Hello

​

Rev. Gabrielle NS Kennedy (she/her), a native of St. Louis, Missouri, is a pastor, entrepreneur, nonprofit executive, community organizer, and chaplain. She currently serves as pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rev. Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Arts from Rockhurst University, a Master of Business Administration from Keller University, and a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. She answered her call to social justice and ordained ministry under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Karen D. Anderson at Ward Chapel AME Church in St. Louis. She was subsequently ordained an itinerant elder and previously pastored Buren Chapel AME and St. Luke AME Churches.

With over 25 years of nonprofit leadership and nearly 20 years in healthcare management, Rev. Kennedy is passionate about spiritual wellness, community healing, social justice, and organizational development. Her ministry emphasizes meeting people where they are and creating meaningful opportunities for transformation.

Among her accomplishments, Rev. Kennedy helped establish a healthcare and Black Church partnership that provided COVID-19 testing to more than 1,000 underserved residents. She also founded the Community Chaplaincy Project, expanding spiritual care to marginalized communities, and helped establish the Buren-Douglass Neighborhood Center. Her ministry has extended internationally to Kenya and Costa Rica.

Her honors include the 2026 AME Women in Ministry Reverend Jarena Lee Award, the 2025 Earthkeepers Fellowship, the 2021 Audacious Impact Award, and Eden Theological Seminary's 2020 Grauer Award for excellence in preaching and pastoral care.

Beyond ministry, Rev. Kennedy enjoys traveling, volleyball, entertaining family and friends, and sharing laughter. She cherishes her spouse, Wayne; adult children, Kalen and Jahbari; mother, Cynthia; and beloved fur baby, Big Red.

Above all, Rev. Kennedy remains committed to spreading the joy of God's liberating and unfailing love through faith, service, and community transformation.