Ebenezer A.M.E. Church has a proud history of having had many of its Lay Members submit to God's call to the ministry.

Rev. Roger D. Jackson Rev. Larry King Rev. Gwendolyn K Lowe Sis. Stacy R. Overman Rev. Donna F. Roberson Rev. Rachel E. Williams Rev. Marva Wills

Rev. Donna F. Roberson has served the Lord in pastoral service for approximately 12 years. Her previous appointments have been to Benton Avenue A.M.E. Church, Springfield, MO (five years); and Gilbert Memorial A.M.E. Church, Kansas City, MO (six years). Rev. Roberson currently pastors an energized Gregg Tabernacle A.M.E. Church congregation. She has served on the Board of Examiners, and has held many offices such as President of the A.M.E. Ministerial Alliance, Treasurer of Women in Ministry, to name a few.

Rev. Roberson’s community service includes a board member of the equal Employment Opportunity, Clergy Counselor for Hospice, Affirmative Action Committee member, Clergy Counselor for AIDS, and a member of the Black Chamber of Commerce.

Rev. Roberson possesses Bachelor of Business Administration and Church Ministries degrees, and has earned many other degrees and certificates. Rev. Roberson is a mother of one daughter and grandmother of three.

Rev. Roger D. Jackson was the third child of Arthur Andrew Jackson, Sr. And Elizabeth Jackson. Rev. Jackson was ordained as an Itinerant on September 27, 1987, and currently pastors Jordan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Denver, Colorado. Prior to this, Rev. Jackson served as supply minister to Lovell Chapel A.M.E. Church, Huntsville, MO; and Bethel A.M.E. Church, Yakima, WA.

Under his leadership, Rev. Jackson has renovated two churches and a parsonage. He has done much to strengthen others in their service for the Lord, such as establishing Saturday Schools, Stop Beating Up on Yourself (a program for persons with dependency problems), Health Ministry, Community Feed Program, and other services.

Rev. Jackson possesses Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in counseling. He was cited by Ebony magazine twice for his work in the insurance industry. Rev. Jackson is married to his driving force Helen and has five children.

Rev. Marva Wills was born to the union of Martha and the late James King, Sr. And grew up with five brothers in a Christian family. Rev. Wills was ordained as Itinerant Deacon in 1989 and received Itinerant Elder orders in 1991. The Ebenezer A.M.E. Church family and its pastors have played a major role in Rev. Wills’ development. She was baptized in 1952 at the church when it was located at 16th and Lydia, with Rev. Harry Davis presiding. Marva pastored Bethel A.M.E. Church, Macon, MO for two years and now is fortunate to serve along side her husband Rev. Jack Wills at Sterling Chapel A.M.E. Church, Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Marva has been continuously active with children, the elderly, and the less fortunate throughout her life. She has served in several civic, social, and cultural activities. This commitment she attributes to God, her fellow brothers and sisters; and Pastors Grady Brown, L. Fisher Hines, F.F. Flipper, George Martin, harry Davis, L. Sylvester Odom, E. Woody Hall, E.B. Childress, Darryl Walker, and Presiding Elder P. Albert Williams.

Rev. Wills possesses a Bachelor’s in Education and a Master’s in Counseling and Guidance. She is married to Rev. Jack Wills and together they have five children and nine grandchildren.

Rev. Gwendolyn K. Lowe is the daughter of the late Willa Mae Jones Boyd and Abe Jones, Sr. and is the youngest of five children. Rev. Lowe was raised by Virgil and Minnie Blake, members of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church and accepted Christ at the age of eight. She accepted the call to the ministry in late 1987 and was licensed to preach in 1988. Rev. Lowe was ordained a Deacon in 1991 and mid-year 1992 was assigned to Bethel A.M.E. Church, Speed, MO where she pastored for four and one-half years.

