Reverend Dr. Geraldine Pemberton
Rev. Dr. Geraldine Pemberton is the Lead for YDH's Community-based Health & Nutrition Advocacy Project.
Following is the featured Destiny Spotlight interview provided in our March 2022 newsletter.
Rev. Dr. Geraldine Pemberton explains Destiny as how we go forth in God, and my future goal is to be with Him as my resting place. My professions align with my destiny. I love helping people, it brings me joy. Whether I’m helping in a nursing capacity or otherwise, I enjoy it. I served over forty years as a nurse and my career involved administrative roles as well as facilitating innovative change throughout the Delaware Valley. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and played the piano as a child performing at several recitals. I grew up to become a Medical Professional, Community Activist, and Women's Health Expert. I am retired as an executive nurse, and Pastor Emeritus at The New Hope Baptist Church.
I didn’t set out to be a nurse, I fell into it. I wanted to be a doctor, but my family could not afford it. After high school, I was granted a full scholarship for nursing, and I took it. I had obstacles along the way because in 1957 there was a lot of discrimination. I was in leadership training at Albert Einstein in South Philadelphia and there were many who did not want to be led by a black person. My mother, Fanny Miller, and I had many prayer sessions during those times. She was a nurse and my mentor. There were other family members who also mentored me.
There will be issues for anyone navigating the healthcare profession, but things are not as difficult as they were in the past. Nursing is getting better, with many fringe benefits and the salaries are good. There are a range of possible options not only in hospitals, but also in the business sector, with the prospect of opening your own business. If you are met with challenges, align yourself with someone in your field who has your back, and join a professional organization within your industry. I am so proud of Dr. Ala Stanford, creator of the Black Doctors Consortium, and what she has been able to accomplish with her COVID-19 campaign to fairly distribute vaccinations amongst black and brown people. She is awesome, a great role model who has garnered much support from her community and beyond.
In the beginning of my ministry, I struggled. I felt my husband was the one being Called not me and then one day I heard, ”get up”. That’s when my life in ministry began. I have the privilege and the opportunity to serve with many organizations who are doing tremendous work in our communities. I currently serve with the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, the Professional Nurses Alliance, and the Philadelphia Black Women’s Health Alliance (PBWHA). PBWHA, through advocacy,
education, research, and support services, works to improve health care outcomes by reducing health disparities among African Americans, other minority women and their families. I’ve also worked with critical stress debriefings for companies; helping people deal with situations that have suddenly impacted their lives – layoffs, bank robberies, school shootings, etc.
One of my best traits is mindfulness. When it comes to what we have been dealing with since the pandemic began, we all have to take care of ourselves and serve others. Vaccinations are not new, we have been getting vaccinations since birth. A quote by Muhammad Ali says, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”. I’m mindful in large and small ways. I’m mindful of my health and the health of others. Even though February is designated as Heart Health Month, we all should be mindful of our hearts every month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for all Americans, but mostly for African Americans. I’m also mindful about what I eat and when I eat, so I concentrate on my meals. I don’t watch television or read when I eat. I’m taking in each bite, how it tastes, its texture, how it affects my body.
Overall, I find people to be beautiful in the world. I take time to get to know people. The Word says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I love encouraging others to be attentive to their health. We need more respect for each other. The word says in Luke 6:31, “Treat others the way you want to be treated”. It would really make a difference if everyone followed 1 John 7, which says, “if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” There wouldn’t be such a high level of gun violence if we were fellowshipping with one another.
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