Retreat Convener

 

MARILYNN SASPORTAS ROBINSON

 

Having accepted her call to preach in 1991, The Rev. Marilynn Sasportas Robinson is an ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Rev. Robinson held an Episcopal appointment as the Pastor of Saint Andrew AME Church in Memphis, TN, along with her husband, Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. In this unique capacity, she served as the operational leader of a host of congregational ministries and administrative functions; while continuing to provide compassionate pastoral counseling, and offering ongoing guidance as founder/inspirational leader of the church's phenomenal women's fellowship - SISTERS. For almost 25 years, Rev. Marilynn provided oversight for the annual SISTERS retreat, which grew to 500 attendees. The Robinsons were known for helping to define the blessings to be experienced through contemporary, joint ministry; and the efficacy and scope of this marvelous model of ministry. The Robinsons retired from pastoring in December 2015.

A native New Yorker, Marilynn Robinson received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Harvard-Radcliffe College, and her Master of Public Health from the Yale School of Public Health. Now recently retired, professionally, she provided exemplary leadership in the field of Hospital Administration, through work with hospital associations, professional organizations, primary care practices, and academic health centers. She was Senior Vice President at Saint Francis Healthcare, responsible for marketing, governmental affairs, and the hospital's external communications.

A 14-year breast cancer survivor, Marilynn Robinson is an advocate for women’s health services and is often asked to speak for community groups and churches.

Rev. Marilynn serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of The Circles of Success Learning Academy and on the Executive Board of Women United. She is also on the boards of the Women’s Foundation, the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Task Force and the St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary. She is the Coordinator of ReadingWorks, a community library she founded in 2010.

Married since 1979, the Robinsons have been blessed with a set of identical, twin daughters - Maisha Tamar and Nuriya Desta, graduates of Princeton University and Tufts University School of Medicine. Maisha is a neuro-palliative care physician at Mayo Clinic-Jacksonville and Nuriya is an Obstetrician-Gynecologist at UCLA Medical Center.

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