Ella Pearson Mitchell

Dr. Mitchell met her husband while they were both attending Union Theological Seminary (2). They married in 1944 ⁽²⁾. They have co-authored two books ⁽⁶⁾, and team-taught as Visiting Professors of Homiletics at the Interdenominational Theological center ⁽⁷⁾.

Dr. Mitchell attended Talladega College, where she was the first student to major in religion and graduated with her bachelor’s ⁽¹⁾. Dr. Mitchell also graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, becoming only the second African American woman to do so ^{(2) (5)}. She earned her doctorate from the School of Theology at Claremont, California ⁽³⁾.

Dr. Mitchell is known as the "dean of Black women preachers." and enjoyed a robust career as a preacher, professor, and author. Dr. Mitchell was elected to the Board of Education and Publications of the American Baptist Convention, and served as president of the board from 1959 to 1973 ⁽³⁾⁽⁵⁾.

Dr. Mitchell was ordained in 1978 by the Allen Temple Baptist Church, even though she was licensed as a minister in 1943 ⁽⁴⁾.

Dr. Mitchell has held many positions in the academic world. Dr. Mitchell served as the first woman Dean of Sisters Chapel at Spelman College, and as a professor at American Baptist Seminary of the West and the School of Theology at Claremont” ⁽²⁾. She also was an associate professor Virginia Union University and taught courses in Religious Education at Berkeley Baptist Divinity School ⁽⁵⁾.

Together with her husband, Dr. Paul Mitchell, she served as a mentor at Ohio’s United Theological Seminary in the Doctor of Ministry Program. Dr. Ella Mitchell and Dr. Paul Mitchell also founded the Ecumenical Center for Black Church Studies in Los Angeles, California ⁽⁷⁾. In addition, Dr. Ella Mitchell and Dr. Paul Mitchell team-taught as visiting professors of homiletics at Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center ⁽³⁾.

Dr. Ella Mitchell and her husband Dr. Henry Mitchell received the 2008 Union Theological Seminary Trailblazer Award. Dr. Mitchell was also named a Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference Beautiful Are Their Feet Honoree in 2004 ⁽⁶⁾.

Dr. Mitchell has authored an extensive collection of books and articles. Her works include the books Women: To Preach or Not to Preach?, Those Preaching Women (4 Volumes), and co-authored with Dr. Henry Mitchell: Together for Good and Fire in the Well ^{(6) (2)}.