General Conference
Member Delegate: Judith Pierre-Okerson
Members of United Women in Faith put love into action every day to inspire, influence, and impact their churches and communities. Many of our members live out their faith by serving as leaders in The United Methodist Church.
Meet Deaconess Dr. Judith Pierre-Okerson, member of United Women in Faith at Miramar United Methodist Church in Miramar, Florida. She is lay leader for the Southeast District of the Florida Conference, vice chair of the Conference Committee on Haitian Ministries, and a member of the Bishop’s Task Force on Antiracism. She was a member of the United Women in Faith Board of Directors from 2008-2016, serving as the chair of the governance committee, and has been district and conference president, conference vice president, conference dean and assistant dean of Mission u, and district coordinator of education and interpretation and of social action.
She’s been a delegate to six Jurisdictional Conferences and three General Conferences. She is a delegate to the 2024 General Conference for Florida Conference.
How long have you been a member of United Women in Faith?
Since 1989—that’s 35 years and counting.
What called you to be a General Conference delegate?
I did not put my name forth for election in 2016, because I believe after serving as a delegate for so many years I needed to step aside to mentor younger minority voices to be heard. But after the 2019 special session, I thought it was important for me to participate more actively in the decision-making process if I want an inclusive denomination to continue referring to as my church.
How has being a part of United Women in Faith helped in your role as delegate?
United Women in Faith equipped me to serve the church in general. I have learned the structures of the denomination through United Methodist Women’s historical book In The Middle of Tomorrow by Barbara Campbell. As a first-time delegate in 2004, United Women in Faith, in collaboration with the General Commission on Religion Race and General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, provided orientation in which I learned some of the ins and outs of the work of the legislative process. One does not always learn these things from meeting with their conference delegation.
What are your hopes for the church?
My hope is that The United Methodist Church will emerge from this season of disaffiliation more mission focused and will remain faithful to Jesus Christ’s mandate to love as God loves us and to love ourselves enough that we may understand what it means to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
