A TRIBUTE TO MY SPIRITUAL MOTHER
and MENTOR
BISHOP REV. DR. BARBARA KING
and MENTOR
BISHOP REV. DR. BARBARA KING
By Rev. Sandy Rodgers
Bishop Rev. Dr. Barbara Lewis King is the Spiritual Founder of Hillside International Truth Center in Atlanta Georgia. Dr. Barbara as she is affectionately called has suffered with gender-biases her entire reign of becoming a leading woman in the New Thought arena. The problem existed in the narrow-mindedness of the male dominated clergy, not in her abilities to be an effectively profound minister. She served as a mentor and mother figure to thousands globally.
She faced prejudice in the South’s Bible Belt where female clergy were frowned upon by men. She also suffered humiliation in the urban area of Los Angeles. When her mother died, she was not allowed to sit in the pulpit. The presiding pastor of the church said it was unethical and not permitted. “Women do not belong in leadership positions within the church” she was told as she was grieving the death of her mother. This demonstrates the prejudice within the so-called theology leaders of that time.
This woman was fully capable of delivering the sermon, spiritual message, or any other verbal address to the congregation. However, she was denied the privilege to speak at her mother’s funeral, because she refused to offer her words from a distant position/podium which they offered her! How absurd this behavior was to disrespect another human regardless of being male or female? Isn’t the church the place of unconditional love and acceptance?
Back in Georgia, her home state of residence, she found many more hindrances and exclusions from participating or being an equal member in the religious community. She had to earn her place of respect repeatedly. She fought a consistent battle, never tiring. The bias of the men of the first generation fully gave way to the second generation of unconscious gender biases. Dr. Barbara had no role models other than Dr. Johnnie Coleman, the iconic Chicago minister who founded and built the Christ Universal Temple, for which she led for over 50 years. Dr. Coleman served as her role model, mentor, and spiritual mother.
Dr. Barbara originally ignored her calling into ministry and took a job as a Social Worker with the state of Georgia. She enjoyed the work she did and the lives she was able to impact. However deep within her spirit she knew she was to be a beacon of light within the Spiritual Community. She became a role model so she could mentor and serve other upcoming women in the faith community.
Dr. Barbara remained vigilant in her strides to become a welcomed presence in the faith community. She began with a small group of 12 people in the living room of her residence. They met weekly with Bible study and Scripture lessons. She was consistent with her teachings. Therefore, her group grew larger and larger. She was able to transfer her love of Jesus the Christ to the people who came to hear her speak.
Dr. Barbara was unable to obtain a traditional loan to purchase the property for the church. The financial institutions did not believe she would be successful. Some even had the audacity to tell her they had never heard of a woman in ministry. She was following the teaching of New Thought, which was also unheard of, and many were afraid of any change in the traditional Southern Bible Belt methodology.
Yet many of the obstacles she faced served to strengthen her to stay focused on her calling. She used what others meant for her destruction as motivation to succeed. She succeeded in the face of the many men who originally refused to acknowledge her. She stood strong in her global ministry work. She reached many milestones in her countless years of staying focused on the goal of serving God’s children. Dr. Barbara was a well-known woman preacher in the Southern Bible Belt. She enjoyed many firsts for women in the ministry as well.
Bishop Barbara King set the mark high for women to stretch towards. Her leadership created some incredibly blessed and exceptionally talented Women in Ministry worldwide. In 2001 Dr. Barbara earned the highest honor bestowed upon a woman in Africa, she became the first female to be enstooled as a Chief at Assin Nsuta, Ghana, West Africa. Her stool name is Nana Yaa Twunmwaa I.
To have known this phenomenal woman was to love her unconditionally, which multitudes around the globe do. She was born August 26, 1930, in Houston, Texas. Although bullied often during her formative years, she never allowed that to dissuade her from loving people and life. Despite the challenges that come with being married, she continued to blaze the trail of life. Dr. Barbara has one son, Michael King, five grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She loved music of all genres, especially jazz, and she enjoyed dancing and having fun with others. She often taught from the pulpit that laughter is medicine for the soul.
