1st Black female pastor in city to be honored at Spurgeon Chapel
Spurgeon Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church invites the community to attend the May 15 morning service honoring of their new pastor, the Rev. Erica N. Haigler.
The morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. will include religious leader, the Rev. Larry Brinson, Maryville District evangelistic leader and meditation speaker, the Rev. Dr. Richard M. Gadzekpo, presiding elder of the Chattanooga District A.M.E. Zion Church. Music will be provided by Musical Director Leroy Sims and soloist, Cynethia Sims.
“She (Haigler) has been an asset to Spurgeon and the community,” said Willie Jean Robertson, preachers steward and appreciation program coordinator.
Haigler earned a dual bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Education and a master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, all from Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville. It was at TSU that she was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
In 2006, Haigler preached her maiden sermon at Mt. Pleasant A.M.E. Zion Church in Rockford, Tenn., under the tutelage of the Rev. Dr. Richard M. Gadzekpo, her father in the ministry. In 2012, Erica was ordained a deacon in the A.M.E. Zion Church by the late Bishop Roy Anderson Holmes, and received the Elder’s ordination by The Right Rev. Bishop Darryl B. Starnes Sr. in May of 2014.
Erica’s former pastorates include: Rice Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church — Madisonville, Tenn., Craigs Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church — Greenback, Tenn., and Speights Chapel A.M.E. Zion —Rockwood, Tenn.
In June 2021, history was made when she became the first female pastor in the history of Spurgeon Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church and the first African-American female pastor in the city of Oak Ridge.
Haigler also maintains a professional career. As an independent contractor for a national agency, she helps to provide intensive Mental and Behavioral Health Services to families and children who have experienced life-altering circumstances. This has been her passion for the past 15 years. She is a certified HIV/AIDS counselor and is pursuing certification as a Registered Behavior Technician and a Life Coach. She is also active in the Knoxville and Roane County communities having served as a member of The Rockwood Ministerial Alliance, an American Red Cross Crisis volunteer, and a graduate of Community Leadership through Knoxville’s Community Action Committee. She has recently become a member of the Oak Ridge Chapter of the NAACP and the Oak Ridge Ministerial Alliance.
Haigler serves in many capacities within the church among which are: Tennessee Conference Liaison to End Childhood Poverty for the A.M.E. Zion Church, the Tennessee Conference Statistician, a member of the Tennessee Conference Finance Committee, a member of The Maryville District Intercessory Prayer Team, a member of the Board of Church Growth and Development, and Secretary of the Maryville District.
Her heart’s desire is to continue to be molded daily into a “Proverbs 31 Woman.” She is grateful for the opportunity to work for God’s glory and to serve God’s people. She espouses and personifies the belief, “It pays to give God and His people your best. Be kind, loving, and authentic. It always yields a reward.” She asserts, “I was raised on these principles, and I will never abandon them."
Haigler was born in South Carolina and raised by her late grandmother, Rosa Belle Haigler. She is the proud daughter of Rev. Barbara Ann Haigler, pastor of Broadway Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Louisville, Ky., and a former presiding elder in the Tennessee Conference of the A.M.E. Zion Church.
Spurgeon Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church is at 100 S. Benedict Ave, Oak Ridge. Email the church at TNspurchap@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Spurgeon Chapel A.M.E. Zion new pastor Rev. Erica N. Haigler
