The Rev. Dr. Bernadette M. Beckett
Rev. Beckett is a native of Princess Anne, Maryland, raised in the community of Venton. She is the daughter of the late Etta Rhock Roberts, and the late James Hayman. She is the step-daughter of the late Lloyd G. Roberts.
Rev. Beckett was educated in the public schools of Somerset County. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in May 1981. From 1985 to 2000, Rev. Beckett spent 15 years of her life working on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Eight of those years was spent working in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs as an Executive Administrative Assistant before being transferred to the Office of the Vice President for Administrative Affairs for a brief period.
In 1995, she earned a Master of Education Degree (with a concentration in Educational Administration) from Salisbury State University ( renamed Salisbury University). In 1997, she attended the Northeastern Jurisdictional Local Pastor’s Licensing School for the United Methodist Church at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (renamed Palmer Theological Seminary) in Philadelphia, PA in May 2003. On June 6, 2004, at the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference, held on the University of Maryland Eastern campus, she was commissioned as a Probationary Elder. On June 9, 2007, she was ordained Elder in Full Connection in the United Methodist Church – The Peninsula-Delaware Conference. In December 2011, Rev. Beckett earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, focusing on Congregational Development, and New Faith Communities.
Her former conference and district responsibilities have been: serving as a member of the former Leadership Development Resource Team for the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church; member of the Committee on Investigation; Chairperson for the Multiple Point Charge Transformation Task Force; member of the United Methodist Campus Ministry Association; member of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference Board of Higher Education and Ministry; and Campus Ministry Representative for the Vision Team of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church. She was also inaugurated as a member of the UMES Department of Business Management and Accounting Advisory Council. For 13 years, she served as the Campus Minister/Executive Director for Wesley Foundation at Salisbury University.
Since July 2016, she serves in the same capacity at The University Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD. Presently, she serves as a member of The Board of Ordained Ministry for the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church; Chairperson For The District Committee On Ministry; member of The Congregational Development Corporation Committee; member of The Dragonfly Taskforce. In March 2014 she was voted by her colleagues to serve as the Chairperson of the Order of Elders for the Annual Conference.
Dr. Beckett now serves as the first female Pastor of Wesley Temple United Methodist Church. Beginning July 1, 2019, will mark her 22nd year of pastoring in The United Methodist Church.
She is married to Carvin G. Beckett, and they have two children, Brandon and Britnie who are twins. They also have six grandchildren Brandon Jr., Jeniyah, Shane Jr., Morgan, Ahmar, and Nathan. They have raised their nephew Da’Quawn since he was 18 months old (now 22) and his sister Breayna since she was 10 years old (now 18).
Rev. Beckett loves the Lord, loves God’s people, and the Scripture that identifies her journey is found in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Her motto: Pray, and Don’t Give Up!
Revised November 13, 2019