Barbara King earned a BA in sociology from Texas Southern University, a master's in social work from Atlanta University and she obtained her Doctor of Ministry from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary of Detroit, Michigan in 2012 at age 81. She is a beloved Zeta Phi Beta Soror. Additionally, Dr. Barbara earned several honorary Doctorates in Divinity from Bethune Cookman College, the Christian Church of Universal Philosophy, and the University of Metaphysics.
This trail blazer, Bishop Reverend Dr. Barbara L. King, demonstrated a manner of living that many were unaware of. She taught Holistic Healing long before it became popular. She taught on the sanctity of the whole self, mind, body, spirit and soul. She taught the standards of self-care and followed those core values impeccably. Often, she seized opportunities to learn new healing modalities from naturopathic practitioners. She continued to learn throughout her life.
Dr. Barbara's other accomplishments include being the first bishop of the International New Thought Christian Movement of Churches; she was among the first Black ministers who openly embraced the LGBTQ community and helped people with HIV/AIDS. She traveled extensively in the United States, and taught and ministered in Finland, Russia, England, Canada, Israel, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and Australia. Her ministry was the first African American New Thought affiliate to establish a sister church in South Africa in 1994; in 2010, she became the first bishop of the New Thought Christian Movement of Churches; and in 2018, the city of Atlanta approved the renaming of the Interfaith Chapel to the Dr. Barbara Lewis King Interfaith Chapel at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
She made some mistakes like all of us do. Remember she was paving the way for upcoming women ministers, creating the template. There did not exist any role models in the South for her to model after, so she created the model. One personal sacrifice perhaps was that of her family. Traditionally it is recognized that children of preachers suffer their parents’ absence from the home. Its prevalence is known by many as the term ‘PK’ which stands for Preachers Kid. Many recognize an inherent problem with this population.
In her nearly 50 years in the clergy, Dr. Barbara faced tremendous odds, yet she overcame them. As women make decisions to conquer fields that are not considered traditional for women, we must be prepared to be role models. And we must understand that the whole of humanity will be better off when all people are given opportunities to fulfil their destiny. We continue to honor the legacy of Bishop Reverend Dr. Barbara Lewis King, Nana Yaa Twunmwaa I.
Bishop Dr. Rev Barbara L. King transitioned October 11, 2020, at the tender age of 90.
Bishop Rev. Dr. Barbara Lewis King is the Spiritual Founder of Hillside International Truth Center in Atlanta Georgia. Dr. Barbara as she is affectionately called has suffered with gender-biases her entire reign of becoming a leading woman in the New Thought arena. The problem existed in the narrow-mindedness of the male dominated clergy, not in her abilities to be an effectively profound minister. She served as a mentor and mother figure to thousands globally.
She faced prejudice in the South’s Bible Belt where female clergy were frowned upon by men. She also suffered humiliation in the urban area of Los Angeles. When her mother died, she was not allowed to sit in the pulpit. The presiding pastor of the church said it was unethical and not permitted. “Women do not belong in leadership positions within the church” she was told as she was grieving the death of her mother. This demonstrates the prejudice within the so-called theology leaders of that time.
This woman was fully capable of delivering the sermon, spiritual message, or any other verbal address to the congregation. However, she was denied the privilege to speak at her mother’s funeral, because she refused to offer her words from a distant position/podium which they offered her! How absurd this behavior was to disrespect another human regardless of being male or female? Isn’t the church the place of unconditional love and acceptance?
Back in Georgia, her home state of residence, she found many more hindrances and exclusions from participating or being an equal member in the religious community. She had to earn her place of respect repeatedly. She fought a consistent battle, never tiring. The bias of the men of the first generation fully gave way to the second generation of unconscious gender biases. Dr. Barbara had no role models other than Dr. Johnnie Coleman, the iconic Chicago minister who founded and built the Christ Universal Temple, for which she led for over 50 years. Dr. Coleman served as her role model, mentor, and spiritual mother.
Dr. Barbara originally ignored her calling into ministry and took a job as a Social Worker with the state of Georgia. She enjoyed the work she did and the lives she was able to impact. However deep within her spirit she knew she was to be a beacon of light within the Spiritual Community. She became a role model so she could mentor and serve other upcoming women in the faith community.
