*  About Us			Leadership: Fulfilling God's Mandate for UFC Charlotte THE BODY OF CHRIST FUNCTIONING TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE OF CHRIST {Servants}: The great work God has commanded UFC Charlotte to do requires a devotion to God and commitment to His church. Below find biographical information on our Ministry Leadership.
* Our Church History
* Leadership
* Ministries & Auxillaries
We encourage our members to find a place to serve, and become passionate about positively affecting the world with God's life changing love.   Bishop Tonyia Rawls Bishop Rawls is the Founding Pastor of Unity Fellowship Church Charlotte, and in April 2008, was consecrated as one of the first women Bishops in the Los Angeles-based Unity Fellowship Church Movement’s (UFCM) history.  She is prelate of the Southern Jurisdiction and Vice President of the National Board.  In the role of Vice President she oversees the denomination’s day-to-day business operations.  She also guides the work of the Office of Laity Relations and the National Office of Communications. Bishop Rawls is a social, spiritual and criminal justice activist committed to the liberation of those who are on the margins of society.  Her rapidly growing Charlotte, NC church is the first of the denomination's churches to open in the Carolinas.  The church’s various ministries touch areas as broad as domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, literacy, theater and wellness.  Members of her congregation are committed to building their faith and community.  Some highlights of their work:  Charlotte’s first Black Gay Pride; South Carolina’s first Black and Latino Gay Pride; helped to reshape policy in reference to the police department’s response to and treatment of domestic violence within the LGBT community in Mecklenburg County; been leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS; wrote, produced and acted in several theatrical productions that addressed complex sociopolitical issues in a cultural context; and courageously established the first openly LGBT and affirming ally contingency to march in the Citywide Charlotte MLK, JR Parade.  She has received numerous awards, including the Equality Award from The Human Rights Campaign of The Carolinas and The Charlotte Business Guild's Don King Service Award.  She consistently works at the intersections of race, class, gender, religion and sexual orientation.  She is Co-Founder of Charlotte-based Black Clergy United Against AIDS, Co-Founder of People United For Education, which advocated for urban youth in the Mecklenburg County School System and is Founder and Executive Director of The Freedom Center for Social Justice.  The Freedom Center is currently hosting the TransFaith in Color Conference which is designed to address the social, spiritual and justice needs of the transgender community.  She is also the former Director of Grassroots Leadership’s Keeping Faith: A Religious Response to the Prison Crisis Program.  The focus of this program is the mobilization of faith communities across the country in ways that address issues of over incarceration, prison privatization and criminal justice.  Bishop Rawls was born and raised in northern New Jersey.  She and her wife Gwendolyn have been married since 2002 and, are currently co-parenting 4 school-aged children; are parents of three adult children and grandparent to 5.  She is a graduate of Duke University and has been a member of the Faith Advisory Council of the National Black Justice Coalition and the Diversity and Inclusion Council of the Human Rights Campaign in addition to other boards.  Bishop Rawls has been a reviewer for the Journal of African-American Studies and is published in Black Sexualities:  Probing Powers, Passions, Practices, and Policies (In Press). Rev. Marage Blakeney: As a survivor of domestic violence, Rev. Marage Romeo Blakeney realized that she must be the voice for those who could not speak, especially within the faith community. She has become a devoted advocate against the damaging effects of domestic violence. Rev. Marage has served as the Domestic Violence Advocacy Council Interfaith Committee and Domestic Violence Advisory Board Chair from 2004-2009. Under her direction, she has instituted many events such as the candlelight vigil and worship concert to raise the awareness of Domestic Violence within the religious community. Her groundbreaking work has afforded her the opportunity to speak at various houses of worship to explain the complexities of domestic violence and how the faith community can support those suffering in silence. Presently, Rev. Marage serves on the Domestic Violence Advisory Board for Mecklenburg County and the Carolina Actors’ Studio Theatre board. She is the founder and advisor of a domestic violence ministry entitled, Restored Rainbows. Rev. Marage was ordained as a reverend in 2007. She currently serves as the assistant pastor and youth minister at Unity Fellowship Church Charlotte. Rev. Marage is married to her soul mate and greatest supporter, Lari. She is currently attending Montreat College to receive her bachelor degree is Business Management. She is writing a book of poetry to help others find freedom in God and themselves. Her motto for living is: Be the change you want to see in this world. Rev. Kenneth Tinnin: Rev. Kenneth Tinnin is a true TarHeel.  Born and raised in North Carolina, he graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.  As a profession, he works in the Bio-Medical Research field.  He currently is completing his Master’s of Divinity at Hood Seminary, Salisbury, NC.  Rev. Ken was the founder and advisor of Akoben, UFCC’s HIV/AIDS ministry.   Rev. Ken joined UFCC in 2002 and more recently was ordained as a Reverend in 2009. Presently, he currently holds leadership responsibilities with UFCCs Leadership Council, UFCC’s Internal Affairs, and training and development of Staff. Rev. Kenneth's mission is inspiring people to see themselves as the “goodness” God created them to be. Rev. Leslie Oliver: Rev. Leslie Oliver began her service in the UFC Movement as a member of UFC-Brooklyn, and transferred to serve under the leadership of Bishop Jacquelyn Holland at Liberation in Truth Unity Fellowship Church. She was ordained as a deacon in 1997 and as a minister in 2002. While serving in Newark as minister of music, she was appointed as National Music Coordinator by Archbishop Carl Bean in 1999. Shortly after her ordination to Minister in 2002, she relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina and began serving as minister of music at Unity Fellowship Church Charlotte, under Bishop Tonyia M. Rawls. She was consecrated as UFCM's National Minister of Music in 2007 and ordained as Reverend in 2009. She is currently pursuing a Masters of English in Creative Writing and has published a book of poetry entitled "Consilience". She is partnered and has an 8 year old daughter, Judah.