Pastor Joy L. Gallmon
Rev. Joy L. Gallmon, Senior Pastor of St. Mark’s AME Church, is a native of Ft. Pierce,
Florida. She grew up in a positive environment, but one that might be a little challenging for many youth—her father was principal of the high school she attended.
“My dad was principal of my high school and my mother was a librarian. They’ve been married for 57 years now. During high school, in the eyes of some of my teachers, I could do no wrong, but in the eyes of many, I could not do any right. Attending college out of state was a priority for me; it was the first time that I truly felt I was able to be my own person,” she said.
‘Pastor Joy’, as she is affectionately called, graduated from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. After graduating, from 1992 to 1998 she worked as a buyer with JC Penney Company, and later as a buyer with the Miami Airport, purchasing candy and souvenirs for that venue. During the time that she was employed at JC Penney, she also married and started a family.
While she acknowledges that she initially felt the ‘call to ministry’ while in high school, she did not fully understand what it was.
“Growing up in a church—even a progressive one—people weren’t able to help me understand what it was. The ‘call’ came and went, but then it became stronger, so in response I answered, even though I had no intention of pastoring a church. However, I knew that if I was going to be in ministry, I had to go to seminary to prepare for it. That was just the next logical step for me. We take our children to physicians who have completed medical school and seek advice from attorneys that have graduated from law school. It only makes sense that if you are going to minister to people and be responsible for their spiritual well-being, you should study to do so. That doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be a good pastor, but it does provide you with a solid biblical foundation,” said Pastor Joy.
In response to the divine call to ministry, Pastor Joy delivered her initial sermon in April 1999 at Greater Bethel AME Church in Miami, FL. She enrolled full-time in the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, in Atlanta, GA where she earned a Master of Divinity degree from that institution and was ordained an itinerant elder in 2003.
Prior to her appointment to St. Mark AME Church, Pastor Joy served New Mount Pisgah AME Church, Lake City, FL for seven years, St. Paul AME Church, in Ocala, FL for five years and Allen Temple AME Church, in Brooksville, FL for two years.
Pastor Joy acknowledges that at each church she has served, she’s been the first female pastor, so she does not regard her gender as an issue.
“My father taught me early on that it doesn’t matter what people think of you that determines how far you go in life; it’s what YOU think of you. I quietly do the work that God has called me to do and trust that He will make a way,” she said.
While Pastor Joy has only been at St. Mark AME Church since October of last year, she is already making her mark (no pun intended) and, even though she’s a native Floridian, surprisingly, she doesn’t mind the cold weather or snow.
“Milwaukee is great and to this day, I’ve not shoveled a teaspoon of snow. I will admit that I was a little surprised in April; first that it snowed and secondly, that someone had cleaned my car off for me,” she said.
Pastor Joy said that she is committed to St. Mark will continuing its long-standing reputation of serving the community, with plans to do even more.
“St. Mark is uniquely gifted in its human, financial and community relationships. We will continue doing the great work that we do, as we focus on those areas that we advocate for in our mission statement. We are gearing up and anticipating broadening our commitment and service to this community. We recently hosted the City of Milwaukee Health Department Office of Violence Prevention: Mobilizing the Faith Community to End Violence, and we’ve hosted Listening Sessions with State Representatives and Congressmen. We also have renewed our commitment to Keefe Avenue School. In fact, some of our members help host an event at the school for this year’s graduates. I think we can do more and we will,” she said.
Pastor Joy is the mother of two adult children, a daughter, 23, who recently graduated from Smith College, Northampton, MA and a son, 25, who is a graduate student at Howard University, Washington, DC.
If history is an indicator, Milwaukee can expect some thoughtful leadership, strategic vision and compassionate service from Pastor Joy. Buckle up and stay tuned!
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