MEET OUR PASTOR

Luke 1:45, "Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her shall be fulfilled.

The Reverend LaTonya Pettigrew has served in ministry since the age of 9; she was baptized at 11 and at 13, she was the chaplain for a teen gospel group her grandmother co-organized by the name of the Teen Spirits of God. 

She acknowledged her calling to preach in 2002, but decided to take some time to gain clarity from God in her passion. She preached her trial sermon in 2005 under then Pastor, now Bishop Brian R. Thompson at Simon Temple AME Zion Church, Fayetteville, NC. In 2009, she was ordained in the diaconate by Bishop Roy A. Holmes in the AME Zion Church.  In 2011, she was elected to be ordained an Elder by the Michigan Annual Conference. The following year, she was ordained an Elder in the AME Zion Church.

​

Rev. Pettigrew has multifaceted gifting from God that has served the body of Christ in various positions. She has held various District and Conference positions. She served the AME Zion Church Christian Education Department as a District Director of Youth and Director of Young Adults. She served the Midwest Episcopal area as a Chicago District Young Adult Prayer Coordinator. She’s served on Conference budget committees, the state of the church, the state of the country, been the chairperson for Michigan Annual Conference Disaster Preparedness Committee, and been newly appointed to work with Project100 for the South Florida Annual Conference.

She’s pastored 4 AME Zion Churches with her current pastorate being the Tampa Bay AME Zion Church. 

Throughout almost two decades in ministry, she has been entrusted with the next generation of leaders as she has three children in the preaching ministry & worked with countless others to identify & understand their call. She has led hundreds to Christ.

Pastor Pettigrew also has military affiliation, serving as a US Army Field-Grade Commissioned Warrant Officer, who specializes in Equipment Acquisition, Accountability and Readiness.  She is highly decorated and celebrated for her innovations in Logistics, Sustainment, and Acquisition.

​

She is educated with a  Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business/Integrated Supply Chain Operations Management; completed Master's level coursework from the US Army Logistics University. She also holds certifications as a Demonstrated Senior Logistician from the International Society of Logistics as well as a Master Resilience Trainer/Instructor for the US Army. She has a Masters of Divinity degree with full concentration in Christian Apologetics and has hopes of completing her Ph.D. in Christian Apologetics soon.

When asked her favorite scripture, she smiles and remembers Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed what was spoken to her shall come to pass.”

Pastor Pettigrew is married and has three sons.