Me in the sky.
To Begin With...
I was born in Queens, and raised in Lakeview, New York. After being graduated from Malverne High School, I attended Fordham University College at Lincoln Center. I majored in Theater Arts and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college graduation I spent a year studying at the Trinity Square Repertory Theater Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. Through some twists and turns in my life story, I eventually attended Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, and was awarded a Juris Doctor degree in 1987. As a practicing attorney, I held several positions in the public sector -- including terms as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx and Suffolk Counties, and a term as an Assistant New York State Attorney General litigating consumer protection matters. In May, 2000, I completed a 4-year term working in private practice in the law office operated by my husband, civil rights attorney Frederick K. Brewington.
My Call to Ministry
My call to ministry took me by surprise. I was working as an attorney and was very good at it. However, I wasn't especially happy. Part of my unhappiness was due to the fact that after a number of years of marriage Fred and I remained childless.
One night at a revival service celebrating my home church's anniversary, I responded to the altar call and told the guest preacher of my heart break. The prayer he prayed referenced Hannah, and although I understood it to be a Biblical reference I didn't know much more than that. He prayed for what seemed like a long time, but when I walked back to my seat my burden only seemed heavier. I spent a restless night trying to understand what I was feeling.
The next day was Saturday. I was alone in the house, and decided to find out who this Hannah was. I took the concordance off of the shelf, looked up Hannah and soon found myself reading 1 Samuel. My lawyer's mind concluded from the story of Hannah that God would give us a child if I promised God something good enough in return. So the bargaining began.
I went into our bedroom, knelt down at the side of the bed and began to make my promises. I no longer remember what they were. But I do remember that the more I talked, the more I promised, the more I bargained, the worse I felt. I soon found that I was crying. In time the crying turned to sobbing. All the while, my burden was getting heavier and heavier. Eventually, I cried out loud, "You don't understand. You HAVE to help me! If you don't, I don't know how I can live another day."
As soon as the words were out of my mouth my tears stopped as suddenly as if someone had turned a faucet handle to the "off" position. In the same instant, the burden that had been oppressing my body lifted from me and I felt buoyant. I stood up and did a personal inventory, asking myself how I felt. I felt wonderful and fully alive! The sun had already passed over the house and the room was dark, yet suddenly it was filled with light -- as if someone had lifted off the roof. Even though the windows were closed, a breeze blew through the room. As I stood there trying to understand what was happening to me, I heard a voice in my ear say, "Now say something."
Seminary & Beyond
In June, 2000, I was awarded a Master of Divinity Degree, Summa Cum Laude, by New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. After tenures serving as pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Hollis and the Westbury United Methodist Church (both in New York), I was appointed by Bishop Jeremiah J. Park to serve as the District Superintendent of the Long Island East District of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
As District Superintendent, I am pastor to the pastors in my district and give general oversight and support to the 74 churches under my care. The Long Island East District is a diverse district in every conceivable way. At our western border we are suburban, with some of our communities having a distinctly urbanized flavor. As you travel eastward, we move from being suburban to being rural and the population density decreases. There is gorgeous farmland, and a vast array of wineries. The eastern-most points of the district are just across Long Island Sound from the state of Connecticut. Some of those East End communities are places where the "beautiful people" gather to summer themselves on our beautiful beaches. Others of those East End communities are more modest, and the historical home of the families whose members worked the estates in that area. Not surprisingly, just as we are geographically diverse the Long Island East District is similarly diverse in ethnicity and socio-economic status.
All ministry has its challenges and frustrations and the superintendency is no different. Yet, as I enter my eighth and final year at this post I look across my district and see that it is truly better and more vibrant than when I first arrived. Some difficult decisions have had to be made; we have had to do some pruning in the form of mergers and discontinuances. But these moves have made the entire body more vibrant and alive. People are growing in grace and in the depth of their discipleship. Many congregations are growing in membership and worship attendance. Our District youth fellowship is exciting and excellently executed. There are innovative outreach and missions efforts in every corner of the District touching its local communities and extending into the world. I did not do these things; God did them while I was here. However, I know my encouraging, permission-giving leadership style made room for God to move as God has. There is ultimately nothing that love cannot accomplish.
For the past three years I have been serving as Dean of the Cabinet. Due to the illness and death of resident Bishop Martin D. McLee and the presence of successive retired Bishop's who have sought to give leadership and care to the New York Conference while we await the assignment of our next resident Bishop in July of 2016, I have had the distinction of being Cabinet Dean to four Bishops -- Bishop McLee, Bishop Neal Irons, Bishop Ernest Lyght and Bishop Jane Allen Middleton. The task of adapting to the different leadership styles of each of these episcopal leaders has been challenging yet ultimately rewarding. I find that adjusting to each Bishop's unique giftedness caused me to find fresh resources of my own giftedness; the result has been my personal and professional growth.
In 2008 I was a member of the New York Annual Conference's Jurisdictional Conference delegation. I was a member of the 2012 General Conference delegation and an episcopal candidate at the 2012 Jurisdictional Conference. I am a member of New York's 2016 Jurisdictional Conference delegation and a candidate for episcopal election at that meeting in 2016.
In addition to my other responsibilities, I have often been a guest preacher/speaker for many churches and community organizations. Moreover, I have provided leadership to a wider community through participation on the Board of Directors of the Parish Resource Center, the Board of Directors of the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Board of Trustees of the New York Annual Conference, the Rules Committee of the New York Annual Conference, and her chairpersonship of the Spiritual Life and Worship Committee of the Long Island West District.
I became a skydiver in 2012 and earned a B license before deciding to hang up my rig. The story of how that all happened is for another day. While on the ground, I love preaching, teaching, singing, crocheting and watching old movies, and hanging out with our dog, Ufo.
