All About Hopewell, Kingston

Our Pastor

Reverend Sheryl Greene Shipman is the eldest of two children born to the late Mr. Edward L. Greene Sr. and Rose Marie Greene. She is a product of the Riley Community, graduating from Riley Elementary School in 1974. Sheryl is a proud graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where she majored in dance and drama. Following high school, she attended The University of Alabama at Birmingham, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a minor in English. Sheryl is a recent New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary graduate with a master’s degree in biblical studies. Sheryl will enroll in the Doctoral Program at New Orleans Seminary in the Fall of 2022.

Sheryl met and married the love of her life, Donald Shipman, Sr., in 1980. They are the proud parents of three sons and one daughter, Donald Jr., Brandon, Justin, and Donnesha. They are Nana and Poppy to five wonderful grandchildren, Micah, Alaysia, Dorien, Justin, Jr., and Kelani.

Sheryl accepted her call to the ministry in 1998. She has worked and served in various capacities throughout the Methodist connection. She has served as the Director of the Youth Department, the Director of Christian Education, the Church School teacher, the Bible study teacher, the choir soloist, and the church trustee. She was ordained an Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2004 and has served as the lead pastor of Hopewell AME Florence, Emanuel AME, Smithfield, Mount Zion AME Trussville, Murdock Chapel AME Montgomery, and is currently serving as the first female pastor of Hopewell AME Church in Kingston. God has been good and has blessed her to lead many souls to Christ.

Sheryl wrote and performed a song entitled “My Hope is In Jesus” at the James Cleveland Music Workshop of America in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1996. She is also a literary writer, having written several plays that have been performed across Alabama, and is currently writing her first book.

Sheryl is the big sister to her favorite brother Edward Greene Jr. better known as Poncho.

Pastor Shipman is saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost, wherein she believes, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Our Church

Hopewell is a loving church that has been a beacon of light in the Kingston Community of Birmingham since 1899. The focus of Hopewell is to help the congregation and the surrounding community grow in the knowledge of the Word of God, and seek the will of God in every aspect of their lives. At Hopewell, there are many ministry opportunities to help grow the kingdom of God, and all are encouraged to get involved in the work of the Lord.

Our History

The African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.) was founded as a result of racial discrimination against people of African descent. In 1787, In Philadelphia, PA, a group of Black worshipers was pulled from their knees while praying at St. George Methodist Episcopal Church. Led by Richard Allen, they walked out and started a movement that later formed the Free African Society. This became the stepping stone for the beginning of the A.M.E. Church. The founders of the A.M.E. Church were poor, but under Richard Allen’s leadership, they purchased an old blacksmith shop and moved to the corner of Sixth and Lombard Street in Philadelphia, PA. This location eventually became Bethel A.M.E. Church. This history within the A.M.E. Church created this motto: God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, The Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Humankind, Our Family. The A.M.E. Church is rich with heritage and holds the legacy of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ while fulfilling social needs. Our belief is that the Bible contains everything necessary for salvation. We believe in the Holy Trinity; there is but one true and living God, everlasting of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His Son and our Lord, and in the Holy Ghost, who proceeded from the Father and Son.