About Dr. LEW
The revoLEWtion is here and now!
Dr. Lynne E. Washington
I AM
A spiritual leader in my community (28 years)
A Yoruba Chief | A World Traveler | Of Yoruba, Cameroonian, and American Heritage | Mother of Three | Iyabejii | Scholar | Practitioner | Black Women's Liberation Theories & Praxis | Community Builder | Visionary
I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, where I attended Catholic schools and was part of one of the earliest Black families to migrate from the South to the Midwest. My family’s history is rich with stories of resilience and connection, shared during Sunday afternoons at my Grandmother's house. These gatherings were a cornerstone of my upbringing, filled with the narratives of the many families tied to our own who made the journey north.
When I was ten, my parents divorced, which fractured my relationship with my father and shifted my focus. To support my mother, I set aside my aspirations for higher education and entered the workforce after high school. Watching my friends leave for college without me ignited a deep desire within me to pursue my own education. I applied to Ohio State and moved to Columbus, though I quickly realized I wasn’t fully prepared for the academic rigors. I later transferred to Franklin University while working in banking, and eventually, I found my way to Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith as a stockbroker and later a securities bond trader.
In my twenties, I founded the Columbus, Ohio and Cleveland Ohio Chapters of the Coalition of 100 Black Women, a pivotal moment that reflected my commitment to community and leadership. After spending ten years in banking, the first stock market crash prompted my transfer to Cleveland, Ohio, as a retail banker. It was in Cleveland where I experienced a profound spiritual transformation that led me to ordained ministry, a calling I have now followed for the past 26 years.
I completed my undergraduate degree at St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia, and earned my Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary in New York City. During my time in New York, I met and married my now ex-husband. My spiritual journey deepened during seminary, distinct from my religious journey, as I confronted the racism within the Church and grappled with the absence of African-based spirituality.
After ordination, I moved to Richmond, Virginia, where I found my voice in community-based ministry. I served as the Assistant to the Bishop of Virginia, the largest diocese in the Episcopal Church for Domestic and Global Mission. Later, I became the Executive Director of the Peter Paul Development Center, Inc., in Church Hill, a community surrounded by five public housing projects. Faced with the potential closure of the program due to funding challenges, I was determined to move it forward. Under my leadership, the center transformed into a premier academic learning center with full diagnostic assessment and testing for underserved Black children, gaining recognition in both Church Hill and the broader Richmond community.
Bon Secours Catholic Hospital later hired me as the Director of Healthy Communities to implement strategic initiatives in the East End. During this time, my marriage ended, and I decided to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, where my father and stepmother lived, and where I had spent many summers. I took on the role of Chief Development Officer for an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, Southern Crescent Habitat, where I managed donors, grant management, and cultivated new relationships.
I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, where I attended Catholic schools and was part of one of the earliest Black families to migrate from the South to the Midwest. My family’s history is rich with stories of resilience and connection, shared during Sunday afternoons at my Grandmother's house. These gatherings were a cornerstone of my upbringing, filled with the narratives of the many families tied to our own who made the journey north.
When I was ten, my parents divorced, which fractured my relationship with my father and shifted my focus. To support my mother, I set aside my aspirations for higher education and entered the workforce after high school. Watching my friends leave for college without me ignited a deep desire within me to pursue my own education. I applied to Ohio State and moved to Columbus, though I quickly realized I wasn’t fully prepared for the academic rigors. I later transferred to Franklin University while working in banking, and eventually, I found my way to Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith as a stockbroker and later a securities bond trader.
In my twenties, I founded the Columbus, Ohio and Cleveland Ohio Chapters of the Coalition of 100 Black Women, a pivotal moment that reflected my commitment to community and leadership. After spending ten years in banking, the first stock market crash prompted my transfer to Cleveland, Ohio, as a retail banker. It was in Cleveland where I experienced a profound spiritual transformation that led me to ordained ministry, a calling I have now followed for the past 26 years.
I completed my undergraduate degree at St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia, and earned my Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary in New York City. During my time in New York, I met and married my now ex-husband. My spiritual journey deepened during seminary, distinct from my religious journey, as I confronted the racism within the Church and grappled with the absence of African-based spirituality.
My spiritual journey continued to evolve, especially after attending a workshop on Howard Thurman. A fellow priest reminded me of my calling to parish ministry, to heal. Despite my doubts and the disillusionment I felt regarding truth and reconciliation in the context of gender and race, I was encouraged to interview for the position of Rector/Priest in Charge of Incarnation. This year marks my ninth year in that role.
Beyond my ministry, I am actively involved as a movie reviewer for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, serve as a Trustee of Roslyn Camp and Conference Center, and completed a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change at Antioch University.
Upcoming Works:
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"Leading in a Lappa: Portraitures of African American Women Chiefs": Dissertation to be released.
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Featured Event: Keynote Lecture for the UNESCO Osun Festival, Suzanne Wegner Lectures, Osogbo, Nigeria, 2022.
My spiritual journey continued to evolve, especially after attending a workshop on Howard Thurman. A fellow priest reminded me of my calling to parish ministry, to heal. Despite my doubts and the disillusionment I felt regarding truth and reconciliation in the context of gender and race, I was encouraged to interview for the position of Rector/Priest in Charge of Incarnation. This year marks my ninth year in that role.
Beyond my ministry, I am actively involved as a movie reviewer for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, serve as a Trustee of Roslyn Camp and Conference Center, and completed a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change at Antioch University.
Upcoming Works:
"Leading in a Lappa: Portraitures of African American Women Chiefs": Dissertation to be released.
Featured Event: Keynote Lecture for the UNESCO Osun Festival, Suzanne Wegner Lectures, Osogbo, Nigeria, 2022.
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