Reverend Josette L. Franklin was born in Washington, DC and raised in Prince George’s County, MD. She is the eldest of four siblings and the daughter of a preacher. And is a single girl mom to two amazing daughters. A singer who also plays the piano and served in music ministry in the Baptist church for many years, the worship of God through music is at the center of who she is, and helps her connect with God and people.  Reverend Franklin completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration-Management at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland and her Master of Divinity degree at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA. Reverend Franklin comes to us from the Three Notch’d District where she served in a Cross Racial/Cross Cultural appointment of a two-point charge in Richmond, VA from 2019-2023 as the first African American pastor of Greenwood UMC and Laurel Park UMC. Reverend Franklin is a Baptist ordained clergyperson and an other fellowship local licensed pastor for the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is a member of the Cross Racial/Cross Cultural Committee for the VAUMC and is working through the VAUMC requirements to complete the application for Elder in full connection with the United Methodist Church.

Pastor Franklin loves all things Disney, and Marvel and DC Comics’ superhero movies. In stressful moments, she not only prays, but also binge watches HGTV shows.