DEACONESS GAIL DOUGLAS-BOYKIN
Lay Leader
Gail was commissioned as a Deaconess in May 2020 and serves in ministry as the Coordinator of Ministerial Services for the New York Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. Gail also served as the Church Administrator of Vanderveer Park United Methodist Church for 10 years after having retired from The New York City Police Department after 20+ years of service as a Police Officer.
Gail is a Certified Lay Servant and active in her church community. Her passion is working with the youth of her church, district and conference. Gail has served as the Youth Ambassador in Mission Coordinator for mission trips to Ecuador, Cambodia, Antigua, Ghana and Belize. Gail has led youth mission studies in New York, West Ohio, West Virginia and Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission u Events. In 2015, Gail facilitated workshops at the Discipleship Ministries “Youth 2015” and “Youth 2019” events for over 800 young people.
FL entitled “The Church and Its Response to Persons with Disabilities.
Gail lives her life as a servant leader and has served in the following capacities:
Member of the Anchor House Board of Directors, Brooklyn, NY
Member of the Committee on Deaconess and Home Missioner Service representing the National Association of Deaconess and Home Missioners
Vice-President of the Scarritt Bennett Center Board of Directors.
Black Methodist for Church Renewal (BMCR) Northeastern Jurisdiction Leadership Team At-Large Member.
Black Methodist for Church Renewal (BMCR), New York Conference Communications Coordinator.
Chair of Finance Committee and Immediate President of the Professional Administrators of the United Methodist Connectional Structure (PAUMCS). Gail is the first African American president in the history of the organization.
Member of the United Methodist Women National Board of Directors from 2012 -2020, and as the Chair of Governance Committee from 2016-2020.
Chair of Membership for the Black Staff Association of the United Methodist Church
Vice President of the United Methodist Women Northeastern Jurisdiction Leadership Team 2021-2024
Elected as Lay delegate to UMC General Conference 2019 and 2020
In her spare time Gail enjoys reading, learning new technology, trying new recipes, crossword puzzles, and sewing. Her guilty pleasure is Pinterest. She resides in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, Princeton and their daughter, Elise.
Gail says that the scripture that guides her life is, “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.” ~ Galatians 6:9