Reverend Brenda Girton-Mitchell was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry  at Metropolitan Baptist Church  on June 12, 2004. Prior to her call to preach, she served as a Sunday School teacher,  a member of the Diaconate, and Chair of the Board of Trustees.  She currently serves as the Minister for Stewardship and Missions, providing staff support to most of the outreach ministries, which includes Matthew 25 Ministry, Another Chance, Central Union Mission, Church Women United, Gifts from the Heart, Global Missions, Safeway Feast of Sharing and the We Are One Body Food Pantry. She also serves as the staff minister for the Social Justice and Public Policy Ministry and Women’s Ministry.

Reverend Girton-Mitchell was appointed by President Obama as the Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education. She was honored to serve there from December 2010 – January 2017. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Education, she served the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA as Associate General Secretary for Justice and Advocacy. She led the work of the Washington Office and was responsible for coordinating the social justice and advocacy initiatives on Capitol Hill. 

Her professional life also includes working as an elementary school teacher and serving as the President of the Indianapolis Education Association in her hometown, Indianapolis, Indiana; legislative assistant in the United States Senate, legislative counsel for Sears, assistant executive director for Dr. Dorothy Height at the National Council of Negro Women, and director of diversity for Mitsubishi Motors of America.  She is the Founder and President of Grace and Race Ministries, Inc., a ministry dedicated to promoting leaders to dismantle racism and advance racial reconciliation.

Reverend Girton-Mitchell received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University, a Master of Science from Indiana/Purdue University in Indianapolis, a law degree from Chicago Kent College of Law and a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary.

She is the recipient of numerous awards including the National Council of Negro Women Bethune Recognition Award for An Outstanding Woman in Ministry, the Sagamore of the Wabash Award, the highest award given by the state of Indiana, the John Wesley Award of Merit presented by Wesley Theological Seminary and the 2012 US Department of Education MLK Drum Major for Service Award for her extraordinary commitment to community service. She was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Board of Preachers in 2008.

She and her husband, James Mitchell are business partners in Girton-Mitchell Associates, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in providing assistance to  non-profit, business and government  organizations in the areas of conflict resolution, workplace diversity, equity, inclusion and transformative leadership development.