Speaker bios

Reverend Francine Vinson serves as spiritual advisor of the Faith

United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the
Pulpit staff at Lincoln Congregational Temple United Church of Christ in
Washington, DC. She also serves as an on-call chaplain at the
Washington Hospital Center. She had provided pastoral care to youth
and families living in the Lincoln Westmoreland Apartments and the
surrounding Shaw community. During her federal career she was a
nationally recognized authority on School Improvement Programs, Parent
and Community Involvement under Title I, Chapter 1 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act. She retired as a Senior Education
Program Specialist in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Programs from the US Department of Education. She also served as
administrator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Program. Her community service included membership in the Southwest
(Washington, DC) Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) from 1976-1999. She
was the recipient of the Citizen Award for Outstanding Community
Service from the First District Metropolitan Police Department in 1990
and subsequent appreciation awards from SWNA in 1992 and 1993.
Reverend Vinson’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science
degree in Business Management and Education Administration for the
University of the District of Columbia and a Masters of Divinity degree
from Howard University School of Divinity, 1997. Her professional
memberships include: American Business Women’s Association (ABWA),
National Council of Negro Women, Central Atlantic Conference Partners
in Education and the Retired Air Force Sergeants Association. She is
mother of four, a grandmother, a great grandmother, a sister and a
friend to many.

Pastor James Clements, Jr. is the pastor the Columbia Community

SDA Church in Columbia, Maryland and a Chaplain with Adventist Home
Health Services. From 1993 to 2003, he served as pastor in the Lake
Region Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the All Nations
Fellowship, Burr Ridge, IL; Gary West Church, Gary, IN: New Life SDA
Church, Chicago, IL; Morgan Park SDA Church, Chicago, IL; and Beacon
of Joy SDA Church, Chicago, IL. He served as the Director of the Church
Ministries Department of the Columbia Union Conference from 1988 to
1993. During his tenure as pastor in the Allegheny East Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists he served at the First SDA Church, Teaneck, NJ;
First SDA Church, Englewood, NJ: Emmanuel Temple SDA Church,
Alexandria, VA; Pisgah SDA Church, Bryans Road, MD; First SDA Church,
Montclair, NJ; and Siloam SDA Company, Elizabeth, NJ. His educational
achievements include Chaplaincy Certificate (2004) Washington Hospital
Center; Master of Divinity (1972) Andrews University, Berrien Springs,
MI; Master of Sacred Theology (1976) New York Theological Seminary,
NY, NY; Bachelor of Arts in Theology (1969) Columbia Union College,
Takoma Park, MD. He served in the United States Air Force from 1957 to
1961. Pastor Clements also worked for the federal government with the
Veterans Administration and Central Intelligence Agency from 1962 to
1996. He is married to the former Shirley Outlaw and they are the proud
parents of two adult children, Carolyn Williams and William Outlaw, Jr.
and grandparents of granddaughters, Niecole and Tandria.

Dr. James M. Shopshire is a native of Atlanta, Georgia where he

received his undergraduate education at Clark College (1963), now Clark
Atlanta University, and the Bachelor of Divinity degree at Gammon
Theological Seminary of Interdenominational Theological Center (1966).
Following five years of pastoral service in Des Moines, Iowa, he earned
the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Northwestern University in Evanston,
Illinois (1975). In addition to pastoral service with Burns United
Methodist Church in the Iowa Conference, where he assisted in the
formation and development of the Inner City Cooperative Parish of Des
Moines, and founded The Center for the Study and Application of Black
Theology, Dr. Shopshire has served pastoral appointments in Atlanta,
Georgia and Chicago, Illinois. He served as a member and vice-
chairperson of the 1985-1988 General Commission for the Study of
Ministry of the United Methodist Church. He was a member of the
Research Advisory Committee, General Council on Ministries of the
United Methodist Church. Dr. Shopshire served on the faculty of the
Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta as Assistant Professor
of Sociology of Religion from 1975-1980, including two years as
Chairperson in the field of Church and Society. During the years 1980-
1985 he served as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Sociology
of Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Presently he is Professor of Sociology of Religion and Urban Ministry at
Wesley Theological Seminary. He served as consultant and writer of the
plan for “Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century” which was
adopted for implementation by the General Conference of 1996. ). He
is currently a board member of the African American Methodist Heritage
Center. Dr. Shopshire is married to the Rev. Dr. Ramonia Lee. He is the
father of three adult children and ten grandchildren.

Reverend Dr. Frank D. Tucker was born in Blackstone, Virginia. He

attended the Virginia public schools graduating from Foster High School
in 1957. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology/Philosophy
in June 1961 from Howard University. He received the Bachelor of
Divinity degree in 1964 from the Howard University School of Divinity.
Reverend Tucker served as College Minister and Assistant Professor of
Theology at the Florida Memorial College from 1965 to 1966. He was
then called to the pastorate of the Jones Memorial Baptist Church in
Philadelphia, PA, serving from 1966 to 1976. He became pastor of the
First Baptist Church located at New Hampshire Avenue and Randolph
Street, NW Washington, DC on February 1, 1976. He joined the faculty
of the Howard University School of Divinity as adjunct professor in 1986.
Reverend Tucker is affiliated with many community and religious groups.
He is a member of the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Washington, DC;
Executive Committee of the Foreign Mission Board of the National Baptist
Convention, USA, Inc.; and is the Facilitator for the Wednesday Clergy
Fellowship. He is the recipient of many awards and recognitions. Dr.
Tucker received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the
Richmond Virginia Seminary on October 15, 2007. He is married to the
former Barbara Barbour and the father of one daughter, Lisa Elizabeth.

