Rev. Rose M. Stokes-Smalls, a native of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, is the daughter of Mary Lee Stokes and the late Paul Allen Stokes.  She is the mother of three children:  Major Jerry Smalls II, US Army; Amber Whitney Smalls, M.BA and Senior Airman Daniel Marcus Smalls, US Air Force.  She is also blessed with two daughters-in-love and two grandchildren, Ethan Andrew Smalls and Kileyah Riley Smalls.

 

She preached her initial sermon June 27, 1999, at Olive Branch A.M.E. Church where the Reverend Jonathan J. Baker was the pastor.  She was licensed by Presiding Elder Alonzo Middleton to preach the gospel and received her Deacons Ordination August 2002, at Ebenezer AME Church, under the hands of Bishop Henry Allen Belin, Jr.  In August 2015, she was ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop Richard Franklin Norris at Morris Brown AME Church.

 

Rev. Stokes-Smalls received her first pastoral appointment from Bishop Richard Franklin Norris on April 29, 2016, as Pastor of St. Mary AME Church, Pawleys Island, SC.  She served that congregation for four years and four months until she was appointed pastor of Union AME Church, Awendaw, SC, August 29, 2020, by Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the 7th Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she currently serves.

 

Rev. Stokes-Smalls is a 1982 graduate of the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Business Administration. She furthered her studies at Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, OH, where she earned a Master of Divinity Degree (Cum Laude) May 22, 2015.

 

She was employed with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District. She is a Certified Level III Contract Specialist with the Department of Defense and served her last five years as Deputy for Small Business Programs. She retired from civilian federal services December 31, 2018, with over 35 ½ years of federal government service.  

 

Rev. Stokes-Smalls is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and served as the Chairperson for the East Cooper Mentoring Program for over three years.

 

She is an active member of Women in Ministry.  She has served in the following positions:  Palmetto Conference Assistant Coordinator (2015-2016), Palmetto Conference Coordinator (2016-2019) and currently serves as the Seventh Episcopal District Second Vice President (2019-Present). 

 

Rev. Stokes-Smalls is a spirit-filled woman of God who lives by the motto “You reap what you sow.”   Her favorite hymn is “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.”