Church in Missouri City/Stafford, TX (southwest Houston area). She is also the President and founder of Crossroads Community Development Corporation, positioned to impact the Southwest Houston, Missouri City and Stafford area. Dr. Echols was educated in the public schools of Fayetteville and Wilmington. For high school, she was the recipient of a three year Ann C. Stouffer/ Reynolds Foundation sch
olarship to help integrate a southern white preparatory school, and chose St. Margaret’s School, in Tappahannock, VA where she graduated with honors. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Zoology, Howard University in Washington, DC, with a B.S. as a physician assistant, Rev. Dr. Echols practiced medicine as a Physician Assistant for 37 years, retiring in 2017. She attended the Houston Graduate School of Theology graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree in 1998 and a Doctor of Ministry degree with specialization in Pastoral Leadership in 2020. Dr. Echols has been a member of the A.M.E. Church since 1979, uniting with Bethel AME Church, Baltimore, MD under then Pastor, now retired Bishop John Richard Bryant. Later, she served as YPD Director for St. James AME Church, Kinston, NC from 1983-85 under Rev. Dr. Conrad K. Pridgen, now a Presiding Elder. While a member of Payne Chapel AME Church in Houston, TX under Rev. Gordon, she served as a Steward, a missionary and a member of the Celestial Choir. Dr Echols accepted a call to preach the gospel in 1988 and was ordained an itinerant deacon in 1990 by Bishop Robert Pruitt and an itinerant elder at the 1992 Texas Annual Conference, at Shiloh A.M.E. Church in Galveston, Texas by Bishop John Bryant. She has served as an Alternate to the General Conference in 2000, 2004, 2008 & in 2012. She served as a Delegate in 2016 and has been elected to serve in that capacity in 2020 (postponed to 2021 due to the COVID pandemic). She has co-hosted the Texas Annual Conference, hosted Presiding Elder Planning Meetings, District Conferences, and numerous local church conferences and conventions. She served as Worship Leader for the Tenth District Women In Ministry from 1996 – 2004 and has served as the co-coordinator for the Texas Annual Conference Women In Ministry from 2004-2008. She currently serves as President of the Tenth District AME WIM. Dr. Echols is a member of the International Health Commission, has served and currently serves as a member of the Judicial Council and the Ministerial Efficiency Committee for the Texas Annual Conference, currently serves as Dean of Instruction for the Texas Annual Conference Board of Examiners and Assistant Dean for the State. She has previously served on the secretarial staff of the Texas Conference for some seven years including three years as Chief Secretary. She has served with the Tenth District Christian Education Committee for over ten years and served the Theological Scholarship Team for eight years. Dr. Echols acknowledges a specific call to a teaching and deliverance ministry. She likes best to be known as a shepherd, ambassador for Christ, and servant of the King. Her healing ministry empowers and transforms the lives of the lost, disenfranchised, and powerless.
***Social Media has afforded a great venue for open discussion on a myriad of topics dealing with the Word of God. Due to this being an open forum, ALL views posted on this page do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of Pastor Carol Echols, Visions A.M.E. Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or Connectional Church as a whole.