Reverend Dr. Deborah Hoy Jones is an Assistant Pastor of the

Beloved Community Church in Fort Washington, Maryland. She serves as
the Director of Christian Education. Her other ministry involvement
includes the Stakeholders of Prince George’s County HIV/AIDS Ministry,
teaching in churches and seminary, and foreign missions. She graduated
from Morgan State University and the Rutgers Medical School (now
Robert Wood Johnson). She received the Master of Divinity degree from
the Howard University School of Divinity in May 2007 with a 4.0 GPA.
Currently, she is an assistant professor of Pediatrics, Division of
Neonatology at the Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.
She has been blessed to lead weekly Bible Study at Georgetown and to
participate in the weekly worship services for patients, families, and
staff. She is a member of the Advisory Board for Pastoral Care and
Missions at the Georgetown University Hospital. One of her favorite
scriptures is: Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I
have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Pastor Charles Richards Jr. is from the beautiful island of Jamaica. A

product of Christian education, he graduated from Garden State
Academy in 2000. He received the Bachelor of Arts in Theology degree
with an emphasis in Pastoral Ministry from the Columbia Union College in
Takoma Park, Maryland. While at CUC, Pastor Richards served as
Assistant Chaplain, counselor, mentor and friend to many on the
campus. He was ordained as an elder at the Bladensburg SDA Church on
November 22, 2003. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Community
and Campus Service Award by the Religion Department of CUC in 2005.
He has served as Associate Pastor of the First SDA Church in Newark,
New Jersey and currently serves as Youth Pastor at the First SDA Church
of Washington, DC under the leadership of Senior Pastor, Dr. Mark A.
McCleary. He is presently pursing a Masters of Arts in Religion at the
School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Columbia Union College.
Additionally, he is employed as a Drug and Alcohol counselor in
Coatesville, Pennsylvania. His future plans include a doctorate degree in
marriage and family counseling and full time pastorate of an Adventist
church. He and his wife Rashina are the proud parents of one son.
Pastor Richards says that he’s a flawed man trying to deliver a perfect
message to a flawed people.

Pastor David W. Trusty, Sr. received the call to preach the Word of
God in 1971. After recognizing and answering the call, he completed a
BA degree in Theology at Oakwood College and a Master’s degree in
Religion with a concentration in Pastoral Counseling at Andrews
University. Pastor Trusty has served as Pastor in Ohio and Maryland and
as Chaplain for Hospice in New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. The
ministry has taken Pastor Trusty to Uganda, Bermuda, Jamaica, and
throughout the United States preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. After
years of pasturing in a traditional, denominational setting, God began to
stir up something new. Pastor Trusty founded the Upper Room
Fellowship Center in 2002 to bring healing and deliverance to those in
need, believing strongly that the Body must be empowered with spiritual
authority to fulfill the Gospel Commission of Christ. He is the married to
the former Janice James and they are the proud parents of seven
children who join with the Holy Spirit in fulfilling the vision of
empowering the Body of Christ through the Word.

Pastor Jimmie Gibson currently serves as the Associate Youth Pastor

of the Community Praise Center SDA Church in Alexandria, Virginia and
Interim President of the Metro Area Youth Federation of the Allegheny
East Conference of SDA. A native of Washington, DC, Pastor Gibson has
held numerous leadership positions with the Seventh-day Adventist
churches and schools in the Metro area among them Assistant Pastor,
Columbia Community and Emmanuel Temple SDA Churches in Columbia,
MD and Alexandria, VA respectively; Freshman Bible and Life Skills
Teacher and Assistant Guidance Counselor at Takoma Academy in
Takoma Park, MD, and Youth Elder, Adventist Youth Society Leader,
Earliteen Sabbath School Leader, and Inner Cities Ministries Leader. He
received his Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from the
University of the District of Columbia and is currently pursing a Master in
Religion degree at Columbia Union College and MSW at Howard
University. Pastor Gibson’s prayerful goals are to pursue a successful and
efficient career in pastoral ministry as well as becoming a licensed social
worker to better serve the church’s community service outreach
program.
 SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST

The First Word………………………..……………………….Rev. Francine Vinson

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:24)
Selection……..”Sacrifice”

The Second Word………………………………….……..Pastor James Clements

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)

Selection……”Remember Me”

The Third Word…………………………………………………Dr. James Shopshire

“Woman, behold your Son…Behold your mother” (John 19:26, 27)
Selection……….”Calvary”

The Fourth Word……………………………….……….Rev. Dr. Frank D. Tucker

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34)
Selection………..”He Would Not Come Down”

The Fifth Word………………………………………Rev. Dr. Deborah Hoy-Jones

“I Thirst” (John 19:28)
Selection……”The Blood”

The Sixth Word…………………….……..…..…….Pastor Charles Richards, Jr.

“It is finished.” (John 19:30)
Selection……”I Never Met A Man”

The Seventh Word………………………..………..Pastor David W. Trusty, Sr.

“Father, into Your hand I commend My Spirit” (Luke 23:46)
Selection…..”Father I Stretch My Hand to Thee”

The “Eighth” Word……………………………………..……Dr. Mark A. McCleary