Rev. Dr. Joanna Gabriel is an ordained Unity minister, spiritual counselor, chaplain, teacher, workshop facilitator, singer, storyteller who was ordained in 1992. Rev. Joanna made her transition September 21, 2021.
A native of Toledo, Ohio from a family of singers and ministers, Rev. Joanna says that from an early age she has had a heart for the gospel message through Word and Song. Rev. Joanna has a “theology of song” in which she sees song as a metaphor for life and proclaiming the good news as an expression of life. An enthusiastic encourager, Rev. Joanna says that “a bell is not a bell until you ring it; a song is not a song until you sing it, and love is not love until you give it away.” Her life’s work is to help people love themselves enough to live with fullness.
Her ministerial education includes Postgraduate Studies in Theology at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri; Graduation and Ordination from Unity Urban Ministerial School, Detroit, Michigan and from Unity School of School of Religious Studies in Kansas City, Missouri. She also graduated and was ordained through the Barbara King School of Ministry in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rev. Gabriel holds the Doctorate in Ministry from the Unity Urban Ministerial School in Detroit, Michigan, Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies from Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio, and an Associate in Business Administration from Stautzenberger Business College in Toledo, Ohio. Over the years she has served ministries in Miami Gardens, Florida, Delray Beach, Florida, Toledo, Ohio, Albany, Georgia, Omaha, Nebraska, and Atlanta, Georgia. She has also served as a Prayer Ministry Associate at Silent Unity.
Rev. Joanna has done extensive Clinical Pastoral Education in preparation to serve as a hospital and hospice chaplain. She recently retired from Vitas Innovative Hospice Care as Chaplain.
She is the Co-founder of Global Harmony, a grassroots peace initiative that produces workshops, seminars, radio blogs; all to enlighten, educate, and dialogue on what it takes to live in global harmony. Global Harmony works to bring spirituality into active expression and to build interfaith/intercultural bridges to peace.
Her honors and awards include:Theological Honor Society, Lourdes College, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award from the Black Catholic Coalition in Toledo for community service. Soroptomist International of the Palm Beaches: in recognition for outstanding work to improve the lives of women. The Rev. Dr. Ruth Mosley Award for Achievement in Urban Ministry from the Unity Urban Ministerial School, Detroit, Michigan.
Rev. Joanna's latest book is Re-Wired: A Sankofa Healing Journey: Moving Beyond Confusion to Peace, which invites us to explore ideas that can help us reframe the concept of “retirement” as an ending to “re-wirement” which is about readying oneself for new joyous and peaceful beginnings. Rev. Joanna is also the author of The Starpower Process: Surviving, Thriving, Arriving and Reviving By Following Your Inner Star, a self-reflective process journal to help readers get in touch with the "star" within. She is working on a second book Your Life Is Your Song: Raising the Bar on Self Esteem.
Rev. Joanna is a retired chaplain and pastor and makes her home once again in Toledo, Ohio where she spends her time writing, sharing in the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio, sharing talks for area churches, teaching classes and providing mentoring support to Inspirational Gatherings of Toledo.
Presentation by Rev. Joanna Gabriel Thompson at the 2016 Metaphysical Bible Gathering.
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