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Rev. Jacqueline Hines, MDiv, Elder in Full Connection
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church
Anxious about my financial future, I realized I spent too much time and energy fearful and worrying. Coaching with Dr. Anita Powell was a Godsend. A few sessions gave me a much-needed boost and started my setting important goals. The results were dramatic. The Holy Spirit, no doubt, used our coaching connection to achieve more than expected or imagined.
Clutter has often been a nagging annoyance for me, especially during hectic seasons. I had painstakingly designated one spot on my desk to keep clear a couple years before coaching with Dr. Powell. The gentle pressure of the timelines we developed together took my decluttering to the next level.
The most powerful and meaningful way God used Dr. Powell to minister to me through coaching was in conflict resolution. Her perceptions were penetrating and precise. My well-being and self-esteem were at stake. Each meeting brought to the table awe-inspiring surprises and spiritual depth. Coaching with Dr. Powell has shaped my ministry in life-giving and life-changing ways. God has blessed her with the gifts to make a difference to all who embark upon the coaching adventure.
Bishop Peggy Johnson, Retired
Eastern Pennsylvania & Peninsula-Delaware Conferences of The United Methodist Church
2008-2021
Dr. Powell has a treasure-trove of experience in pastoral ministry. Her many years of service as an ordained elder includes church planting, leadership development, supervision of pastors, and local church resourcing. This has gifted her with a wealth of expertise for the ministry of coaching.
Among her passions for ministry is the work of cross racial/cross cultural appointments in the church. She developed an in-depth program for the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church which empowers both churches and clergy for this unique and sometimes challenging ministry. She is often called upon to lead workshops and participate on panels using her excellent teaching skills.
Dr. Powell has worked with a number of clergy individually as a coach in this field and also in the area of professional growth. I have personally experienced how she helped clergy find ways to manage their time, develop effective programs at their churches, and engage in introspective work around issues of communication and conflict resolution. These pastors all benefited from their sessions with Dr. Powell.
In everything she does, Dr. Powell gives it her "all" and brings her love for Christ and the church into her ministry of coaching.
Pastor William (Will) Brawner, MDiv. DMin, Licensed Local Pastor
Eastern PA Conference of The United Methodist Church
As I was trying to discern my next phase in ministry, God sent me Rev. Dr. Anita Powell. She was able to provide me the guidance and support I had been seeking for years. Through constant conversations, she enlightened me on the United Methodist Pastoral process, as well as coached me on what classes to take. While receiving my Masters of Divinity at Lutheran Seminary, Dr. Powell guided me through all the necessary trainings of sexual health and diversity.
While studying and doing my best to understand what it means to be a United Methodist pastor, I was exposed to another way of thinking and being. I learned a lot from her as she spear-headed and supported the Annual Conference, and specific congregations, on the journey to intercultural awareness, competency, and effective communication. While coaching me, she was able to show how I could more suitably include in my ministry the cultures of those whom I have never thought to communicate with. It was Dr. Powell’s expertise in ministry provided the framework to help me grow in this area of church life.
Most importantly, Dr. Powell was my spiritual mentor, constantly reminding me to seek God’s face at every turn and to enjoy the journey while focusing on the destination. I am so thankful for the witness, training, and stewardship of Rev. Dr. Anita Powell.
Rev. Towanda Connelly, MSW, LCSW, MDiv, Provisional Elder
Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church
I have had the privilege to rub shoulders with and glean the wisdom of the Rev. Dr. Anita Powell for more than 10 years. As a young pastor starting out, I have been a recipient of Dr. Powell’s wisdom which has guided me past some unexpected boulders on this road of ministry and life. She is fair, clear, intentional in every way, discerning, and always spot on target. Dr. Powell has this ability to tell me hard things with such care and concern that enables me to receive it and learn from it. The wonderful thing is she doesn’t just say the hard stuff, she coaches me through understanding it and then how to use the information to grow in areas of challenge in my life.
I will forever be grateful for the giftedness of Dr. Powell. I am a lifetime client because of her integrity and skill which produce deliverables that are unmatched. I unequivocally recommend the coaching services of the Rev. Dr. Anita Powell. You will not be disappointed; in fact, you will be impressed.
Rev. Joanne Miles, MBA, Graduate Certificate in Theological StudiesDeacon in Full Connection
Eastern PA Conference of The United Methodist Church
I was blessed to be one of Dr. Powell’s inaugural clients to benefit from her wisdom and deep connection with the Holy Spirit as she joined me and walked along side me as a steady guide through a season of discernment of where God is calling me at an important point of my life and ministry transition. I found such grounding in her calm, firm, reassuring voice and found much clarity in her wisdom guiding me to a place of affirmation of where God was and is leading me. The journey continues and I plan to continue to walk with her as my guide.
Rev. Vernette Dow White, JD, MDiv, Provisional Elder
Peninsula-Delaware Conference of The United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Anita Powell is an awesome mentor and advisor who helped to guide me as I served in my first Cross-Racial / Cross-Cultural appointment in the Peninsula-Delaware Conference. The depth of her wisdom far exceeds her diverse theological perspectives. She is a practical theologian who guides, instructs, actively listens, and engages those who she mentors and coaches through powerful questions. Dr. Powell’s approach enabled me to focus on Christ-centered goals that led to transformation, not only in spiritual matters but personal matters as well. I highly recommend her.