Rev. Lowe was active throughout her years with lay organizations. She serves as Young People’s Division director for two years and worked as a missionary to establish what is often the most successful bone marrow drive of the Kansas City Area. As a pastor at Bethel, she established their first Lay Organization and re-established the class leader system. The church also purchased its first complete set of alterware and paraments. Rev. Lowe, at present, serves as an associate minister at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Kansas City, MO under the guidance of Rev. Darryl Walker. She has responsibility for the tape ministry and serves in a guidance capacity for the Ebenezer Acolytes for which she originally founded.

Rev. Lowe graduated from Lincoln High School as one of its top students. She attended Medical School at the University of Missouri at Kansas City , but withdrew due to personal illness. Rev. Lowe later attended Penn Valley Community College. She is a recognized Medical Assistant and Emergency Medical Technician. Rev. Lowe is married to trustee Larry Lowe and they have one daughter (Andrea Nicole).

Rev. Larry King was born to the union of Martha and the late James King, Sr. and grew up with four brothers and one sister (Marva). Rev. King was admitted as a Licentiate Minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church during the Annual Conference in 1990. Since that time, Rev. King was ordained Itinerant Deacon during 1992 and appointed pastor of Yokum Chapel A.M.E. Church. In Malta Bend, MO. During 1994, Rev. King was ordained as an Elder.

Rev. King successfully re-established many programs at his current appointment at Ward Chapel in Richmond, MO. Among those are the class leader program and Sunday School. His congregation has also recently established tithing and outreach programs, and paid off past indebtedness. Prior to this Larry served a Northwest Missouri District Superintendent of Sunday Schools from 1987 until 1992. He was also active on many church boards and auxiliaries. Larry was nominated to the 50 Most Influential Black Men in Kansas City and has been honored with the Outstanding Young Men in America Award six times.

Rev. King is also employed as a Principal at Indian Woods Middle School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education and is in pursuit of his Ph.D. Rev. King’s help mate is Carolyn, a past member of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church.

Rev. Rachel E. Williams, the daughter of Presiding Elder P. Albert Williams, Sr. and Mildred J. Williams, was ordained an Itinerant Deacon on October12, 1996. Rev. Williams accepted her call to preach in 1993 and has assisted in morning services at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church during summer and winter breaks from her academic studies. She also serves diligently in conference and community activities whenever her schedule allows.

Rev. Williams works as a ministerial intern at the Historic Charles Street Church in Boston, Rev. Williams maintains a number of responsibilities associated with education (e.g., tutoring and interpersonal communication for youth and teens alike).

After she graduates from BRUSTH and is ordained Itinerant Elder, Rev. Williams plans to marry her finance, Rev. Gordon Glenn, and serve overseas missionaries before pastoring full time. Rev. Williams hopes to transform her final project for her mission class into a book on the history of African American mission theory and practice while completing the work of the Great Expectations program in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sis. Stacy R. Overman is the daughter of Paul and Virginia Overman. Sis. Overman has led a right and just life under the guidance of her parents. As a late teen, she gave her life to God when she realized a life free of serious blemishes still fell short of God’s glory. Since that time, she has diligently witnessed to the goodness of God both inside an outside the church. Sis. Overman’s first activities inside the church were the youth choir and softball at Sunrise Baptist Church, where her grandmother, instructor for approximately five years as well as serving on the Sunday School committee.

Following this activity, Sis Overman was led to leave Sunrise and search for her spiritual identity. She worked with a flock of the underprivileged that she could help to empower to reach their heart’s desires through careful study of the scriptures and action. The African Methodist Episcopal Church offered structure and an opportunity to worship with her significant other, William Evans, who is a musician at Ebenezer. Sis. Overman currently assists in the pulpit and teaches Sunday School on a rotating basis. She holds the position of assistant secretary to the local Official Board.

Outside the church, Sis. Overman takes with her the greatest commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself. Sis. Overman loves to work with young people and has developed several programs. She has worked with the Genesis School, the Kansas City School District, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Jackson County Parks and Recreation, and Raytown Girls Little League.

Stacy has earned a bachelor’s of journalism degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia with a minor in African American Studies. She is currently working to obtain a Master’s of Theological Studies with an emphasis in Black Church Studies.