Reverend E. Marshall Turman, PhD

emturman@abyssinian.org

Dr. Turman is the youngest woman to be licensed and ordained to the Gospel Ministry by the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York (2005 and 2007, respectively). In 2004, Dr. Turman began serving at Abyssinian as Intern Minister for Christian Education & Youth under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III. Shortly thereafter she joined the ministerial staff as Assistant Minister for Youth and became the second and youngest woman to preside over the ordinances in Abyssinian’s 203 year history.

Dr. Turman currently serves as the Assistant Minister of the Abyssinian Baptist Church.  In addition to her priestly duties, Dr. Turman’s ministry at Abyssinian involves the spiritual formation and retention of church membership through the implementation of cutting-edge pedagogical methods and learning opportunities for adults and youth. This includes the preparation and dissemination of Sunday School, New Members, Christian Parenting, Pre-marital, and Bereavement curriculum. Dr. Turman supervises Abyssinian’s 50+ ministries, with particular focus on the Usher, Security, Joshua, and Medical ministries.  Prior to joining Abyssinian’s ministerial staff, Dr. Turman served as Intern Minister at Union Baptist Church in Montclair, NJ under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Walter L. Parrish, III.

Rev. Dr. E. Marshall Turman received the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and African American Studies (Phi Sigma Tau) from Fordham University, Lincoln Center, NYC. In 2002, upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Dr. Turman began her graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and The Institute for Research in African American Studies, Columbia University School of Continuing Education. She was awarded the Master of Divinity Degree in Social Ethics (2005), the Master of Philosophy Degree in African American Religion & Social Ethics (2008), and the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in New York. She currently serves as Visiting Lecturer of Christian Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary.  In addition to serving on the Board of the Harlem YMCA, Dr. Turman is also a member of a number of professional societies, including the American Academy of Religion and the Society for Christian Ethics. She is the co-founder of the Society for Black Critical Thought & Empowerment, and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Turman is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. Most recently, Dr. Turman was featured on a 2011 PBS segment of “Need to Know.”  She was awarded the 2010 Rebirth Renaissance Award by the New York Urban League Young Professionals. In 2009, she was named one of The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty” for her outstanding leadership in the African American community. She was also featured in EBONY Magazine’s April 2009 Issue as one among Young Leaders under 30 Serving God and the community. Dr. Turman was also published (“Do You Have The Fruit of the Spirit?”) in the Summer 2008 issue of The African American Pulpit’s “20 to Watch,” honoring emerging ministers under 40. She was a 2009-10 Dissertation Fellow for The Fund for Theological Education and was the recipient of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 North American Doctoral Fellowships for The Fund, as well. Dr. Turman was awarded Union Theological Seminary’s 4-year Howard Moody Fellowship that is given to the doctoral student who demonstrates exceptional promise in the area of urban social justice. In 2007, she was honored as a “Woman In Action” by the New York Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc.

A trained violinist and gifted performing artist, Dr. Turman’s presence has graced theaters around the world. She is trained in a number of disciplines including: classical ballet, Horton, Graham, and West African techniques, and worked on The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s national “Revelations: An Interdisciplinary Approach Tour” for several years.  Rev. Dr. Turman is a native New Yorker and currently resides in Manhattan with her husband, Rossie E. Turman, III, Esq.