Meet Our Staff and Advisors.
Pastors for NC Children received our 501c3 Status after we named a Board of Directors and launched our ministry on 10/19/20 . The Board is charged with ensuring this ministry organization carries out its vision and mission and upholds the requirements of a Nonprofit organization. The Board can be reached by emailing PastorsForNCchildren@gmail.com.
The Rev. Rebecca Hewitt-Newson
Board President
Rebecca currently serves as Pastor at Emmaus Way in Durham. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Divinity and trained in hospital chaplaincy at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, California where she then served on staff for 3 years. Rebecca lives in Raleigh with her spouse, Ryan, and two young sons.
The Rev. Antonio Blow
Vice President
Antonio is Pastor of St. Mary’s Free Will Baptist Church, Jason, NC and Antioch Free Will Baptist Church, Snow Hill, NC. He is a Social Worker and serves as Director of Student Services for Greene County Schools. He also serves as Education Chair for the NC NAACP. He and his spouse and their 2 children live in Snow Hill, NC.
The Rev. Joshua K. Owens
Recording Secretary
Joshua serves as the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church, Lumberton, and was an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Religion at Wingate University. He also serves as a member of the faith formation council with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of NC and a board member with Baptist Women in Ministry of NC. Joshua currently is pursuing a PhD in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University (PA), and holds degrees from Fayetteville State University (MBA-Project Management), Pfeiffer University (M.A. Practical Theology), and Campbell University (M.Div., B.S). Josh is a certified sports official with the NCHSAA in football and basketball, and has previously volunteered with Title I schools in Union County as a tutor, athletic coach, and activity bus driver. Joshua is married to Lindsay, who works as a Speech Pathologist in public schools, and they have two children.
Dr. Michael Priddy
Treasurer
Michael grew up in Winston-Salem and received three degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill including his doctorate in educational administration. He served in several NC school systems, within the UNC university system, and at the office of the State Board of Education. Most recently, he completed four years as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Public School Forum of NC, a non-partisan think-and-do tank, based in Raleigh. He has received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the Old North State Award. Also, he is the recipient of recognitions from the Pitt County Black Ministerial Conference and the Pitt County NAACP for his many efforts on behalf of the school system’s African-American students. Dr. Priddy is married and is a father and grandfather. He resides in Wilmington where his wife serves as a United Methodist minister.
The Rev. Rebecca Bean
Board Member
Rebecca serves as a Deacon at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Goldsboro. Ordained as a Deacon in 2015, the focus of her diaconal ministry has been on public education and helping to support churches to support public schools. Rebecca earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education, Mathematics and History from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, and a Masters in Mathematics Education from Florida International University. She was a middle and high school math teacher for 11 years. Among her many projects, she helped to establish the Dillard Middle School Partnership Project, a partnership initially with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and Dillard Middle School, a high needs middle school near the church. The partnership has expanded to include St. Andrew’s and St. Francis Episcopal Church in Goldsboro. Rebecca resides in Goldsboro with her spouse, and middle schooler.
The Rev. Hanna Broome
Board Member
Hanna is an ordained Elder in the Central North Carolina Conference in Eastern N.C. Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Zion Church. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina-Upstate. She received her Master of Divinity Degree from Columbia International Seminary and is in her doctoral studies at Drew Theological Seminary. Hanna previously pastored congregations in South Carolina. She was elevated to the position of presiding elder in 2016 in the Eastern N.C. Episcopal District. She held numerous offices including Chief Strategist of the Executive Committee of the Presiding Elders’ Council of the AME Zion Church. She is currently serving as the National Faith and Justice Organizer of Repairers of the Breach, Assistant Director of Church Growth and Development of the AME Zion, Tri-chair for Faith Communities for the N.C. Poor People’s Campaign Moral Movement, Faith community board member of the NAACP, Chair of the Personnel Department of the Governing Board of the N.C. Council of Churches, member of National Council of Negro Women, and board member of the Board for a Racially Equitable and Transformed Harnett County. Hanna lives in Fayetteville.
The Rev. Michelle Bullock
Board Member
Michelle serves as Rector at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Swansboro, NC. She was born and raised in NC and FL and received her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University and her Masters of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. She’s previously served churches in NC and PA and served as Lower School Chaplain at The Episcopal Academy outside Philadelphia. She and her husband have two daughters in elementary school and live in Beaufort.
Dr. Kendra Phillips
Board Member
Kendra is a proud native of Durham who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a NC Teaching Fellow. She began her career as both an elementary and middle school teacher for Durham Public Schools. Before earning her master’s degree in school administration from her alma mater, she joined MetaMetrics, Inc. as the Professional Development program manager for two years. In this capacity, she co-wrote the professional development curriculum for the Lexile Framework for Reading and trained teachers nationwide on how to use Lexiles. Kendra returned to DPS to serve as a principal and Central Office administrator and earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from High Point University in May 2017. She taught at North Carolina Central University as an assistant professor in the School of Education. She currently serves as Director of Tutoring Growth and Impact at The Hill Learning Center in Durham. Kendra lives in Durham and has a daughter who lives in Heaven.
Dr. Drew Polly
Board Member
Drew is a Reading and Elementary Education Professor in the Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte. He is the Director of the Ph.D. Strand in Elementary Education and Elementary Math Graduate Certificate Programs. Drew and his spouse live in Huntersville and have two young children.
Mr. David Rockefeller
Board Member
David is a member of Edenton Street UMC in Raleigh and is the former Capital District Lay Leader. He is currently the NC Conference Director for Congregations for Children. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and advanced certificates in curriculum, instruction, and educational leadership. He served for 32 years in North Carolina public schools as a teacher, teacher assessor, assistant principal, principal, and curriculum director. He and his wife are active in their church and also enjoy spending time with their young grandchildren.
The Rev. Eleanor Shell
Board Member
Eleanor is a Presbyterian USA minister and serves as Director of Development for Sugar Creek School in Charlotte. She lives in Charlotte with her spouse and two young children.
| Class of 2023 | Class of 2024 | Class of 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Bean | David Rockefeller | Michael Priddy |
| Michelle Bullock | Josh Owens | Hanna Broome |
| Drew Polly | Kendra Phillips | |
| Antonio Blow | Eleanor Shell | |
| Rebecca Hewitt-Newson |