Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Esq.

Rev. Francine A. Brookins, J.D., M.Div., is the 141st bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the fifth woman elected to the episcopacy. She was elected during the 51st Quadrennial Session of the General Conference in July 2021. From July 2021 to August 2024, she served as Bishop of the 18th Episcopal District, which includes Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, and Southern Mozambique. At the close of the 52nd Quadrennial Session of the General Conference on August 28, 2024, she was assigned as Bishop of the 5th Episcopal District.

Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bishop Brookins is the daughter of the Rev. Carole Nelson Ingram and the late Bishop Hamel Hartford Brookins, a respected civil and human rights advocate. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in 1993, a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington National Law Center in 1996, and a Master of Divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion (Graduate Theological Union) in 2002, the same year she was ordained an Itinerant Elder.

Prior to her election as bishop, she served as Pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Fontana, California, from 2009 to 2021, where she led the successful construction of a new church facility within two years. Her pastoral service also includes four years at Wright Chapel A.M.E. Church in San Francisco. In addition to her pastoral leadership, Bishop Brookins has more than a decade of experience as a licensed attorney in California, specializing in mediation, arbitration, and conflict resolution. She served on the Judicial Council of the A.M.E. Church from 2008 to 2016 and as its Secretary from 2009 to 2016.

During her tenure in the 18th Episcopal District, she led major initiatives, including the complete renovation of the Frederick Calhoun James Center for A.M.E. Service in Maseru, Lesotho, and the near-complete renovation of the Selulasandla Children’s Home in Mbane, Eswatini. Most recently, she has overseen the successful purchase of the Episcopal Residence. Bishop Brookins is a passionate advocate for social justice and is deeply committed to addressing the mental, physical, financial, educational, and spiritual needs of all people, fostering inclusive worship and transformative community engagement.