women and placed in collaboration with the church’s General Board of Global Ministries. Currently, Finda’s work centers on the women and youth of Liberia where she works with local women leaders as a vital part of the Liberian country team. There, she heads leadership trainings, empowers women economically, and helps build skills for sustainability
Sue Silhan
SOUL CARE: YOGA
Sue is a Deaconess in the United Methodist Church and a Gestalt Pastoral Care Minister serving in the studio and community to provide pathways of Healing and Wholeness for individuals and groups. Her career as a Registered Nurse for over 40 years provides added safety especially for those with pre-existing health conditions. She began as a yoga student in her 40’s and experienced the healing power of yoga. The inclusion of her personal faith practices of prayer, meditation, and study further enhanced her spiritual growth as well and led her to become certified as a yoga instructor in 2008. Since that time, she has taught yoga classes and community workshops incorporating a gentle yoga practice that builds awareness and is accessible to everyone.
Phyllis Terwilliger
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Phyllis’ roots are in the Roman Catholic tradition. Her growth in the United Methodist Church began in college, was cultivated with a master’s degree from Boston University School of Theology and continued to grow with her involvement in United Women in Faith. Phyllis has a degree in elementary education and has taught in a variety of settings:
- Ojibwa Native American 7th and 8th graders in North Dakota
- Indochinese refugee women in Boston, MA
- 3rd graders in Cali, Colombia
- Elementary migrant students in rural upstate New York
- Honduran teachers in Utila, Bay Islands
She was the Be Just Be Green NE Jurisdictional Guide and is currently the Program Advisory Group member for the Susquehanna Annual Conference.
Kenya Roberts
legacy fund
Kenya Roberts is the Executive for Development Management at United Women in Faith. She has had the honor of working with United Women in Faith members around the nation on various fundraising efforts. She is a dedicated and passionate advocate for supporting youth through her extensive experience in fundraising. With over 18 years of experience in fundraising, she has made a lasting impact on countless young lives. With a demonstrated track record of working to improve communities and populations around the world, Kenya has successfully spearheaded numerous fundraising campaigns for a wide array of initiatives. She has relentlessly championed the power of giving back to the community.