Erin Hawkins-Smith is the Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the California Pacific Annual Conference. She began serving in this capacity in September 2020 and she works with the bishop, cabinet, and elected conference leaders to fulfill four primary responsibilities: serve as steward of the conference’s vision and mission, lead a continuous process of transformation and renewal, ensure alignment of conference resources with the vision, and ensure connections among local churches, districts, the conference and the general church.
Prior to that she served as the General Secretary of the General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church since 2007, an agency historically charged with leading our Church’s efforts to be fully inclusive of the participation of racial ethnic persons in its life and work, and challenging the Church and society when racism rears its destructive head. Under her leadership, she has transitioned the agency from a monitoring agency to one that assists the Church in becoming more culturally competent as it seeks to be contextually relevant in its commitment to reach more people, younger people, and more diverse people in the making of disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Mrs. Hawkins-Smith earned a Master of Science in Organizational Development from American University (Washington D.C.), a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN), and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside (Riverside, CA) and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Transformative Studies.
She lives in Los Angeles, with her husband Patrick.
8:00 AM Mission Moment speaker Margurite A. Carter
Ms. Margurite Carter is a member of Lewis Metropolitan C.M.E. Church, pastored by Rev. Travis Morris. Ms. Carter serves as the Director of the Board of Christian Education, a Sunday school teacher and member of the Women’s Missionary Society.
Ms. Carter served as the National President of Church Women United, 2008 – 2012. Currently, she works with the Los Angeles Unit of Church Women United as their Celebration Chairperson. She also actively supports Women’s Interfaith and the Community Bible.
In 2005, Ms. Carter made her first visit to Africa unaware that she would fall in love with the country and the people. Her one-day visit to Zambia changed her life. We don’t realize that we have so much to offer and our gifts are needed and they will be appreciated. Over the past 18 years Ms. Carter has developed a ministry, Rainbow of Promises, with a mission statement: “Reaching the Spiritual, Physical and Educational needs of the people of Africa.”
Ms. Carter’s annual three-month visit is filled with Vacation Bible School classes with all of the Christian denominations. That mission is to bring the gospel, and the love of Jesus to come alive to the children and youth. She travels the country making distributions of food, clothing, school supplies to teachers and Bibles and Sunday school literature to churches.
In 2018 – 2019, with the help of God and a lot of supporters she built and furnished a two-room school house for first and second graders.
“It was God’s pleasure to call and mine to answer.”
11:00 am Mission Moment speaker Janet Denise Kelly
Janet Denise Kelly offers more than two decades of accomplishment in the housing and nonprofit sectors. Beginning her career in fair housing, Ms. Kelly developed a strong interest in housing issues and parlayed this interest into addressing housing issues, implementing community and economic development initiatives, and building affordable housing opportunities.
Leveraging an impressive portfolio of experience in nonprofit management, operations, mergers, and strategic planning, Ms. Kelly has proven to be an adaptive and responsive leader in the community. She is the founder and Executive Director of Sanctuary of Hope, a county-wide organization with locations in South Los Angeles, South Bay, Compton, and Antelope Valley, which provides stabilization services for youth and young adults, ages 16 -25, who are housing or economically insecure, child welfare or justice impacted, trafficking or domestic violence survivors, or at-promise.
Throughout her career, Ms. Kelly has fostered good relations with the community. She has won many community service awards. She serves on youth service boards, is a member of local, state, and national housing organizations, and participates in economic revitalization activities. She was selected to serve on the Steering Committee for Los Angeles County’s Black People Experiencing Homelessness Initiative, and most recently was appointed to the Advisory Committee for the California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Ms. Kelly’s greatest passion is helping young people elevate. She seeks to change the landscape of their future by bringing capital and social resources that will help them become successful and thrive. She was honored by the Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce as the 2016 Business of the Year along with recent recognitions by the California Legislative Black Caucus as the 2021 59th Assembly District UnSung Hero, 2022 Black Women’s Collective Trailblazers and Leaders, 2023 SCLC Mary McLeod Bethune Award, and California Assembly District 55’s 2023 Nonprofit of the Year.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Los Angeles, holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and is the loving mother of four children.