From her faith-filled upbringing at St. Mark's United Methodist Church to her current role as a District Superintendent and Dean of the Cabinet in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference, the Rev. Dawn M. Hand has championed a vibrant future for The United Methodist Church.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Hand's commitment to church leadership began early in her youth. In a fond recollection of growing up down the street from her home church, Hand states, “St. Mark’s really knows how to grow young people. So, it was a natural progression for me to continue that kind of laity service [into the district and conference levels].” Her time at St. Mark’s UMC laid the groundwork for her future ministry as she ushered, sang, spoke in front of the congregation and contributed to the life and ministry of the church.
While pursuing a degree in mass communications and passionately playing basketball at Winston-Salem State University, Hand stayed connected to her faith. Her professional journey took her to WBTV, a television station in Charlotte, where her dedication to lay ministry persisted. After graduating from Winston-Salem, she began working at Chapel of Christ the King for Habitat for Humanity and in youth ministry at St. Mark’s UMC to give back to the community which had contributed so much to her life. She said, “I wanted to have an impact and import in the lives of young people. I was propelled at that point through my own spiritual growth to give back to my home church – the church that blessed and believed in me.”
A pivotal moment came when members of her home church and her district superintendent in the Western North Carolina Conference recognized her call to ministry. This led her to serve in the communications area of that conference for 15 years. Of that time, she recalls, “It was a beautiful partnership with me being able to use the skills I had learned in college to be involved with the church that I loved.”
Rev. Hand (center) with youth and chaperones from St. Mark UMC as they attend Harambeé. Photo courtesy of Hand, 2018.Transformative Leadership and Impactful Contributions
A leader in communications ministry, Hand served as president for the United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC). At the end of her term, the association gifted by establishing the Helping Hands Scholarship in her honor. The Scholarship promotes commitment and excellence among Central Conference communicators by providing opportunities to develop partnerships and relationships with the broader United Methodist connection. At the last 2023 UMAC gathering, participants raised $10,000 for the Helping Hands Scholarship! Hand plans to raise money to increase the scholarship to $20,000 to commemorate its 20th anniversary in 2024.
While serving as her conference’s communications director, Hand felt a call to ordained ministry and received a Master of Divinity from Hood Theological Seminary. Her first appointment was to Matthews UMC where she served as one of five pastors on staff at this large suburban congregation. Hand became an ordained elder in 2009. Following her contributions to growing Matthews UMC, her itineracy and God’s call let her to historic Foundry UMC in Washington, DC where she served for a total of seven years and five as the executive pastor. Her experience serving small, medium and large sized churches would soon prepare her for her role as district superintendent in the Western Pennsylvania and Baltimore-Washington Conferences.
One of Hand's proudest contributions is her work with the Southeastern Jurisdiction Black Methodists for Church Renewal’s Harambeé conference. This annual gathering focuses on developing youth spiritually, fostering intergenerational relationships, and promoting Christ’s love. Reflecting on the last 25 years of ministry with Harambeé, Hand says she can see the fruit from seeds that have been planted all along the way. She says meeting young people and nurturing their growth is the best part. “Young people need people in their lives who they can count on, who they can trust, who can give them truth in love,” she said. Hand's commitment to youth ministry reflects her belief in the profound impact young leaders can have on today’s church, and the future church.
Rev. Hand (left) with clergy and laity in the Central Maryland District on a District Missional Action Plan walk through neighborhoods. Photo courtesy of Hand, 2023.
A Journey Guided by Strong Female Leadership
Reflecting on her journey, Hand acknowledged the support of men and women who modeled church ministry for her. Her parents played a crucial role, and she expresses gratitude for the supportive men in her life who provided guidance, advice, and counsel during challenging times. However, her journey has also been guided by strong female leadership.
The increasing representation of women in church leadership can be seen throughout her appointments. She has served under three female and four male bishops. Currently, the Baltimore-Washington Conference is female-led: their bishop is a woman; Hand, the dean of the cabinet, is a woman; the chief administrative officer is a woman; five out of seven district superintendents are women; the chief program officer/director of connectional ministry is a woman; the conference lay leader is a woman; and several women serve as chairs of conference committees.
Although, having strong female leadership around her has not prevented her from receiving disparaging comments from men. She says that, unfortunately, serving the church as a young, Black woman early on further prepared her to have a strong presence when talking to people, including situations where misogyny and chauvinism were present in the context of ministry. She said, “I do believe the tide in the shift is changing after all these years.”
Hand is currently the president of the national Black Clergy Women of the UMC and champions women in ministry by reminding them to not ask for permission to stand in truth. She says, “We took a vow when we were commissioned and ordained to ‘take thou authority.’ And we can do that in a strong and mighty way…. Not be pit against one another but to stand in our own truth and be prophetic.”
Advocating for a Stronger Witness
Hand's impactful leadership, underscores the importance of including and supporting women and young people in pivotal areas within The United Methodist Church. She said, “I love this beautiful and broken denomination. My hope is that it will be a viable Church for the future for generations to come.”
She challenges Church leadership, both lay and clergy, to work more in tune and show God’s love in profound ways. She said, “People who need saving grace will come to know that through our churches. God has blessed us with everything we need to show and share the life of Christians. We can do better. And the Church will be a stronger witness for Jesus.”
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women serves in an advocacy role to highlight the contributions of clergy and lay women (¶2103.7, Book of Discipline). Do you know an inspiring woman you’d like to highlight? Let us know at this link. Aileen Delgado is the director of communications. You may reach her at [email protected].