Loletta Barrett served as a Friend in Washington in June 2023, focusing on exploring and expanding ways FCNL can partner with Friends, pastors, and meetings across the country in a mutually beneficial and empowering way. First Friends Church, a Quaker meeting in Whittier, CA, is sharing her with FCNL during her pastoral sabbatical.
Loletta also serves on the FCNL General Committee and as a member of the Field Committee. She hosted the first Annual Meeting Hospitality Hub in 2022 and is a founding member of the Whittier Advocacy Team.
Loletta is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has pastored at Whittier Friends for more than eight years. She has worked in ministry in Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana. Loletta entered ministry as a second career after completing her Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Claremont School of Theology. There her studies focused on community building and peacemaking in interfaith relations. Her early education was a bachelor’s in social work from Indiana University and an M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Her first career was in county and state government public administration, including policy, budget, legislation, and direct service in social services, waste management, and emergency management.
Her goal is to bring more joy and zest into her life and those around her. That goal is greatly facilitated by Joy and Zest, abandoned kittens who adopted her on September 11, 2022.