The need for Pastor’s wives to be nurtured and educated in ministry ranks at the top of the agenda for the newly elected President of the Shepherdess’ International East Jamaica Chapter, Sharette Oliphant and her eleven-member executive team. The new leaders won the confidence of the wider Shepherdesses and were elected to serve for the next two years, during the council’s biennial elections which was held on Sunday March 6, 2022.
“I am humbled to be given such a huge mandate,” said Oliphant. “It is indeed awesome opportunity to minister and serve with fellow wives in ministry. Ministry is teamwork and while we may not serve from the pulpit or the boardroom, our support to our husbands and the cause of God is invaluable to the success of the call placed on us” she ended.
The name Shepherdess is a rightly fitting name for the wife of one who serves as ‘shepherd of the flock.’ The need for fellowship, sharing and counsel becomes critical in light of the fact that wives in ministry possess overlapping experiences of joys and challenges. When ministers’ wives are able to connect and share on a regular basis, this leads to tangible results and a core objective of the movement being realized; that of assisting ministerial wives and families to cope with the demands of ministry.
Executive Members, Shepherdess' International East Jamaica Chapter (L-R) Juliet Burke Clark, Denice Smith, Genevieve Johsnon, Sharette Oliphant, Zenobia Taylor, Adiese Jonas- Murphy, Carol Nathan, Shenae Parker- Phillips, Metlyn Lewis :: Photo credit:
Sharette Oliphant, President (left) and Carol Nathan, Sponsor (right) of the Shepherdess' International East Jamaica Chapter. :: Photo credit:
“It is so important that we as Shepherdesses meet together in this very important fellowship of the Shepherdess International Chapter, East Jamaica” said Carol Nathan Sponsor of the group and wife of Pastor Eric Nathan, who serves as the President of the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “It’s a very warming and lovely experience as we share together as Shepherdesses, a part of one common family of Shepherdesses” she further echoed.
Below is the list of the executive members serving for the period March 2022 to December 2023:
- Sponsor- Carol Nathan
- President- Sharette Oliphant
- Vice President- Zenobia Taylor
- Secretary/Treasurer- Genevieve Johnson
- Asst. Secretary/Treasurer- Denice Smith
- Public Relations Officer/ Editor- Adiese Jonas- Murphy
- Music Coordinator- Adiese Jonas- Murphy
- Asst. Public Relations Officer/ Editor- Marcella Lewis
- Pastors’ Kids Coordinator- Carol Nathan
- Asst. Pastors’ Kids Coordinator- Juliet Burke Clark
- Care Coordinator- Moya Chin
- Asst. Care Coordinator- Metlyn Lewis
- Social Coordinator- Shenae Parker- Phillips
- Asst. Social Coordinator- Makeda Beckford