OUR FOUNDER
Rev. Dr. Julie Vaughn
Rev. Dr. Julie Vaughn, one of twelve siblings, was born in Lebanon, Illinois. She was raised with a strong spiritual foundation by her father, Louis Edison, and mother, Lou Ethel Gibson Edison, with special inspiration from her aunt, Julia Riley Sanders.
At age nine, Rev. Julie was baptized at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Lebanon, IL, where she received her first formal Christian education, taking part in many classes and activities. After high school, Rev. Julie began a spiritual journey that took her to Tacoma, Washington. She became a member of St. John Baptist Church in 1988. Under the pastoral guidance of Dr. Andrew Boles and later Dr. Lee Arthur Madison, St. John was a church that allowed Julie to develop her gifts of evangelism and mission, teaching, and healing. While there, she served in the Children’s Church Ministry, the Health Care Ministry, and was one of St. John’s Associate Ministers. In May 2001, she announced her call, and in August 2005, she was licensed as an evangelist to preach the gospel whenever and wherever an opportunity might arise. Shortly thereafter, in late 2005, Rev. Julie felt God calling her to new territories.
She moved to Richmond, Virginia, and became a member of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, under the direction of Pastors Dr. Dwight Clinton Jones and Dr. Derik Elton Jones. In early February 2006,
Rev. Julie attended FBC’s Consecrated Leadership Retreat at Williamsburg, VA, where she learned of FBC’s primary mission "to build the kingdom of God here on earth" and, in so doing, "serve with a spirit of excellence, recognizing that every ministry is a necessary part of the whole body of Christ."
Rev. Julie has taken this mission to heart. She was ordained on May 10, 2010 at First Baptist Church of South Richmond.
Rev. Julie completed the Doctorate of Ministry program in Pastoral Theology & Practice at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. She had received her Master in Divinity from Virginia Union University in May 2009 and a Master in Arts in Christian Education in December 2011. She is currently a Board-Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Rev. Julie is endorsed through American Baptist Churches USA. Rev. Julie completed her Master of Arts in Bioethics and Health Policy and Doctorate in Bioethics at Loyola University Chicago.
Rev. Julie has had the privilege of preaching, teaching, and facilitating at several local churches and organizations. She is currently an Associate Pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle, Washington. Rev. Julie is the founder of Hope Angels Ministry.
