Dr. Jossie Owens (‘74) made history when she became the first black woman in the United States or Canada to be elected District Superintendent (DS) for the Church of the Nazarene (New England District). Throughout her career, Dr. Owens has created a powerful legacy of leadership and has been a strong advocate for women.

Owens’ impressive career journey began when she was a child attending the historic Boston Chapel.  ENC served as an invaluable resource to the church and Owens cites the students who were involved as her primary motivation for later attending the College.  “They saw the Gospel. They didn’t see color. It reminded me of the table where we meet Christ: there’s no boundaries, no barriers.” Owens completed her bachelor’s degree in Education in 1974 amid riots surrounding the desegregation of Boston schools. “I was offered a teaching position in the city of Boston to teach high school English,” she says. “I had to make a choice whether I was going to teach or take another job.” She prayed heavily, and the Lord led her to Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), where she remained for thirteen years.

Her position at BCBS allowed her to obtain her master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Management from Northeastern University in 1987. She later went on to receive a doctorate from Boston University in 2003 in Administration Training and Management.

While working with BCBS, Owens believes she was fighting the pull to ministry. “The Lord was beginning to speak and I was running away from the call,” she says. “I knew it would be a difficult journey, particularly being a woman, [especially] being a Black female. I felt maybe I could do more being in a business environment as opposed to being within the church.” As she gained clarity, she followed the call to Parkside Christian Academy. “When God does things with me, it happens pretty quick. He gives me a timeline. He told me I should go into ministry studies.” Thus, her road to ordination began.

Owens took classes wherever they were offered in New England and obtained her district license in 1994. The road was difficult at times. “They’re not used to seeing someone like me,” Owens says. “I didn’t have a mentor that would lead me through that process. Sometimes you don’t have a voice,” she says. One of the goals she had during her time as DS was to make the ordination interviews more gender-neutral. “I remember when I [went through it] I said ‘we’re gonna change the way we do this’.”

After ordination, Owens became the pastor of Parkside Christian Academy in addition to her role as principal. During this time, she became very involved with the Ten-Point Coalition and the Boston Black Ministerial Alliance. In 2000, she became the senior pastor of Second Church in Dorchester, all while working at Parkside.

In 2003, Owens met with former DS Chuck Zink and began as Assistant DS. In February of 2004, Zink stepped down and she rose to Interim DS. “When someone becomes an Interim, they normally get two years,” says Owens, but she only remained there until the district assembly in June. At that time, she was elected District Superintendent with 98 percent approval on the first ballot, and was subsequently re-elected. Owens is profoundly grateful for Zink’s mentorship during this time. “He was like the Moses and I was like the Joshua,” she says. “Or Joshu-ette.”

Owens is not just a champion for women in ministry, but for women everywhere. She has been involved long-term with organizations that assist domestic violence survivors. In 2016, Owens was awarded the Safe Haven Interfaith Partnership IMPACT Award, given to those who show commitment to justice for survivors of domestic violence. She also, in conjunction with a group of women from her high school, coordinates fundraisers and donations for the Quincy-based organization, Domestic Violence Ended (DOVE).

When her tenure as District Superintendent came to an end, Owens followed her passion for education back to ENC. “I always try to be obedient to God’s will. God told me that I would be District Superintendent, and He also told me when I needed to leave the position,” she says. When she was asked to be Vice President of Adult Studies, she heavily prayed over the decision and knew it was the next step. She served in this role for three years and continues to teach as an adjunct professor in Adult Studies. “One of the courses I love teaching for ENC is Ethical Leadership,” she notes. “One of the beautiful things about ENC is that you can share your beliefs and use them as illustrations in the marketing world today.”

Owens, a woman who wears many hats, is currently the Interim Pastor at First Church of the Nazarene in Brockton, which was one of the churches she served during her ordination process. She has also published a book of devotionals called Daily Messages from My Window, available on Amazon, and is working on a second.

Owens lives in Mansfield with her husband of 43 years. She has two daughters, who are the inspiration behind her book, and a new grandson. Owens says of her journey: “My whole thing is about being pleasing to what He would have in my life.”