Rev. Dr. Stephanie M. Raglin is the newly appointed and proud pastor of Payne Chapel AME Church Nashville Tennessee. She formerly served as the first female pastor of Historic St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Lexington, Kentucky, a role she has embraced since October 2023. Prior to this, she served as the first female pastor at Embry Chapel A.M.E. Church from November 2015 to October 2023 and has a total of 8.5 years of ministry experience at Craig Chapel A.M.E. Church in Salvisa Kentucky and Shorter Chapel A.M.E. Church in Paris, Kentucky.
Reflecting on her appointment, Rev. Dr. Raglin stated, “I am so honored and humbled to be appointed for the third time as the first female pastor in church history. I’m grateful to God and Bishop Harry L. Seawright for the appointment of Payne Chapel AME Church Nashville Tennessee! Love serving God’s people in a more excellent way!”
Rev. Dr. Raglin was ordained as an itinerant deacon by Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie at the 141st Session of the Kentucky Annual Conference in 2008. She was later ordained as an itinerant elder in the 143rd Session of the Kentucky Annual Conference. With nearly 19 years in ministry, she has also served as the Director of Programs for the Hope Center Recovery Program for Women since 2002 and for the Hope Center for Men and Women in the Fayette County Detention Center since 2006. She is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Kentucky and has received several accolades, including Outstanding Member of the Year (2008) and Pastor of the Year (2012, 2019) from the Kentucky Conference Lay Organization of the A.M.E. Church, as well as the 2019 Pastor of the Year for the 13th Episcopal District.
Rev. Dr. Raglin earned her bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Midway University in 2004 and continued her theological education at Payne Theological Seminary in 2007. She holds a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership (2010) and a Master of Divinity (2017) from Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as a Doctor of Ministry focusing on Preaching and Leading (2023) and a Master of Pastoral Counseling (2024).
She has held numerous leadership positions, including chairperson for the Kentucky Conference Women In Ministry, Treasurer of Connectional Women In Ministry of the A.M.E. Church, and former Chief Marshal for the Kentucky Annual Conference. Additionally, she has served as the Chief Marshal for the 13th Episcopal District for many years and a marshal for the Council of Bishops for the A.M.E. Church. Rev. Dr. Raglin has been actively involved in various boards and committees, including the Kentucky Board of Dentistry, the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education, and the Kentucky Alcohol and Drug Board, where she currently serves as vice chair. Additionally, she is a current member of the Kentucky Recovery Ready Communities Advisory Council and the Kentucky Association of Addiction Professionals.
In recognition of her contributions, she was honored as a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Matt Bevin in 2020 and was awarded the Lexington Community Service Award in 2017. In June 2022, she established the 501(c)(3) organization Serenitee At Its Best Counseling Center in Versailles, Kentucky, and is currently the Director of Substance Abuse Services for the Adanta Group. In 2023, she was appointed by Mayor Linda Gorten as chair of the Opioid Abatement Commission.
Rev. Dr. Raglin is happily married to Mr. Mark A. Raglin, and they are the proud parents of three children: Melanie, 32, and twins Maya and Mykal, 20, who are pursuing their studies at Western Kentucky University and Bellarmine University. Her guiding motto is “Enjoy the Journey!” and her favorite scripture is Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
