Celebrating Black History Month | Rev. Debra J. Hopkins
“Brighter tomorrows begin with you. There’s always hope.”
- Rev. Debra J. Hopkins
February is Black History Month, and this year we are highlighting Black LGBTQ+ individuals from current and recent history who continue to inspire us as LGBTQ+ Christians. Taking a look at how we as people of faith can continue to learn from their stories, passions, and work as we learn new ways to be in community with and for one another even in the midst of challenging times.
This week, we're celebrating and highlighting Rev. Debra J. Hopkins, who is a spiritual leader, ordained minister, and the founder of There’s Still Hope. There’s Still Hope is a trans-led non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for, mentoring, and educating nonprofits, individuals and organizations interested in establishing a Transitional Housing Program for transgender and nonbinary adults who are experiencing homelessness.
We invite you to continue reading to learn more about Rev. Debra J. Hopkins!
Rev. Debra J. Hopkins identifies as a person of color, spiritual leader, parent of three, grandparent of eight, and a transgender woman. Born in New York City in 1956, Rev. Hopkins did not find Christianity until she was a young adult through the choral group she was a part of, Voices of the Spirit. This led to the beginning of her ministry in the late 1970s and her graduation from New York Theological Seminary with a Masters of Theology in 1981. She pastored her first church in 1991 after serving as a youth choir leader and as an associate pastor.
Throughout this success, Rev. Hopkins felt like something was still missing. It was through the internet she found what it meant to be transgender, and it led to her own gender identity exploration. She began her transition in 1995 while pastoring her first church. She left that church in 1996 and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, to continue working in ministry. She pastored there for 11 years, where her main focus was helping homeless women and children.
In 2007, Rev. Debra J. Hopkins was arrested and wrongly accused of a crime. Eventually all charges were dropped. However, the damage was done, and it was this incident that led Rev. Hopkins to become homeless in Charlotte, North Carolina. After being homeless for about two and a half years and seeing how members of the LGBTQ+ community were treated when seeking help, she vowed to give back to the community once she was back on her feet. She increased her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for the welfare of those in the LGBTQ+ community. This and more led Rev. Hopkins to become the founder of There’s Still Hope, which created a transitional housing program for transgender adults.
Rev. Debra J. Hopkins now runs an online ministry called Essentials for Life Ministry, which champions people having a relationship with God no matter their gender or race. She has also written memoirs and has been featured in a documentary. She advocates for individuals to express themselves freely and live genuinely as a way to challenge a system that is structured to systemically exclude marginalized groups.
We are thankful for Rev. Debra J. Hopkins’ work and contributions to the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate all of who she is today! May we all learn by her example as we face the challenges of our current times.