Rev. Karen Bartkowski
Chaplain
Maris Grove Retirement Community
I was first introduced to Dr. Powell while she was serving as a District Superintendent in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. She holds a special place in my call to ministry story. I have seen her lead and love God’s people in a variety of ways, all with grace and compassion.
However, I recently worked with Dr. Powell in a non-ministry setting. We requested her coaching skills to work with a group of people who were beginning an organized approach to address diversity and inclusion in an active retirement community. The group is full of dedicated and passionate people. Each comes to the table with their own story and reason for wanting to expand the understanding that we live and work in a diverse world where respect, affirmation, and belonging need to be available to all people. The group, however, was struggling with exactly how to do this work.
Dr. Powell was able to interact with this group of people she did not know with ease and comfort. She carefully listened to stories, provided some education, asked probing and thought-provoking questions, and finally guided the group to establish some possible next steps. She used her own story to provide examples, but never made it about herself. She remained focused on the work of the group. She did not offer solutions, but instead encouraged the group to listen to each other and hear the common threads woven into each story. This active and intentional listening lead the group to its common purpose over time.
Dr. Powell’s faith foundation clearly drives her work toward justice, but she was instinctively able to guide this group: Not using her pastor title, but using her coach title. She employed strong skills that allowed this group to move forward. Even after only one ninety-minute session. I cannot wait to see what this group can accomplish with Dr. Powell’s partnership.
I highly recommend Dr. Powell’s services. You will be served well!
Rev. Elizabeth (Liz) Abel, MSW, MDiv, Elder in Full Connection
District Superintendent of Long Island West
New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
Working with Rev. Dr. Anita Powell has been simply amazing. Her wealth of knowledge and experience never ceased to amaze me in how she was able to guide me through my goals. She was able to help me bring my visions for work and my personal life into fruition with grace and style. Her presence encourages and guides and offers space for learning and growing. It is my privilege and honor to endorse Rev. Powell as a coach, especially as the founding coach for AAP Coaching: Ministry @ the Crossroads, Inc.
I first met Rev. Anita at the General Commission on Race and Religion: Facing the Future symposium in May 2017. It was apparent immediately her care for the work and the people in ministry. For the past five years, I have been able to work with her as she supported African American Clergy Women in Cross-Cultural / Cross-Racial Appointments. Through this relationship, I asked to expand our relationship by bringing her on as a coach when I was appointed in a cross-racial appointment. She helped me envision the direction of the church and gave me as well as the congregation the support needed to create a nurturing environment that would yield a fruitful vineyard.
My time under the guidance and support of Rev. Anita has broadened my horizons, stretched my limits, and pushed me beyond my expectations. She has helped me focus and be strategic in planning through my purpose. She has sharpened skills while adding to my toolkit to best develop my congregation and build on the strengths already in place. I am so grateful for my time with her and look forward to seeing where our relationship and paths go.
Rev. Bernard J. Kefer, MDiv, Elder in Full ConnectionEastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church
Pastors commonly encounter people who do not agree with something they have said or done. I usually assumed it was just a part of the job and did my best to explain my thinking and why I made specific decisions that I had to make.
Then, in 2016, I encountered a group of individuals who worked behind the scenes to undermine my ministry and who engaged in a campaign to have me reappointed. At that time, Dr. Powell was available as a coach. Her empathy for the pain and frustration I was feeling helped me to bleed off a lot of negative emotional energy and to become more clear-minded and strategic when formatting potential responses to the situation I was embroiled in.
She was able to help me find additional options and possibilities in the conflict that surrounded me besides the obvious desire to strike back or to prove myself to be “right” and my opponents to be “wrong”. My first response to the pressure placed upon me was to respond to my detractors in a way that made me “the winner” and showed them to be incorrect and therefore they would “lose”.
Dr. Powell helped me to see that there were other ways to look at what was happening, and with her assistance I was able to request a reappointment in a way that validated my own gifts and graces and left the unhappy individuals with an outcome that they desired as well. I am currently serving a very healthy and vibrant church and am much happier now than I would have been had I decided to hang on to the old situation and continue fighting a battle that would not have gone away even if I could have eventually proven to my own satisfaction that the issues that erupted around me had been unjust.
In consultation with Dr. Powell, I was able to embrace the truth that the church is larger than any one congregation, and that service in God’s vineyard can take place in many different places and contexts, and that sometimes a move to a new possibility can be a better outcome overall than winning a battle in a familiar place.
Rev. Sharon Williams, MDiv, Elder in Full Connection
Indiana Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
As a spiritual leader, founder, and executive coach with a high degree of entrepreneurial acumen, Rev. Dr. Anita Powell is an inspiration. From our first conversation, she offered missional wisdom that was prayerful and pragmatic. She encouraged me to celebrate my wins every step of the way. And her investment in me was not just one-directional. Anita's commitment to mutuality emphasized a shared journey of accompaniment. I am honored to have such a trusted listener, mentor, and strategist as part of my dream team for personal and professional success.
All reviews and accompanying photographs were provided by actual clients and are used with permission.
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