Nora “Cajetta” StephensNora Cajetta Stephens, an esteemed African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Lay Person, renowned for her dedication and service, has held various significant roles within the Baltimore Conference, the Second Episcopal District, and the local and connectional realms of the A.M.E. Church. Actively involved in the Baltimore Conference Lay Organization, she notably served as its Historiographer and marked history as the first Lay member appointed to the Secretarial Staff of the Baltimore Conference, under the mentorship of the late Rev. Frederick W. Jones, the Chief Secretariat of the Baltimore Conference.
Within the A.M.E. Church, she gleaned invaluable wisdom from Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie during their 20-year pastoral partnership. Contributing to the historical journey of Payne Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church, she collaborated with distinguished figures such as Bishop H. Hartford Brookins, Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, and Bishop Vinton Randolph Anderson in the Second Episcopal District. Particularly noteworthy is her term as the Second Episcopal District Office Administrator, guided by Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr., and Mrs. Connie Speights-Richardson. Miss Stephens dedicated eight years to The Finance Department under the leadership of Dr. Richard Allen Lewis, Sr. During this tenure, she was instrumental in designing, developing, and maintaining the database system for the A.M.E. Church Member card, with ongoing efforts in progress. Currently, Miss Stephens serves as the District Church School Superintendent of the Eastern District of the Baltimore Annual Conference. Her mission centers on educating and inspiring youth with the message of Jesus's unconditional love. She passionately advocates for disability awareness and empowerment within both clergy and laity, underscoring the reality that we all stand just one step away from facing significant disabilities ourselves. In her professional trajectory, N. Cajetta Stephens, a retired Business Education Instructor and alumna of Fayetteville State University, excelled in teaching Automated Accounting. Commencing her career with the Anne Arundel County Public School System in 1983, she later transitioned to the Division of Rehabilitation Services (D.O.R.S.) as a Vocational Rehabilitation Educator, finding deep satisfaction in training individuals with disabilities. Miss Stephens culminated her career in 2001 at the Maryland State Department of Education. Academically, she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education from Fayetteville State University (1983) and obtained her M.B.A. from Loyola University Maryland in 2023. As a devoted daughter, mother, and grandmother, Nora Cajetta Stephens is the middle child of Miriam Stephens and a sibling to Dino and Dr. Nicole. She treasures her daughter, Cajetta Samiah Stephens, along with her two grandsons, "Sir" Jett Omari Stephens and "Fella" Ronald, and her granddaughter, "the Princess" Devyn. Tracing her ancestry back to the Reverend A. J. Corde, Jr., her Great-Great-Great Grandfather, who held the position of Dean at Kittrell College in North Carolina, Ms. Stephens emphasizes the importance of understanding one's familial heritage. |