Mother Erma Todd
Feisty, caring and energetic, at 80 years young, First Lady Erma Todd is full of wisdom and experience that she eagerly shares with young people—especially young ladies.
“Growing up as a young wife and mother, the older women in the church weren’t as open and willing to help the younger women. I could have benefitted from their knowledge, friendship and wisdom, but it was not available to me. I want to make sure that I embrace our young women and give them the help that I didn’t receive,” said Mother Todd.
Born in Pastoral, Arkansas in 1938 to Ernest Adams, Sr. and Beatrice Adams, Mother Todd was one of nine children. She attended Pastoral Elementary School and junior high school in Arkansas, but she never finished high school. Instead, she got married at the age of 17, had a child, and ended up moving to Chicago with her husband. From there, they moved to Milwaukee in 1956, and she’s been here since.
Mother Todd and her husband, Joe, worked various factory jobs over the years, while raising their four daughters, the oldest of whom is now deceased. He retired from Caterpillar Tractor Company over 30 years ago.
“As a young woman, wife and mother, I basically grew up in Milwaukee. We lived on 24thand Finn Place from the 1960s to 1998. In those days, this City was pretty neat. It was more family-oriented. The neighbors were nice and everyone knew each other. Our children played with each other,” she said.
In 1974, Pastor Joe was called to preach and in 1983, he was called to Pastor and founded Ephesians Missionary Baptist Church.
“When my husband was first called to preach, we were members of Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, under Pastor Robert Sims. When he was called to pastor, we held church service at the old Vel Phillips Y on Teutonia Avenue. The first members were just relatives—our children and grandchildren. Later, we bought the old Union Hill Church building on Fifth and Meinecke. Then we built the learning center on Sixth Street,” she said.
Today, Ephesians Missionary Baptist Church has more than 350 members, two years ago, built a new sanctuary on 5thand Meinecke, and has a variety of ministries serving the community, most of which Mother Todd has been involved with at some point.
“Over the years, I’m done everything from helping with the food pantry, feeding the homeless, to holding community clothing and blood drives and neighborhood clean ups. For several years, we had a daycare center as well; not just for members, but everyone in the community. I always assisted, wherever and whenever I could. I was the president of the choir and a choir member, a Sunday school teacher, worked as the Supervisor in the Youth Department and worked in the Finance Department. I did it all.
“With Pastor Todd’s health failing, he resigned and is now Pastor Emeritus, so Ephesians is undergoing a transition now, but I’m still involved,” said Mother Todd.
She is proud of the fact that her granddaughter, Camille Monk, is now Ephesians’ First Lady, as Camille’s husband, Raymond, is now the Senior Pastor.
“Seeing my family grow up and become followers of Christ is one of my greatest joys. God has blessed me to see many of the young women that I taught in Sunday school, not only grow up, but I see them doing well with their careers and families. Being able to mentor these younger women has been a blessing and a privilege. I’m thankful that one of my students, Camille, my granddaughter, is now the First Lady of the church founded by her grandfather,” said Mother Todd.
With these blessings, Mother Todd has also faced and overcome some of life’s adversities as well—such as the passing of her oldest daughter in 2002.
“My oldest daughter had three adult children, and two 14-year old twin girls when she passed, so I had to be grandmother and mother to them. My other daughters—Phyllis, Sandra and Lorrie, did their best to support them during this process,” she said.
Mother Todd’s spirit and energy are contagious. She enjoys life and lives it to the fullest.
“We have big fun—with the family and at church. When we are in various meetings and the young people talk about music, I love that. I’m all for young people because I remember that I didn’t have that mentorship from the older people in the church. It’s my heartbeat to encourage young people and pass it on. I tell them that at their age I was a wife and a mother and that I should have been finishing school, but I didn’t. God brought me to this point, so I’m not complaining, but our youth today have greater opportunities to advance than I did. They are more skillful than I will ever be, but I still have something to offer them—wisdom! They have the technology down pat, but I can pass along my wisdom. That’s my legacy—helping younger people. It keeps me motivated to live a better life,” said Mother Todd.
In this Year of the Child, many Milwaukee families are also grateful for the wisdom, love and encouragement that Mother Todd has passed along over the years and continues to do so.