Bishop Francine A. Brookins
Rev. Francine A. Brookins was appointed to serve Bethel AME Church in Fontana by the Rt. Rev. Theodore Larry Kirkland, Presiding Prelate in November 2009 with a clear mandate: "build the church." And build it she did. In less than two years, Rev. Brookins led the congregation in the ambitious endeavor of constructing a brand-new church building from the ground up. With 12 years of steadfast leadership at Bethel AME Church, Fontana, she is renowned for her unwavering faith, vibrant personality, compassion, and exceptional leadership skills. A dynamic preacher and teacher, she leaves an indelible impact on all who hear her.
Rev. Brookins is driven by a fervent commitment to creating an environment where individuals earnestly seeking the Lord can bask in the transformative and healing presence of God. A staunch advocate for social justice, she amplifies the voices of marginalized communities. Beyond her dedicated service to the church, Rev. Brookins is a licensed attorney in the State of California, specializing in mediation, arbitration, and conflict resolution.
Answering her call to ordained ministry in 1998, Rev. Brookins earned a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion (Graduate Theological Union) and was ordained an Itinerant Elder in 2002. Her commendable service includes roles as a member of the Board of Examiners, the Conference Coordinator for Women in Ministry, and the Conference Director of Social Action. She holds a B.A. from Georgetown University (1993) and a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from The George Washington National Law Center, Washington D.C. (1996).
For over 15 years, she skillfully managed the Law & Mediation Offices of Francine A. Brookins, deftly handling general civil litigation, criminal defense, and mediation in high-conflict interpersonal disputes within families and churches.
In 2008, Rev. Francine Brookins was chosen by the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to join the Judicial Council (Supreme Court of the AME Church) and become the 2nd Vice President of A.M.E. Women in Ministry. In 2016, she courageously sought election as a Bishop at the 50th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and with disheartening success, she ran again in 2021.
The Right Reverend Francine A. Brookins, Presiding Prelate, made history as the 141st bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a momentous achievement during the denomination’s 51st Quadrennial Session of the General Conference in Orlando, Florida, held from July 6th to 10th, 2021. Serving as the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Fontana, Bishop Brookins is an inspiring trailblazer as the fifth woman to be elected to the AME episcopal level. She proudly follows in the footsteps of her late father, the esteemed Right Rev. H. Hartford Brookins, who dedicated decades to serving as an AME bishop and became a renowned civil and human rights advocate.
Bishop Francine Brookins was appointed as the presiding prelate of the 18th Episcopal District, overseeing Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, and a part of Mozambique in Africa. Then, on August 28, 2024, she was assigned as the presiding prelate of the 5th Episcopal District, which encompasses Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination is a global organization. Bishops oversee twenty episcopal districts, each of which includes presiding elders and pastors of churches. It is the responsibility of the Bishops to annually assign pastors and presiding elders to their designated locations within their assigned districts.
Bishop Francine A. Brookins is the daughter of the Rev. Carole Nelson Ingram and the late Bishop Hamel Hartford Brookins. Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is not only a distinguished leader but also the loving mother of two adorable Shih-tzu companions. To God Be the Glory!