Dr. Barbara remained vigilant in her strides to become a welcomed presence in the faith community. She began with a small group of 12 people in the living room of her residence. They met weekly with Bible study and Scripture lessons. She was consistent with her teachings. Therefore, her group grew larger and larger. She was able to transfer her love of Jesus the Christ to the people who came to hear her speak.
Dr. Barbara was unable to obtain a traditional loan to purchase the property for the church. The financial institutions did not believe she would be successful. Some even had the audacity to tell her they had never heard of a woman in ministry. She was following the teaching of New Thought, which was also unheard of, and many were afraid of any change in the traditional Southern Bible Belt methodology.
Yet many of the obstacles she faced served to strengthen her to stay focused on her calling. She used what others meant for her destruction as motivation to succeed. She succeeded in the face of the many men who originally refused to acknowledge her. She stood strong in her global ministry work. She reached many milestones in her countless years of staying focused on the goal of serving God’s children. Dr. Barbara was a well-known woman preacher in the Southern Bible Belt. She enjoyed many firsts for women in the ministry as well.
Bishop Barbara King set the mark high for women to stretch towards. Her leadership created some incredibly blessed and exceptionally talented Women in Ministry worldwide. In 2001 Dr. Barbara earned the highest honor bestowed upon a woman in Africa, she became the first female to be enstooled as a Chief at Assin Nsuta, Ghana, West Africa. Her stool name is Nana Yaa Twunmwaa I.
To have known this phenomenal woman was to love her unconditionally, which multitudes around the globe do. She was born August 26, 1930, in Houston, Texas. Although bullied often during her formative years, she never allowed that to dissuade her from loving people and life. Despite the challenges that come with being married, she continued to blaze the trail of life. Dr. Barbara has one son, Michael King, five grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She loved music of all genres, especially jazz, and she enjoyed dancing and having fun with others. She often taught from the pulpit that laughter is medicine for the soul.
Barbara King earned a BA in sociology from Texas Southern University, a master's in social work from Atlanta University and she obtained her Doctor of Ministry from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary of Detroit, Michigan in 2012 at age 81. She is a beloved Zeta Phi Beta Soror. Additionally, Dr. Barbara earned several honorary Doctorates in Divinity from Bethune Cookman College, the Christian Church of Universal Philosophy, and the University of Metaphysics.
This trail blazer, Bishop Reverend Dr. Barbara L. King, demonstrated a manner of living that many were unaware of. She taught Holistic Healing long before it became popular. She taught on the sanctity of the whole self, mind, body, spirit and soul. She taught the standards of self-care and followed those core values impeccably. Often, she seized opportunities to learn new healing modalities from naturopathic practitioners. She continued to learn throughout her life.
Dr. Barbara's other accomplishments include being the first bishop of the International New Thought Christian Movement of Churches; she was among the first Black ministers who openly embraced the LGBTQ community and helped people with HIV/AIDS. She traveled extensively in the United States, and taught and ministered in Finland, Russia, England, Canada, Israel, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and Australia. Her ministry was the first African American New Thought affiliate to establish a sister church in South Africa in 1994; in 2010, she became the first bishop of the New Thought Christian Movement of Churches; and in 2018, the city of Atlanta approved the renaming of the Interfaith Chapel to the Dr. Barbara Lewis King Interfaith Chapel at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
She made some mistakes like all of us do. Remember she was paving the way for upcoming women ministers, creating the template. There did not exist any role models in the South for her to model after, so she created the model. One personal sacrifice perhaps was that of her family. Traditionally it is recognized that children of preachers suffer their parents’ absence from the home. Its prevalence is known by many as the term ‘PK’ which stands for Preachers Kid. Many recognize an inherent problem with this population.
In her nearly 50 years in the clergy, Dr. Barbara faced tremendous odds, yet she overcame them. As women make decisions to conquer fields that are not considered traditional for women, we must be prepared to be role models. And we must understand that the whole of humanity will be better off when all people are given opportunities to fulfil their destiny. We continue to honor the legacy of Bishop Reverend Dr. Barbara Lewis King, Nana Yaa Twunmwaa I.
Bishop Dr. Rev Barbara L. King transitioned October 11, 2020, at the tender age of 90.
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