The Rev. Erika Jackson-Essiem
Mother Erika brings deep pastoral wisdom, a prophetic voice for justice, and a heart rooted in healing, joy, and faithful leadership.
Originally from Indiana, Erika holds a Master of Theological Studies from Boston University School of Theology. She has ministered in diverse and demanding settings — including homeless shelters, detox programs, hospital and correctional chaplaincy, and parish leadership. Before ordination, she worked as an EMT, and those experiences continue to shape her commitment to trauma-informed care and holistic healing.
She is canonically resident in the Diocese of Missouri and has been a trailblazer throughout her vocation. Erika was the first woman ordained and canonically resident in the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast, Ghana, and the first Black woman ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Northern Indiana. At St. Francis, she will also become our first rector of color.
A passionate and gifted preacher, Erika was recently accepted into the Jarena Lee Preaching Academy, a national program supporting the formation of powerful Black women preachers. She is also a Rising Leader with the Kaleidoscope Institute, an organization devoted to transforming communities through intercultural competence, anti-racism training, and spiritual formation. These commitments reflect Erika’s dedication to prophetic preaching and inclusive leadership — and they will bring great depth, insight, and vitality to our parish’s life together.
As the search process unfolded, Erika felt a deep sense of call emerging — one shaped by Spirit, authenticity, and shared purpose. She felt drawn to St. Francis because she could bring her full self into the process, and the community’s warmth and acceptance were both immediate and powerful. While attending the Festival of Homiletics, she discerned a call to be bold — to use her lived experience to help shift systems of privilege and walk alongside communities growing in equity, love, and justice.
She writes,
“I am excited about what God is doing in this new season of shared ministry between myself, St. Francis, and the surrounding community. During my final interview, we danced and laughed — but we also engaged in a difficult, honest conversation about what it would mean to call a Black woman as rector for the first time. We didn’t shy away from the challenges. We acknowledged them, and we agreed to support one another through the learning, the discomfort, and the growth. That moment told me this was a place where transformation is possible — and that’s holy ground.”
Erika is the proud mother of a 25-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter, and the joyful grandmother of three.
Originally from Indiana, Erika holds a Master of Theological Studies from Boston University School of Theology. She has ministered in diverse and demanding settings — including homeless shelters, detox programs, hospital and correctional chaplaincy, and parish leadership. Before ordination, she worked as an EMT, and those experiences continue to shape her commitment to trauma-informed care and holistic healing.
She is canonically resident in the Diocese of Missouri and has been a trailblazer throughout her vocation. Erika was the first woman ordained and canonically resident in the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast, Ghana, and the first Black woman ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Northern Indiana. At St. Francis, she will also become our first rector of color.
A passionate and gifted preacher, Erika was recently accepted into the Jarena Lee Preaching Academy, a national program supporting the formation of powerful Black women preachers. She is also a Rising Leader with the Kaleidoscope Institute, an organization devoted to transforming communities through intercultural competence, anti-racism training, and spiritual formation. These commitments reflect Erika’s dedication to prophetic preaching and inclusive leadership — and they will bring great depth, insight, and vitality to our parish’s life together.
As the search process unfolded, Erika felt a deep sense of call emerging — one shaped by Spirit, authenticity, and shared purpose. She felt drawn to St. Francis because she could bring her full self into the process, and the community’s warmth and acceptance were both immediate and powerful. While attending the Festival of Homiletics, she discerned a call to be bold — to use her lived experience to help shift systems of privilege and walk alongside communities growing in equity, love, and justice.
She writes,
“I am excited about what God is doing in this new season of shared ministry between myself, St. Francis, and the surrounding community. During my final interview, we danced and laughed — but we also engaged in a difficult, honest conversation about what it would mean to call a Black woman as rector for the first time. We didn’t shy away from the challenges. We acknowledged them, and we agreed to support one another through the learning, the discomfort, and the growth. That moment told me this was a place where transformation is possible — and that’s holy ground.”
Erika is the proud mother of a 25-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter, and the joyful grandmother of three.
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Sunday Service Times
The Holy Eucharist, 8:00 a.m. & 10:15 a.m. in-person and 10:15 a.m. livestream |
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