Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Juliette Hanlin.
Hi Brittany Juliette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Brittany Juliette, named after my maternal grandmother, Juliette Archie, my favorite person and earliest teacher. She raised me with unconditional love and believed in me long before I learned to believe in myself. She nurtured my curiosity, welcomed my big questions, and modeled a faith rooted in compassion and critical thought. That legacy continues to guide my personal life and professional vocation.
I was born in East Orange, New Jersey and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina at age 11. I am a proud graduate of Howard University, where I earned my B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Community Development, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After college, I served in AmeriCorps as a Youth Care Worker for girls ages 11–14 at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago; an experience that deepened my commitment to service and justice.
I completed my Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt Divinity School in 2016 and went on to Des Moines, Iowa to serve in a Pastoral Residency at Plymouth Congregational Church. During that time, I became the first and only African American ordained in the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ. In 2018, I joined Marble Collegiate Church in New York City as an associate minister, eventually serving as Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries.
In 2022, I earned my Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University after completing a clinical internship at the Blanton-Peale Institute in New York City. I pursued social work because I feel called to bridge the gap between faith and mental health support, ensuring that spiritual care and emotional wellbeing are not viewed as separate, but as interconnected pathways to healing and wholeness. That same year, I answered the call to serve at First United Methodist Church of San Diego as Associate Pastor of Connection and Care.
Today, I am in the final year of my Doctor of Ministry program at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. My journey continues to be shaped by curiosity, compassion, and a deep commitment to healing, justice, and forming beloved community wherever I serve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some parts of the journey have been smooth, and others have been steep and uneven. But even the rough roads planted seeds of wisdom that continue to blossom in my life. As a young African American woman in ministry, I have navigated the realities of racism, ageism, and patriarchy – dynamics that often announce themselves the moment I walk into certain spaces.
One of my most profound challenges was losing my grandmother in 2021. She was my anchor, my inspiration, and the person who helped shape my sense of calling. Her death shook me deeply; for a time, it felt like nothing mattered anymore. Yet, in that season of grief, I rediscovered resilience, depth, and a renewed understanding of what it means to care for others and myself with tenderness and grace.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently serve as the Pastor of Connection and Care at First United Methodist Church of San Diego, where I help cultivate spaces of belonging, healing, and spiritual formation. One of the ministries I am most passionate about and most proud of is our Sankofa Pilgrimage.
I plan and lead an annual historical pilgrimage that explores the legacy of racism across different regions of the United States. The Sankofa Pilgrimage is more than a trip; it is a spiritual journey with God and with one another. Together, we face the painful truths of our nation’s history and examine how racism has been intertwined with the Christian church in ways that continue to shape our faith communities and our society today.
Sankofa, a West African Adinkra symbol, calls us to “go back and fetch it” to return to our history in order to move forward with wisdom and integrity. Through this pilgrimage, we seek to remember the humanity of all people, explore the intersection of history and theology, and honestly confront our own internalized biases and blind spots.
Our first pilgrimage launched in 2023 through the U.S. South, tracing a journey from before the Transatlantic Slave Trade through chattel slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and into our present moment. In 2024, we traveled through the Northeast, and in 2025 we explored the Midwest. Each pilgrimage helps sojourners wrestle with the past, reflect on the present, and imagine a more just and loving future.
Looking ahead, I am thrilled to share that in 2026 and 2027 we will journey across California and then travel to Ghana. This expansion reflects our commitment to deepen our understanding of the global story of race, faith, and liberation. Registration for Ghana is already open due to the planning needed for international travel, and California registration will follow in 2026.
This works stands on the intersection of pastoral care, public theology, and social healing. My calling is to help people tell the truth about our shared history, hold space for grief and transformation, and imagine together what beloved community looks like in real time, not as an abstract idea, but as a lived, courageous practice of faith.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The Xhosa have a word, Ubuntu, often translated as “I am because we are.” That truth shapes my life. I am here today because of the prayers, support, and encouragement of many people who have poured into me along the way.
My foundation was built by my grandmother and my family, who nurtured my spirit and believed in my calling. I am grateful for teachers and professors who challenged me, and for mentors who walked with me as I discerned my path, including The Revs. Trudy Hawkins-Stringer and Kimberly Peeler-Ringer, Jacquetta Winters, and the late Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas, whose wisdom continues to guide me.
I am also blessed to serve under the leadership of The Rev. Trudy D. Robinson at FUMCSD, whose commitment to truth-telling, reconciliation, and courageous ministry inspires me daily. And I am deeply grateful for the people of First United Methodist Church of San Diego. This congregation and every person on our staff make it possible for me to live out my passion for justice, healing, and beloved community. Nothing I do, I do alone. I am who I am because we are who we are, together.
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