I was born in Queens, and raised in Lakeview, New York. After being graduated from Malverne High School, I attended Fordham University College at Lincoln Center. I majored in Theater Arts and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college graduation I spent a year studying at the Trinity Square Repertory Theater Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. Through some twists and turns in my life story, I eventually attended Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, and was awarded a Juris Doctor degree in 1987. As a practicing attorney, I held several positions in the public sector -- including terms as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx and Suffolk Counties, and a term as an Assistant New York State Attorney General litigating consumer protection matters. In May, 2000, I completed a 4-year term working in private practice in the law office operated by my husband, civil rights attorney Frederick K. Brewington.
My Call to Ministry
My call to ministry took me by surprise. I was working as an attorney and was very good at it. However, I wasn't especially happy. Part of my unhappiness was due to the fact that after a number of years of marriage Fred and I remained childless.
One night at a revival service celebrating my home church's anniversary, I responded to the altar call and told the guest preacher of my heart break. The prayer he prayed referenced Hannah, and although I understood it to be a Biblical reference I didn't know much more than that. He prayed for what seemed like a long time, but when I walked back to my seat my burden only seemed heavier. I spent a restless night trying to understand what I was feeling.
The next day was Saturday. I was alone in the house, and decided to find out who this Hannah was. I took the concordance off of the shelf, looked up Hannah and soon found myself reading 1 Samuel. My lawyer's mind concluded from the story of Hannah that God would give us a child if I promised God something good enough in return. So the bargaining began.
I went into our bedroom, knelt down at the side of the bed and began to make my promises. I no longer remember what they were. But I do remember that the more I talked, the more I promised, the more I bargained, the worse I felt. I soon found that I was crying. In time the crying turned to sobbing. All the while, my burden was getting heavier and heavier. Eventually, I cried out loud, "You don't understand. You HAVE to help me! If you don't, I don't know how I can live another day."
As soon as the words were out of my mouth my tears stopped as suddenly as if someone had turned a faucet handle to the "off" position. In the same instant, the burden that had been oppressing my body lifted from me and I felt buoyant. I stood up and did a personal inventory, asking myself how I felt. I felt wonderful and fully alive! The sun had already passed over the house and the room was dark, yet suddenly it was filled with light -- as if someone had lifted off the roof. Even though the windows were closed, a breeze blew through the room. As I stood there trying to understand what was happening to me, I heard a voice in my ear say, "Now say something."
Seminary & Beyond
In June, 2000, I was awarded a Master of Divinity Degree, Summa Cum Laude, by New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. After tenures serving as pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Hollis and the Westbury United Methodist Church (both in New York), I was appointed by Bishop Jeremiah J. Park to serve as the District Superintendent of the Long Island East District of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
As District Superintendent, I am pastor to the pastors in my district and give general oversight and support to the 74 churches under my care. The Long Island East District is a diverse district in every conceivable way. At our western border we are suburban, with some of our communities having a distinctly urbanized flavor. As you travel eastward, we move from being suburban to being rural and the population density decreases. There is gorgeous farmland, and a vast array of wineries. The eastern-most points of the district are just across Long Island Sound from the state of Connecticut. Some of those East End communities are places where the "beautiful people" gather to summer themselves on our beautiful beaches. Others of those East End communities are more modest, and the historical home of the families whose members worked the estates in that area. Not surprisingly, just as we are geographically diverse the Long Island East District is similarly diverse in ethnicity and socio-economic status.
All ministry has its challenges and frustrations and the superintendency is no different. Yet, as I enter my eighth and final year at this post I look across my district and see that it is truly better and more vibrant than when I first arrived. Some difficult decisions have had to be made; we have had to do some pruning in the form of mergers and discontinuances. But these moves have made the entire body more vibrant and alive. People are growing in grace and in the depth of their discipleship. Many congregations are growing in membership and worship attendance. Our District youth fellowship is exciting and excellently executed. There are innovative outreach and missions efforts in every corner of the District touching its local communities and extending into the world. I did not do these things; God did them while I was here. However, I know my encouraging, permission-giving leadership style made room for God to move as God has. There is ultimately nothing that love cannot accomplish.
For the past three years I have been serving as Dean of the Cabinet. Due to the illness and death of resident Bishop Martin D. McLee and the presence of successive retired Bishop's who have sought to give leadership and care to the New York Conference while we await the assignment of our next resident Bishop in July of 2016, I have had the distinction of being Cabinet Dean to four Bishops -- Bishop McLee, Bishop Neal Irons, Bishop Ernest Lyght and Bishop Jane Allen Middleton. The task of adapting to the different leadership styles of each of these episcopal leaders has been challenging yet ultimately rewarding. I find that adjusting to each Bishop's unique giftedness caused me to find fresh resources of my own giftedness; the result has been my personal and professional growth.
In 2008 I was a member of the New York Annual Conference's Jurisdictional Conference delegation. I was a member of the 2012 General Conference delegation and an episcopal candidate at the 2012 Jurisdictional Conference. I am a member of New York's 2016 Jurisdictional Conference delegation and a candidate for episcopal election at that meeting in 2016.
In addition to my other responsibilities, I have often been a guest preacher/speaker for many churches and community organizations. Moreover, I have provided leadership to a wider community through participation on the Board of Directors of the Parish Resource Center, the Board of Directors of the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Board of Trustees of the New York Annual Conference, the Rules Committee of the New York Annual Conference, and her chairpersonship of the Spiritual Life and Worship Committee of the Long Island West District.
I became a skydiver in 2012 and earned a B license before deciding to hang up my rig. The story of how that all happened is for another day. While on the ground, I love preaching, teaching, singing, crocheting and watching old movies, and hanging out with our dog, Ufo.