Ep 22- Joining Voices Together - Rev. Ayanna Watkins
Moms Changing the World
English - April 08, 2021 10:54 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsParenting Kids & Family Health & Fitness Mental Health Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Moms, during this season of Easter, I was blessed by the chance to interview my cousin by marriage who is a spiritual and community leader in Memphis. Rev. Ayanna Watkins lives in Memphis with her husband and young daughters. She has been involved with Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (M.I.C.A.H.) since 2016, and she is thrilled to serve as M.I.C.A.H.’s first Lead Organizer.
Rev. Ayanna Johnson Watkins is a speaker, writer, and facilitator focused on building transformative community and nurturing the God-given gifts of individuals and communities. She earned her B.A. in Sociology from Yale University before going on to complete both the Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts in Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. She has been an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since 2004. After graduation, she served as youth pastor at the long-established Park Manor Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on the south side of Chicago, IL, and later Lead Pastor of the Family of Hope Christian Church (DoC) in Blue Island, IL—a multicultural congregation she founded together with a team.
Ayanna has also been an active social worker—serving as a community organizer in southwest Chicago, a counselor for at-risk youth and mentally-ill adults, and an advocate for public aid clients. Before moving to Memphis, she was the Director of Community Life at Chicago Theological Seminary where she worked to foster leadership, to nurture healthy community, and assist students in their spiritual and professional formation. Most recently she served as Director of the Incubate Initiative for the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), supporting and fostering the creation of new health and social service ministry nonprofits. This education and experience have equipped Ayanna to speak, teach, and write on topics including leadership, faith practice, community organizing, and domestic violence.
Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope
Host: Ekua Walker, Child Development NP and CEO
Chief Encouragement Officer of
Facebook - Moms Changing the World Podcast
Production Partner: Koby Blankson
Art: Joel and Esther Ishler