WorkshopFacilitators - St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Rev. Dr. Janice Blackmon
Rev. Dr. Janice Denise Blackmon was born in Birmingham, Alabama to Christian parents, Betty J. Sturdivant and Henry T. Sturdivant (deceased). She is blessed with two adult children, Demetrius (Loren) and Kristina who attend Miles College in Birmingham and two grandsons, Anthony and Braylon.

Rev. Dr. Blackmon was called to the ministry in 1994, while writing gospel music, some of which has been published. She attended Alcorn State University in Mississippi where she became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Birmingham-Southern College. In 2001, she graduated with honors from the Phillips School of Theology of the Interdenominational Theological Center, in Atlanta, GA, earning a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Church Administration. She earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH with a concentration in Social Justice and Political Activism and her area is Domestic Violence and Abuse.

Rev. Dr. Blackmon served as conference leader, workshop facilitator, and speaker in the states of Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, and Michigan. As an Ordained Elder of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church she has served as Pastor of the Smith Chapel CME Church of Moulton, AL; Saint Paul CME Church in Jacksonville, AL, where she co-founded the “House of Refuge”, a ministry for single parents, high school dropouts, and drug addicts; Carter Metropolitan CME Church, Danville, IL, where she was a member of the Faith Based Committee; a member of the Danville Area Community College Access, Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee; and as a member of the Chicago District she served as District Musician; Fews Memorial CME Church, River Rouge, MI where she served as the Dean of the Leadership Training School for the Michigan-Indiana Region, and Coordinator for the Interdenominational Theological Center Extension Course. She was named among Who’s Who of American Women 2006-07. She served as the CEO of the Venturing Scout Troop 1655. She was a part of the Council of Clergy Women of Metropolitan Detroit where the emphasis at the time was on domestic violence. She is the newly assigned pastor of the St. James CME Church in Chicago Heights, IL. At the 2008 Michigan-Indiana Region’s Annual Conference, Rev. Dr. Blackmon was appointed as the Presiding Elder of the Gary District.

Rev. Dr. Blackmon has written and published several articles for the “Christian Index”, the official periodical of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. She is currently writing two books entitled, Sharing Walls which she hopes to be published this year and Fishing with My Father, in the near future. She is the 2nd Place winner in the Children’s Songs Category of the Song Writing Contest sponsored by the Committee to Develop New CME Hymnal for her song, “Josiah.”

The most important thing is that she is a child of the KING!

Rev. Dr. Faith A. Allen
Reverend Dr. Faith A. Allen is an anointed spirit filled woman of God. She is the daughter of Reverend Lee A. Allen, Sr., a C.M.E. pastor in Dardenelle, Arkansas in the First Episcopal District, and Mrs. Myrtle E. West, Missionary President of Kansas-Missouri Region. Reverend Allen was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was raised in Wrightsville, Arkansas where her spiritual journey began at Beebe Chapel C.M.E. Church. Reverend answered her calling in 1990.

Reverend Dr. Allen attended Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas where she earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree in English and her Teacher’s Certification. She received a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. She later received her Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio where her field of study was Christian Education and Urban Ministries. Reverend Dr. Allen worked as a Newspaper Librarian for Kansas City Star for twenty-two years, and was a Language Arts Teacher at John Henrik Clarke African Centered Schule.

She has served nine years as pastor of St John C.M.E. Church in Richmond, Missouri and was a leader in the religious community. Under her pastorate the church experienced growth and was a multicultural membership. She led in the construction of building the new St John C.M.E. Church and fellowship hall. She founded “A Few Good Men of God” ministry that mentors to young boys. She was an associate minister at Jamison Memorial Temple in Kansas City, Missouri for five years where she co-founded the New Generation Youth Choir and served as a Sunday school teacher. In July 2004, she was appointed to Carter Metropolitan C.M.E. Church, the twentieth pastor making history by being the first female pastor.

Reverend Dr. Allen has accomplished much in her walk for Jesus. She served a President of the Kansas City C.M.E. Ministerial Alliance and was a member of the Richmond Ministerial Alliance. She was also Director of Evangelism and Director of Christian Education for Kansas Missouri Conference. In addition, Reverend Allen was Dean of Missouri District Leadership Training School. She has served as facilitator and teacher for the C.M.E. Convocation and Youth and Young Adult Conference. She has served as delegate to the General Conference. She is a published devotion writer. She is a sought after revivalist and speaker.

She is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. She received the “Sister in the Spirit” award from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She also received the “Jarena Lee” preaching award from African Methodist Episcopal Church Northwest Missouri Conference Women in Ministry.

Reverend Dr. Allen is truly a woman of God.