WESLEY
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.
Reverend Anjohnette Yvonne Walker Gibbs
– Pastor /Teacher
A native of Kosciusko, MS, she is the daughter of the late Mr. Leslie Walker and Mrs. Bobra Y. Knox. She received her education in the city schools of Kosciusko. Her childhood was grounded in GOD and family. She followed in her family’s footsteps with a love for work in the church, the community and the education arena.
EDUCATION: Rev. Gibbs holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Alcorn State University and a Master of Divinity Degree from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. She received her call to ministry at the age of 7.
PROFESSION: She is a Retired Elder in the United Methodist Church and an Educator. She is widely recognized as an advocate for children. She provides consultant leadership as well as motivational messages for Head Start, community, university, and religious functions. She trained and mentored Pre-K staff for local school districts. She supervised 148 employees each year at W. C. O. I. Head Start for 21 years. She was a part of the team to write MS’s Kindergarten benchmarks. She helped to write Early Learning Guidelines for Preschoolers for the MS Dept. of Education. For several years, she was given the honor of delivering the invocation for graduation at MVSU. She was privileged to preach at Lake Junaluska NC in 1987 to over 5,000 Christians from across America. In 2012, she spoke in behalf of black boys and the disparities at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. where US Presidents hold their Press conferences.
MEMBERSHIPS: These are a few of her professional organizations and affiliations: Mission Mississippi Board Member, Member of the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance of Greenville, Progressive Art and Civic Club, Habitat for Humanity Board Member and Chaplain for Eta Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She was the first African American female ordained in the North MS Conference She has received numerous awards and certificates along this journey.
EXPERIENCE: She has served as an educator for children and their parents From Lexington, MS to Chicago, Illinois, and in Greenville, MS. Rev. Gibbs served as Associate Pastor at Hartzell United Methodist Church in Chicago, Illinois and Neighborhood United Methodist Church in Maywood, Illinois. Rev. Gibbs served as pastor of Revels Memorial United Methodist Church in Greenville, MS. For the past 33 years, she served as pastor of the Evans Chapel and the Hales Chapel United Methodist churches in Belzoni and Inverness, MS. Here, she has helped change lives, provide motivational leadership and renovated facilities. In June of 2019, Rev. Gibbs was blessed to be appointed home to serve as the Pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church in Kosciusko.
For 3 years she served as Project Director for the Delta Early Learning Program for Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute where she guided services to 100 expecting young moms in Indianola. She continued to work with children, families and other educational providers as the SPARK Director for the Children’s Defense Fund. She was the Save the Children Director for the Head Start Program in Sunflower County from 2014 – 2016. This work allowed her to continue her love of education. She followed her grandma’s love of helping people. Currently, she is the Community Educator for Middelta Home Health and Hospice serving twenty nine counties in Mississippi where she has the opportunity to provide community education and serve all ages with health care services.
FAMILY: Reverend Gibbs is a widow and has one son, Calvin and two granddaughters. She gives GOD the praise for allowing for her to render over forty years of service to GOD and mankind.
Her personal goal is “To help young and old, as she walks with GOD, so that her living shall not be in vain!” To give back for all he has done for me is my daily prayer!