Rev. Bridgette Hector
Bridget ended mission service with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2012.
About Bridgette Hector's ministry
Bridgette was appointed in January 2009 as a mission co-worker to serve as companionship facilitator for the Joining Hands (JH) networks in Lesotho and South Africa. “Joining Hands” is a program of the Presbyterian Hunger Program that fights the root causes of hunger by sparking the formation of networks in developing countries. These networks lead the struggle against hunger at a local level while working with PC(USA) presbyteries and congregations to address global hunger issues.
From her base in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Bridgette works with “Kopano Ke Matla” (Joining Hands Against Hunger Network of Lesotho) and Sisonke Masilwe Indlala, the JH network in South Africa.
Bridgette’s responsibilities are to assist the two networks in carrying out their core program and developing their response to the main issues that the networks themselves have identified as their primary concerns. Bridgette acts as a link between the PC(USA) congregations and the two networks in southern Africa, facilitating exchange visits between PC(USA) congregations and presbyteries and the networks.
About Bridgette Hector
Prior to her appointment to Lesotho and South Africa, Bridgette was a chaplain at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Since August 2006 she was also a pastoral counselor resident at the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia. In addition, Bridgette is president of Ishtar Enterprises Inc. of Atlanta. Ishtar’s mission is to provide freedom for women to re-image God and celebrate their spiritual and sexual selves in creative safe spaces.
In describing her call to serve in Africa, Bridgette writes: “My experience journeying with oppressed persons is so great I could never tell it all. I just share, learn, and teach as God opens doors for me. My serving as a chaplain within the hospital setting for more than six years gives me unique knowledge and experience in pastoral care, and my graduate studies in pastoral counseling are adding an immense amount of knowledge and experience to my life.
“I had so many profound spiritual experiences during my trips to Africa. I fell in love with the people of Africa. It was there that I also preached my first sermon to a very eclectic group of leaders from all over the world.”
Bridgette is pursuing her Doctor of Theology degree at the Atlanta Theological Association/Turner Theological Seminary. She holds a Master of Divinity in ethics and pastoral care and counseling and a Master of Arts in Christian education from the Interdenominational Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Her undergraduate degree, in business administration, is from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
From 1995 to 2004 Bridgette was executive director for Women and Youth Ministries at the Andrew P. Steward Center in Atlanta, where she developed and implemented ministries for youth and women.
She was ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament on June 27, 2004, and is a minister member of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.
Birthday: August 5
