By Marnita Coleman
Special to the AFRO
A two-day celebration was held in Baltimore, Md., March 21-22 to recognize the Rev. Dr. Joan Louise Wharton, a global trailblazer, concluding her 39-year pastorate in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Though she began her ministry in 1981, she will officially retire as a pastor on April 4, 2025.
The festivities began with a worship service at Bethel AME Church, featuring Wharton’s spiritual father, Bishop John Richard Bryant, along with Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and guest psalmist the Rev. Dr. Patrick Clayborn, the host pastor.
The celebration continued the following day with a sisterhood luncheon at the New Shiloh Baptist Church Family Life Center, with a performance by renowned saxophonist Brian Lanair and musical vignettes from the off-Broadway drama “Justice on Trial.”
“I’m retiring from pastoring in the AME because it is mandated that at a certain age you have to retire,” Wharton said. Calling it a “rewiring,” she explained, “I’m recharging, refocusing, and continuing ministry in a new way.”
Rev. Wharton’s pastoral journey led her through five Maryland churches, each a chapter in her legacy of faith and leadership. She began at Bazil AME in Cockeysville, then guided congregations at Bethel AME in Church Hill, Mt. Zion AME in Glen Arm, Evergreen AME in Baltimore, and finally, Hemingway Temple AME in Cherry Hill. At every stop, she nurtured souls, strengthened communities, and inspired countless lives through her unwavering dedication to ministry.
“Watching how they lived their faith was inspiring, and leading them was truly fulfilling,” she said.
Attendees raise their voices in song during the worship service. Seen here from left: Rev. Winifred Griffin, Bunnie Hill, Rev. Sandra Coger and Loren McCaskill. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman presents Rev. Joan Wharton with a citation at the Sisterhood Rodeo Luncheon at New Shiloh Baptist Church Family Life Center on March 22. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
State Comptroller Brooke Lierman, left , Rev. Joan Wharton and Councilmember Alisa Porter are “sisters in arms” at the Sisterhood Rodeo Luncheon on March 22. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Bishop Reginald Jackson, 132nd elected and consecrated bishop of the AME Church and the chairman of its Commission on Church Growth and Development, brings greetings to celebrants. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Bishop Vashti McKenzie, like Rev. Wharton, has expanded opportunities for women in ministry in the AME Church. She is the first female bishop of the AME Church and currently president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Bishop John R. Bryant, Rev. Wharton’s father in ministry, delivers the sermon at the worship service. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Rev. Wharton’s relatives Danielle Wharton, Angela Wharton and Laila Wharton sing along with the rest of the congregation. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Retired Bishops Vashti Murphy McKenzie, left, and John R. Bryant welcomes Rev. Wharton to the retirement club while Bishop Reginald Jackson offers well wishes to Rev. Wharton. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Rev. Joan Wharton poses with her proud sons Darnyle Wharton – the older – on the left, and Simeon Wharton. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones 
Linda Wharton Boyd, Rev. Joan Wharton and Deacon Sharoni Wharton Lewis are all smiles at the pastor’s retirement service. Credit: Photos courtesy of Mary Johnson and Allen Jones
Wharton left a lasting impact on every congregation. During a special tribute at her retirement, a member from Bazil AME Church honored her as a vision bearer, change agent, and teacher of life lessons, shaping character, leading with faith and grace, and pushing the church into uncharted waters while keeping them rooted in Christ.
A heartfelt moment came when Lauren McCaskill Hines and her daughter, Tiffany, took the podium. Hines, a participant in the Bethel AME Church Teen Parenting Enrichment Program (TPEP) founded by Wharton in 1985, shared how the program connected her with other teen moms at a time when she was ousted from all she knew, easing her sense of isolation. Encouraged by TPEP to continue her education, she went on to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. And, Tiffany, the daughter from her teen pregnancy, defended her doctoral dissertation on March 27.
Wharton’s advocacy began at an early age. “Growing up in McCulloh Homes gave me a world view of life,” the minister said. “It afforded me an opportunity to do ministry as a little girl. I was a young advocate for women and didn’t even know it. I was known for helping people solve problems, like Deborah in the Bible who ministered under a palm tree. Everyone around my neighborhood would come to me with complications, struggles and adversities. I remember organizing a club at the age of 13.”
Rev. Debora Grant Scotland said of her friend and fellow clergy: “Rev. Wharton’s impact on ministry and those around her is defined by her unwavering care and concern for others, which surpasses any expectation, especially in the face of the challenges she encountered as a woman in leadership and ministry.”
She laughs, “For some time, early in our friendship, I thought Joan had a hearing problem, only to later realize that she simply wasn’t distracted by anything that wasn’t part of her mission at that moment.”
The Rev. Johnny R. Calhoun, presiding elder of the Baltimore Annual Conference, Baltimore District, spoke candidly: “Dr. Wharton’s leadership and perseverance have expanded opportunities for women in ministry within the AME Church, including the election of female bishops and more ordained women.”
He admits it’s a “male-dominated clergy,” but, “inspired by pioneers like Jarena Lee, Dr. Wharton championed perseverance and equality as president of Second Episcopal District Women in Ministry. Her impact has made women’s voices and leadership indispensable to the church’s growth and mission.”
Rev. Wharton serves as the chair of the Board of Examiners of the Baltimore Conference of the Second Episcopal District of the AME Church. She also serves as the first female secretary of the Baltimore Conference of the Second Episcopal District of the AME Church. She serves as the co-chair of the Cherry Hill Community Coalition and the first female president of the Cherry Hill Ministerial Alliance.
Rev. Wharton is the founder and director of the Season Women Ministries, a non-profit mentoring program for middle school girls, and the executive director of One Church, One Child of Maryland, an adoption referral program. She’s also a member of Delta Sigma Theta and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
The religious leader has written several books, meditations and publications on prayer and fasting, including: “40 Day Daniel Fast Prayer Journal,” “TGIF-Thank God I’m Fasting: A 40 Day Journey of Prayers” and “Seasonal Women: A Collection of Meditations and Reflections for Women of All Seasons.” Her writings, meditations and prayers have also been published in the “Women of Color Study Bible” and “Sister to Sister: Devotions For and From African American Women.” She has also written articles for the National Council of Churches.
Dr. Wharton has traveled extensively at home and abroad, evangelizing in areas such as Ghana, Israel, Guyana, Bermuda and the Dominican Republic.
She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland, Baltimore County; master’s of divinity from Howard University; and a doctorate in ministry from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Reflecting on the influence of her mother in ministry, the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, Wharton said, “She always complimented my mothering style–raising two sons as a single mother and balancing ministry. She promoted me and gave me the opportunity to grow, expand and develop. She would have been proud.”
Wharton’s son Darnyle K. Wharton, chimed in with the most profound lesson he caught from his world-renowned mother, “Be consistent and authentic in everything you do. People will know who you are and what you are about through your words and your actions.”
Simeon Wharton, her other son, hopes his mother’s work is most remembered for “the countless people she ministered to, helped and guided.”
“Her ministry was 44 years of giving of herself and helping people inside the church walls and the community,” Simeon Wharton added. “That will continue on with or without her being an actual pastor.”