- Epworth
Summer Worship at Epworth
Beloved Epworth Community,
I’m grateful to the Pastor/Staff/Parish Relations Committee for granting me a month of renewal leave which will begin on July 27. We have a terrific line up of guest preachers during that time:
I have great respect for each of these colleagues and I know you will be blessed to hear them. While I’m away, Rev. Carletta Aston will be the pastor on call. I’m so grateful to the many who will be covering my many duties while I refuel for the fall and year to come. I’ll be back in the office on August 27.
Join us in person (please pre-register your attendance here) or tune in to the livestream at 10am to participate in worship remotely:
Watch on Facebook Live (no account or login required)
Watch on our YouTube Channel
Watch on our Website
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kristin
Rev. Debbie Weatherspoon
The Reverend Debbie Weatherspoon is United Methodist clergy who lives in Richmond, California with her husband and two teenage sons. Debbie is a candidate for a Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement through Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Passionate about faith formation and social justice, Debbie serves on the national board of directors of JustFaith Ministries, whose programs engage us in the radical, Biblical sense of compassion and social responsibility. She also serves as the Faith Outreach lead for the East Bay Moms Demand Action for gun sense in America. After twenty years of pastoral ministry, serving congregations in Miami, San Jose and Los Altos, Debbie is taking time away from pastoral ministry as she continues studies, public engagement, and being with her family.
Akesa Fakava, M.Div
Akesa Fakava is a wife, mother, candidate for ordained ministry in our annual conference, and very grateful to be part of Epworth’s extended family. She served her pastoral internship at Epworth in 2019-2020 while working on her M-Div at the Claremont School of Theology where she graduated May 2021. She has served her home church, Hayward First UMC, as an active layperson for over 30 years, as well as our annual conference through Lay Servant Ministry support for the last 5 years. She enjoys gardening, traveling, walks, and being curious. Her greatest desire is to be the content hands and feet of Jesus by modeling love better today than yesterday.
Dr. Randall Miller
Dr. Randall Miller holds a Ph.D. in Ethics and Social Theory and has taught graduate courses in ethics, leadership, social change, and UM Studies at the Pacific School of Religion, the Graduate Theological Union, and ILIFF School of Theology. Randall is currently a visiting scholar at Claremont School of Theology and the Managing Director of Programs at the Center for Environmental Health. An active layperson and longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion, Randall has served on the executive committees of the UM General Board of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief and is currently the Vice President of the UM General Board of Church and Society. Randall and his partner Glenn Eagleson are members of Epworth UMC.
Rev. Angela Brown
Rev. Angela Brown was educated in San Francisco Public Schools. She attended the University of San Francisco, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation Rev. Angela began to work in the San Francisco District Attorney as an investigator for seven years, during that time, she entered San Francisco Law School, where she received a Juris Doctorate Degree.
The San Francisco District Attorney Office hired her as an Assistant District Attorney, where she worked in various units in the office until her retirement in 2010. Rev. Angela joined the US Naval Reserves as an enlisted member, commissioned as an Officer; after twenty-two years of service, she retired at the rank of Commander in 2006.
Rev. Angela is a lifetime United Methodist, and her home church is Jones Memorial UMC-SF. She has served in Local, District, Annual Conference, Jurisdictional, and General Conference Church level positions, elected to the Judicial Council at the 2008 General Conference. Currently, she is a member of Strengthen the Black Church for the 21st Century steering committee, a General UMC Church initiative. She was elected as the second-clergy delegate to the 2020 Western Jurisdictional Conference (pending).
After retiring from the District Attorney Office, Rev. Angela answered her call to ministry, attending Pacific School of Religion Seminary in Berkeley, where she earned a Master of Divinity in 2014. She was ordained as a Deacon in the California-Nevada Annual Conference in June of 2016. She was elected Chair of the Order of Deacons in 2017 and 2021.
Her first appointment was Associate Pastor serving at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, San Francisco, 2014-2018 as the minister of Advocacy and Congregational Care. Her current appointment is the Minister of Community Engagement, Advocacy, and Social Justice, serving the nine United Methodist Churches in San Francisco. She also serves as a San Francisco Community Chaplain. She is currently serving on the Pacific School of Religion Board of Trustees, serving as Secretary 2016-2019, and Vice-President 2019-2021. She also is a member of various Ecumenical groups and community activist committees in San Francisco.
She is a proud Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
