OUR PASTOR

 

Reverend Mercedes Tudy-Hamilton, is the Pastor of Cain Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

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Rev. Mercedes Tudy-Hamilton is a native of Brooklyn, New York, who answered God’s call into the ministry in 1997.  She has recently been appointed to pastor Cain Memorial A.M.E. Church in Bakersfield, CA, in 2022.  She currently serves as the President of the 5th District A.M.E. Women In Ministry, having been elected to that office in November 2021.

 

For three years, she served as the pastor of A.K. Quinn A.M.E. Church, Moreno Valley, CA.  She also served as the President of the Board of Directors of the Quinn Community Outreach Corporation (QCOC), which is a non-profit corporation which runs a food pantry and various health-related educational programs in the Inland Empire. She is currently serving in her 17th pastoral year. 

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She previously served for eight years as the pastor of Primm Tabernacle A.M.E. Church, Seattle, Washington.   Under her leadership, the church congregation stabilized and grew.  As the President of the Board of Directors of the Primm ABC Child Care center, the church and daycare center began an ambitious plan to convert the church building into a full-service daycare center, increasing its value from $1 million to $4 million through the acquisition of state and city grants.  It was completed in 2022. The church is relocating to a new building.

 

In her initial pastorate, she served 5 years at Union Bethel AME Church in Great Falls, Montana. Prior to that appointment, she served one year as Pastoral Intern at Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Church, Santa Ana, CA, and as the Assistant Pastor of Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles, California for 5 years. She received her Elder’s ordination in the A.M.E. church Southern CA Conference in 2004.