“If I were a human book, my story would be one of determination and service. I grew up in a Christian faith community that nurtured the good in me and affirmed my God-given gifts - even though as an African American, I grew up being told by my family that I would have to work harder and do more to accomplish my goals in life. From an early age, I decided I would devote my life to the things that would honor God and my family the most. Once I graduated from Catskill High School, I attended Howard University in Washington, DC. Living in the nation’s capital afforded me the opportunity to be in a place where I saw people who looked like me making a difference in the world. Needless to say, I was motivated by positive African American role models at Howard University and in the faith community that I joined there. I ultimately graduated from Howard with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and went on to attend Howard University School of Divinity where I earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies and a Master of Divinity. Determined to combine my love for God, service to humankind, and my love for Black people, I left the United States to do Christian mission work in the Kingdom of Eswatini and South Africa. In the midst of this, my husband traveled all the way to Durban, South Africa to ask me to marry him - and I said yes! After marrying, the two of us did mission work together in the Kingdom of Eswatini for three more years. It was while doing mission work for seven years in Africa that I decided to continue my education by completing my Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, specializing in Missions and Cross-Cultural Studies.
I am a resident of South Bethlehem (Selkirk), where I have lived over 25 years. This is my story: one of service to God through service to humankind.”
Rev. Dr. Roxanne Jones Booth is Co‐Pastor of the Riverview Missionary Baptist Church in Coeymans Landing and an Adjunct Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Africana Studies at SUNY Albany. She is also a Recovery Coach at Homer Perkins Center in Albany, NY, which is a re-integration facility for men in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse. She is a lifetime member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves as the chair of the International Awareness and Involvement Committee for the Albany (NY) Alumnae Chapter.