Kelvin Sauls
Rev. Kelvin Sauls is a catalytic, visionary leader, an unapologetic progressive and a prophetic advocate for achieving a more just and equitable world though deconstructing and dismantling schemes, systems and structures that violate the humanity and dignity of Black people. With a passion for and commitment to transformative and liberative change in the areas of racial justice, economic and gender equality, and environmental restoration, he has been ordained in the United Methodist Church (UMC) for over 21 years, and holds a master of divinity degree. Born and raised in townships south of Johannesburg, South Africa, he became a youth leader in the anti-apartheid movement through his local Methodist Youth Fellowship. This experience shaped him into an activist in righteous resistance to racial injustice and economic inequity. In 1990, he received the Bishop’s Leadership Scholarship to study in the United States. He served both African American and Black immigrant congregations in Virginia, Ohio and California, and racial/ethnic ministries with UMC general agencies in Nashville and New York. Prior to his current leave of absence, he served as pastor at Holman UMC in Los Angeles—a 1,500-member Pan-African congregation with a membership representing the African diaspora from North and Central America, the Caribbean and African countries. In Rev. Sauls’ six-year tenure, Holman UMC became a moral hub for resistance and reimagination. Additional racial justice leadership roles include co-founder and board chair emeritus, Black Alliance for Justice Immigration; co-founder and board member of Priority Africa Network, Black Cooperative Investment Fund, and Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling in Los Angeles; co-founder and board chair, South Los Angeles Transition Age Youth and Homeless Collaborative; city commissioner, Los Angeles Housing Services Authority.