Debra Spears

Reverend Debra L. Spears is a matriarch and mother, whose family includes her late son Devin Hamilton Sr., daughters Major Nakisha Abernathy-Carr (married to Bobby) and Kelli L. Abernathy. She cherishes her role as a grandmother to five grandchildren—two boys and three girls—and as a great-grandmother to a great-grandson. Reverend Spears’ nurturing nature is evident in her personal life; in 2004, she opened her home as an emergency foster care provider for two years, offering maternal guidance to one teenager and over fifty children ranging from infants to five years old.

Faith Journey: A devoted member of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, Reverend Spears grew up in the Greater Cleaves Memorial CME Church until nineteen. In 1973, she transitioned her family’s membership to Amos Memorial CME Church, only to return to Greater Cleaves in 2015. With over four decades of teaching the Word of God, she embraced a deeper calling as an exhorter in 2010 and entered the ministry as a Local Preacher in 2011. Her dedication to her church is unwavering, having served as a Senior Pastor and currently as a supply pastor at St. Mary’s CME Church, under the guidance of Presiding Elder James Grayson.

Educational Background: Reverend Spears holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Telecommunications Network Management & Computer Technology from Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Church Ministries and a Master of Arts Degree in Leadership from MId-America Christian University. Currently, she is pursuing a second master's degree in divinity at Liberty University. As a chaplain certified in Grief Counseling & Clinical Pastoral Education, she has completed extensive training, including nine units of Clinical Pastoral Education, equating to 3600 hours at a level one trauma center. Her expertise lies in crisis, trauma, grief, loss, and end-of-life care.

Professional Life: After thirty years of service as a Communication Technician with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Reverend Spears retired in 2004. She later retired from the City of Oklahoma City after five years, driven by a call to ministry. Her work with the State of Oklahoma Department of Human Services in the Child Protection Services Unit lasted three years, aiding children and families during challenging times. Since 2013, she has found her vocation as a Chaplain III, currently serving at Mercy Hospital & Oklahoma Heart Hospitals, and providing support in the Loves Family Women’s Center.

Reverend Spears believes she is “perfectly positioned” to impart her life experiences and teaching passion authentically, embracing the transformative work of God in her life, as reflected in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”