Rev. Sundria Sam

I was born and raised in a small rural town in Mississippi called Natchez, where the most important things were who your people were (family by last name), what subdivision you lived in, where you attended church, and in which ministries/roles you participated. Later, when I was still a young child, we moved as a newly blended military family to an Air Force base in Northern California. It was a whole new world living on an Air Force base in enlisted housing where the importance was where you were from, what accent you spoke, and what rank your parent(s) held. Race, ethnicity, and segregation weren't at the forefront of people's minds as it was down South. However, rank took on a new hierarchal meaning. Despite the stark cultural shift, I became a member of a local church where I actively served within multiple ministries for over 40 years.  

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Although I began my college experience out-of-state and lived abroad for a while, I eventually settled in Northern California to continue my education, begin a career, marry, and raise a family. I became a widow in 2014 with a grown son (Donte') and daughter (Sheria). I now have six grandloves and am blessed to be engaged to Rev. Richard Wright, PH.D. We look forward to a life of loving one another as we serve God's people in ways that showcase the perfect example of harmony, purpose, wisdom, oneness, teamwork, care, sacrifice, and unity modeled through the Divine Trinity. We joined Shiloh Baptist Church of Hayward, California in March 2024 and Rev. David C. Hill became our Pastor!

 

I was called to the ministry March 27, 2016. I became licensed to preach the Gospel on November 24, 2020 and became ordained on July 9, 2023.

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Service of Ordination

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church

Vallejo, CA

Rev. Dr. Justin R. Lester, Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Caroll Broadfoot, Jr. Pastor Emeritus

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After becoming a mentee of Rev. Dr. Alvin Christopher Bernstine, author and senior pastor of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, I began to study God's word in depth from 2016 to the present. I completed a Bible Teaching certification at the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (CLD), a Responsible Preaching certification at the Leadership Institute at Allen Temple, and the Divinity & Social Transformation master's degrees at PSR. In January 2024, I began a Doctor in Ministry (DMIN) program at PSR. I look forward to completing four additional Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in a one-year residency program beginning in the Fall of 2024.

 

I believe nothing is birthed from you unless you have first labored with it. I began life living in an underserved, disenfranchised, marginalized, and oppressed community. I have a heart for those living in underserved and underrepresented communities. I have been blessed to serve within those communities, doing non-profit work during my time at PSR. I've come a long way while still facing discrimination and oppression, primarily related to my race and gender. God has walked with me through many trials and brought me to a place of ministering to others. Theology is contextual! I desire to combine my seminary education with understanding and embracing my intersectionalities and celebrating others while learning to be and live more like Jesus to create a more just and equitable world for all people, especially those within inclusive and affirming religious communities.

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“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads,

and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.” ― Herman Melville