St. Paul AME Church

Reverend Emma K. Drummer- Barnes is a native of Cincinnati. She is an ordained Itinerant Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Barnes serves on the ministerial staff and as the Church Administrator under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. Alphonse Allen, Jr. at Allen Temple AME Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

    She graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She is currently studying in the Masters of Divinity program at Payne Theological Seminary. She worked as a corporate executive for over ten years with IBM corp., in North Carolina and Federated Credit Services in Mason, Ohio before accepting her call into the ministry.  She is the National Finance Director of The Ladies of My Sister’s Keeper, Inc., a non-profit interdenominational women’s outreach and support group ministry. She is the spiritual adviser for Allen Temple's Liturgical dance and Arts ministries.

     Rev. Barnes accepted her calling to preach in September 2007, under her father in the ministry, Rev. MarkThompson. Her goal is to help Christians embrace their identities in Christ as a lifestyle not a religion. 

     She is a devoted, loving wife to her spiritual soldier in the ministry of 15 years, Mr.DeVell Barnes, Sr. She is the God sent mother to three step children, Ashley, Kenya andDeVell, Jr., God’s mother bearer to four children, Christian, Katherine, Trinity, and Gabrielle, yet a loving mother to all seven. She is the grand-daughter of the late Rev. & Mrs.Charles E. Drummer, Sr and daughter to the late Harold Drummer, Sr and beloved Mrs.Oneaster Davis Drummer.

     Most of all, she is encouraged to know what God says about her in her favorite scripture Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!”