Question: Can you tell us about you and your family?
I hail from Aliceville, Alabama, where I was raised by my parents, Booker T. and Viola Washington. I am the youngest of eleven children, comprising six brothers and five sisters. My upbringing on a farm involved managing livestock, including cattle, hogs, mules, and chickens, alongside various other responsibilities. The chores associated with farming necessitated diligent attention, particularly during the cotton harvest season from September through December, a period during which my entire family participated. Due to farming commitments, my siblings and I frequently missed school, attending classes whenever we could, based on how much we were needed to get the farm work done in a given week. However, our school attendance remained consistent from January through May following the Christmas and New Year holidays.
I was fortunate to grow up in a nurturing community. My parents actively participated in Emory Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 7079 County Road 13, Aliceville, Alabama. While they encouraged fun and engagement within our home and community, even on Sundays, they also instilled a strong work ethic in my siblings and me.
After completing high school, I relocated to Arkansas, where I balanced multiple jobs to support myself. It was during this time that I was reacquainted with my future spouse, Mona. I met her a few years earlier when I worked in Little Rock, Arkansas, during the summers. We grew closer after my permanent move to Arkansas in 1974, and we subsequently married. We are parents to two sons, Michael and Gary, who reside in Fort Smith, Arkansas; we are blessed with eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. My wife and I moved back to Little Rock after serving Mt. Zion CMC for seventeen years and Mission UMC for thirteen and a half years. Both churches are located in Fort Smith, AR. I received a midyear appointment in 2015 that was effective January 16, 2016. That appointment was to Theressa Hoover UMC, where I served for two and a half years. In July 2018, I was appointed to Highland Valley UMC and served there until June 2021. In July 2021, I was appointed as the Central District Superintendent of the Arkansas Annual Conference and served in that appointment until June 30, 2025. At which time I retired and started my current part-time appointment as Cultural Outreach Coordinator for the Black Church Initiative – A Toolkit For Vitality.
Question: How have you enjoyed retirement so far?
My retirement has been a multifaceted experience. I find myself quite active, yet I am learning to pace my activities and avoid feeling rushed. I feel this is a good way for me to enter retirement; it allows me to move into retirement without coming to a full stop. That feels good for my work ethic background. However, I am having to monitor my passion for this ministry, because it is so easy for me to fall back into my old ways of full-throttle ministry.
Question: What is your new official title?
I currently hold the position of Cultural Outreach Coordinator for the Black Church Initiative – A Toolkit for Vitality.
Question: How are you doing ministry these days?
My current ministry resembles the responsibilities of a district superintendent, where I oversee and address the needs of 35 predominantly African American congregations within the United Methodist Church of the Arkansas Conference. This role allows me to engage with pastors and laypersons in various contexts, including both cluster meetings and individual church settings.
Question: What are some of your focus areas in this ministry?
This initiative focuses on implementing relationship-based outreach, leadership development, and strategic resource-sharing to promote spiritual renewal and equitable collaboration across the conference. Many Black United Methodist Church congregations are currently facing challenges such as resource shortages, declining membership, and isolation. This initiative emerged from ongoing dialogues among leaders who recognized the necessity for systems of mutual support founded on dignity and shared vision.
Question: Do you have any impactful/meaningful stories to share yet?
One of the impactful stories I want to share is that of four siblings, three sisters and one brother, who the Black Church Initiative – A Toolkit For Vitality was able to sponsor to attend Mission U this past month of July. These four siblings are faithful in their ministry and work in their local church. I met them on several different occasions, and each time they were ministering through music either at a funeral or in their local churches. There was something that struck me about them and prompted me to continue to pay close attention to their commitment. So, as I slowly moved into this role, they stayed on my mind as to how we might be able to engage them in different segments of the United Methodist Church. The continuous thought in my mind was that they, the four siblings, need to connect with more of the United Methodist Church in various aspects, and the United Methodist Church needs to get to know about them. So, when I moved into this role, one of the first things that settled in my mind was to somehow help them attend Mission U. Through funding by the Arkansas conference of the United Methodist Church, we were able to do that. On the day that Mission U was to start, my wife and I wanted to make sure we could be there to ensure they were well taken care of. Although there was no need to worry because Trisha Mann, our Church and Community worker, had agreed to be the chaperone. For that, we are grateful. Anyhow, my wife and I finally made it to Hendricks College, where Mission U was taking place. When we located the four of them, they were having the time of their lives. They were so excited, and we were excited for them. They had gotten there long before it was time to check in. They’re aunt, the primary caregiver, and a friend of hers took them there and spent most of that first day getting them checked in. I thought we might have to stay close to them because this was something new for them, to my understanding. But that was not the case; they took to Mission U and the whole atmosphere like a duck to water. On the closing day, it was reported to me that they did not want to leave. I am so proud of all of them and of the Arkansas conference for affording them this opportunity. They have been an inspiration for me in this new ministry role that I am working in. I look forward to them being engaged in other segments of the United Methodist Church, and many other young African Americans, so that they can see the church on a larger scale and the church can see them. Who knows how this might cause God’s Kingdom work to be seen and a more positive life.
Question: What should we expect to see you doing in the future to build this ministry?
The Black Church Initiative – A Toolkit for Vitality aims to support and uplift Black youth through intentional mentorship, spiritual formation, and leadership development. Our objective is to empower the next generation of leaders by accompanying them in faith, hope, and love—providing guidance, affirmation, and a sense of community as they discover their God-given purpose. This initiative embodies our Wesleyan values of discipleship, connection, and social transformation. The Taskforce Members of The Black Church Initiative – A Toolkit for Vitality, along with Tiffany Simmons and me, are hopeful that at least ten to fifteen of the thirty-five predominantly African American churches will have an active mentoring ministry.
Question: How may we pray for you?
I kindly ask for prayers that I may continue to possess a listening ear, an attentive spirit, and a steadfast commitment to God’s calling during this appointed time of my life.