Preaching with Power w/Rev. Dr. Janet J. Sturdivant

Rev. Sturdivant will preach in person on March 178at 7:00PM EST at:

St. Paul Metropolitan AME Church
8398 Lindbergh Dr.
Philadelphia, PA  19152

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The Rev. Dr. Janet Jenkins Sturdivant - Presiding Elder of the South District of the Philadelphia Annual Conference

The Rev. Dr. Janet Jenkins Sturdivant is a woman of many firsts.  She is the first woman to ever preach the Annual Sermon in the Mother Conference of African Methodism since its organization in 1817.  The sermon title was ‘Who’s report will you believe’, Numbers 13:26-33.  This historic event took place at Mt. Pisgah AME Church, Philadelphia, PA. (May 1998). Rev. Dr. Sturdivant was the pastor of St. John AME Church—Wayne, Pa., her first pastorate.

Rev. Dr. Sturdivant, was the first woman to pastor Asbury AME Church, Chester, PA.  She was assigned to Asbury in June2003 by the Rt. Rev. Zedekiah L. Grady and served faithfully until her promotion on June 15, 2013.

Rev. Dr. Sturdivant was the first woman to host the Delaware Annual Conference in the First Episcopal District of the AME Church (2005), again in 2007, and 2012.On Saturday, June 15, 2013 Rev. Dr. Sturdivant was promoted to the office of Presiding Elder of the South District of the Philadelphia Annual Conference by Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram of the First Episcopal District.  Her appointment as Presiding Elder that year made it the first time that any Annual Conference in the AME Church had two female Presiding Elders serving in it, at the same time.  She is the first woman to superintend the South District. Elder Sturdivant is the first Presiding Elder to lead a Presiding Elder District—(The South District) in hosting the Philadelphia Annual Conference in its 201st year history. This was the very first time any Presiding Elder District hosted the Annual conference in the Philadelphia Conference’s history. Under her leadership the South District hosted the 202nd and 206^thSessions of the Philadelphia Annual Conference. She continues to serve as the South District Presiding Elder today. Presiding Elder Sturdivant graduate from Medialle College in Buffalo, New York with a B.S. (May 1986).  She graduated with a M.Div. from Lutheran Theological Seminary-Philadelphia (May 1993). She also received her D .Min. at Lutheran Theological Seminary-Philadelphia (May 2008).  Her project topic is ‘The Woman’s Journey to the Pastorate in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.’  

Her own personal accomplishment: she was assigned the Dean of the Ministerial Institute of the Delaware Annual Conference in 2006—2013; she was one of three preachers selected to preach for the Super--Soul Fest in Bermuda (alongside Bishop John Bryant, and Rev. William Watley); she preached for the Connectional Council of the AME Church and the Department of Evangelism for the AME Church.  She formerly served as the President of the Department of Evangelism for the hiladelphia Annual Conference for 7 years. She also served for six years as the Statistician for the Philadelphia Annual Conference.  She was elected a delegate to the General Conference of the AME Church for 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020and 2024.  She received a prestigious award from the NAACP Role model of the year. She is a part-time instructor at Lutheran and Payne Seminaries teaching AME History and Polity.  She served as the Chairperson of the Urban Theological Institute of the then Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia for 1998-2008.  Presiding Elder Sturdivant is the Secretary of the Connectional Presiding Elder’s Council of the AME Church (2019-); she is the Treasurer of the Presiding Elder’s Council of the First Episcopal District; she is the Director of The Rev. Dr. D. Albert Turk Ministry of Evangelism for the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (2019-)and the 2^nd Vice President of Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity (2019-). Former member of the AME Mass Choir while under the leadership of the Late Rev. Gabriel Hardemann, Jr.  Presiding Elder Sturdivant is married to the Rev. Michael W. Sturdivant.  Together they share a daughter, two sons, three grandchildren and two godchildren.

Presiding Elder Sturdivant is saved, sanctified and filled with God’s Holy Spirit and she is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation, first to the Jews and then to the Greeks.  Her life’s aim is to help somebody as she passes along, so that her living is not in vain.

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