Rev. Barbara Ann Groover
Rev. Barbara Ann Groover is a native of Sparta, GA. When Barbara was seven years old, Barbara moved to Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in Brooklyn, Barbara attended New York City public schools, graduating from Bushwick High School. She continued her education by attending Fashion Institute of Technology where she concentrated in Textile Design. In addition, she matriculated at Bernard Baruch College in New York majoring in Marketing, where she earned her B.S. in Business Administration. Barbara received her Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School.
Her professional career involved working in several women’s apparel companies in New York Fashion Industry. During her time as a showroom account executive, she participated in styling merchandising and direct sales. This career afforded her the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country and abroad. Barbara is currently the Head Manager for one of the stores for GAP, Inc. a multinational clothing store.
Rev. Barbara was mentored and influenced by her now grandmother Rosa Lawrence, who taught her to love Methodism. The foundation of her Christian experience occurred at People’s Institutional A.M.E. Church in Brooklyn, where she served as Y.P.D. President, Sunday school teacher, choir member, usher, Pastor’s Aid President, Senior Steward and Church Clerk. While she fulfilled her many responsibilities as the first lady of Bright Temple A.M.E. Church in the Bronx, Barbara served as chairperson for the New York Conference WMS Affiliated Groups and Ecumenical Relations, and president of the A.M.E. Ministers Wives and Widows of New York and Vicinity. In 1993, she represented the Connectional WMS at the First National Consultation of Young Women, sponsored by the Church Women United.
During her membership at Bright Temple, she received her call into the ministry. She began her ministerial studies in the New York Annual Conference and was ordained an Itinerant Deacon at the New England Annual Conference by Bishop Philip R. Cousin, Sr.. Among her many sermons was a Mother’s Day sermon in 1994 A Flight Without a Fight which was written about in Jonathan Kozol’s bestseller Amazing Grace.
At present she serves as Minister to Women and Families at the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church, in Boston. In addition, she has served as a board member for Boston Aging Concerns, The Hyams Foundation Black Church Capacity Building Program and board chairperson of the Mothers Mentor Project.
Rev. Barbara is married to the Rev. Dr. Gregory G. Groover, Sr., pastor of the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church. She and her husband share two adult children who are professional musicians, daughter Gerami-Greer and son Gregory, Jr. (G-Man).