Vashti Murphy McKenzie
Vashti Murphy McKenzie is a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and author of six books. In 2000, McKenzie became the first woman to be elected as bishop in the denomination's history. She later served as President of the Council of Bishops, becoming the first woman to serve as Titular head of the AME Church. She currently serves the 10th Episcopal District.
Prior to becoming bishop, she served for ten years as the pastor at Payne Memorial AME Church in Baltimore, Maryland. She was ordained in 1984, while attending Howard University School of Divinity where she obtained her Masters of Divinity. She later completed a Doctorate in Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Ohio.
She has written several books on leadership for women in ministry, including Not Without A Struggle, and Strength in the Struggle. She is also the national chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Her grandmother, Vashti Turley Murphy, was one of the founders of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in 1913, when she was a student at Howard University.
McKenzie is married to retired NBA player Stan McKenzie, and is mother to Jon-Mikael McKenzie, Vashti-Jasmine Saint-Jean, and Joi-Marie McKenzie Lewis. In 2014, she was listed as one of 50 "Powerful Women Religious Figures Around The World" by the Huffington Post.
