Shermara Hoyte: The young leader building bridges between the generations

Shermara Hoyte is a young Christian leader, who has become a role model to many believers of all ages. She currently serves as Principal Officer for Pentecostal, Charismatic and Multicultural Relations at Churches Together in England (CTE). Alongside her full-time work, Shermara is an in-demand preacher and speaker and is regularly featured in the media. In 2020 she received the Exceptional Young Woman Award from The Wise Women Awards. In 2022 she was a reader in the internationally broadcast funeral of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Recently married, Shermara is focused on fulfilling God’s calling on her life. She spoke to Keep The Faith about her work, ministry, marriage and her hopes for the Church.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): You serve as Principal Officer at CTE. What does that role entail, and how do you navigate the responsibility of representing such a diverse body of churches?
SHERMARA HOYTE (SH): My role centres on amplifying the presence of Pentecostal, Charismatic and Black, Asian, and multicultural churches; fostering ecumenical collaboration; and creating space for dialogue across traditions. I also hold strategic responsibility for racial justice and engaging leaders under 35. Navigating this role requires spiritual discernment, cultural fluency, and deep listening. I’ve learnt that trust is built by honouring people’s stories and embracing difference without fear. Unity is not a trend; it’s a theological mandate rooted in Christ’s prayer that we would be one. I’m not here to be a gatekeeper, but a gardener – cultivating spaces where others can flourish, where bridges are stronger than walls, and where the Church reflects the full beauty of God’s people.

KTF: You’ve spoken on platforms like BBC Radio 4, TBN, and even participated in the Queen’s funeral. How do you prepare spiritually and emotionally for such high-profile moments?
SH: I approach each public platform with deep reverence. These aren’t just professional moments for me, they’re sacred. When I stood at the Queen’s funeral, as a young ecumenical representative, I had just lost my own grandmother. I stood not only in national service but in personal solidarity with a family grieving their matriarch, as I mourned mine.

I retreat before each moment, to listen and discern what God wants me to be and to say. I also remind myself that I am not there to impress others, or promote myself, but to be used by God. I see media not as exposure, but as an assignment that is always about His glory, never mine.

KTF: As someone who contributes to books and speaks widely, what themes do you find yourself returning to most often?
SH: I find myself returning again and again to the themes of justice, voice and visibility. Homelessness – and those considered “the least of these” on the margins – is a recurring thread and a deeply theological concern. From the age of 18 I have consistently asked why do such economically advanced nations have people sleeping on the street? The fact that Christ Himself was born with no home, was a migrant and refugee, who lived as a wanderer and died between two criminals, speaks profoundly to how God identifies with the margins.

I also return to themes around womanhood, exploring the dignity, power and complexity of femininity in a theological context. I also love fashion, beauty, and helping women to dress and embody their femininity. My social commentary is informed not just by current affairs but by prophetic imagination. I want my theology to be rooted in Scripture but spoken in a language the public can understand.

KTF: What are the unique challenges and opportunities you face as a young leader in today’s Church, especially within Pentecostal and Charismatic spaces?
SH: Being a young leader in Pentecostal and Charismatic spaces is both exhilarating and complex. There’s a powerful opportunity to help shape the Church’s next chapter while honouring the legacy of those who came before – leaders who planted churches with little more than faith and fire. There are challenges. Leadership succession remains fragile, and age is often mistaken for inexperience. Intergenerational misunderstandings can create tension when the wisdom of elders and the innovation of younger voices struggle to find common language. I believe wisdom isn’t about age, it’s about being led by the Spirit. My role is to be a bridge between generations, carrying vision with reverence and courage.

KTF: What advice would you give to young women called to ministry but facing cultural or denominational resistance?
SH: To every young woman wrestling with a call to ministry in spaces that don’t yet recognise you, keep going. First, find your community. Surround yourself with spiritually mature people who believe in your call and will challenge you to grow. Learn the art of collaboration; ministry is not a solo journey. Sit under people wiser than you and be willing to be corrected. And if no one invites you to the table, don’t be afraid to build your own. Finally, discern the resistance. Is it stretching you or stifling you? Some opposition matures you. Other resistance is a sign to move on. Don’t confuse growth with harm. Know when to stay and when to go.

KTF: What was it like growing up in a Christian household with your father as a preacher and your mother leading women’s ministry?
SH: Deeply formative. I was always encouraged to be all I was created to be. “The sky is not the limit,” they’d say, “and if you can’t reach the sun, pluck the stars.” Also, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.” As the eldest of four, I was delegated child boss, referee, and remote manager. But being the eldest also gave me a front-row seat to the realities of ministry, both the public glory and the private cost. My father, once a leading engineer who worked on the Millennium Bug in Switzerland, gave up a corporate career to pastor full time, leading with humility and dedication. My mother – a former NHS Director of Nursing and now National Women’s Director in our denomination (Church of God of Prophecy) – continues to trailblaze with fierce compassion. Our home was full of prayer, hospitality, BBQs, music and spirited debates. Music was central. I sing, and my brothers play professionally – one is touring with afrobeat artist Wizkid. Each of us was pushed to pursue excellence, whether in music, architecture, or barber shop business. Our home nurtured faith, purpose and joy.

KTF: Were there any defining moments in your childhood when you realised you were called to leadership?
SH: I vividly remember coming to faith at the age of eight during our youth camp. Later, at a national convention, I received the Holy Spirit under the ministry of Bishop Jacqueline McCullough, an experience that marked my spiritual leadership and life deeply. I was made a youth leader and used to be the worship director for our national youth camps. As I look further back, interestingly, even in primary school, I was known for organising the playground weddings!

But for many years, I resisted the label of ‘leader’. I wasn’t chasing titles; I was chasing transformation. I had visions I couldn’t shake, and I simply wanted to see them realised. It wasn’t until I was older that I reconciled that this visionary drive was, in fact, leadership. My calling was never about platform, but purpose.

KTF: You were a prominent single leader and recently got married. How did your journey through singleness shape you?
SH: My years of singleness were a gift – sometimes a hard gift, but a gift, nonetheless. Those years allowed me to focus on my intimacy with Christ, unfiltered and undistracted. I learned to be honest with God about my desires, my frustrations, and my fears. That honesty deepened my spiritual life. Singleness also allowed me to engage critically and socially with the issue of singleness in the Black Church. I began to ask: Why are so many Black women – faithful, gifted and ready – single in spaces where they are often the backbone of the church? I examined purity culture, emotional formation, and cultural dynamics through both a pastoral and sociological lens. It became not just personal, but a ministry. I wrote, I listened, I spoke into the silence. Singleness didn’t delay my calling; it deepened it even though this was sometimes difficult to understand at the time.

KTF: How has marriage added a new dimension to your life and calling?
SH: Marriage has added a beautiful dimension to my life. I now share joys, burdens and vision with someone who truly sees me. Benjamin and I are not just husband and wife, we’re co-labourers in the Gospel. We preach, worship, prophesy and pray together, constantly encouraging each other’s spiritual and vocational growth. His love and leadership have helped me flourish.

Marriage has also reminded me of the importance of rhythm. Ministry, no matter how meaningful, should never consume your whole life. We’ve learnt to make space for joy, laughter, exploration and rest. We give thanks daily, especially knowing this season was made possible by Benjamin’s life-saving kidney transplant, just a week after our legal wedding. Facing illness has taught us to live intentionally, boldly and faithfully.

KTF: Looking ahead, what are your hopes and dreams for the next five to ten years?
SH: In the next five to ten years, I want to nurture a family with my husband, continue in theological development, broadcasting, and using media as a tool to stir hearts and ignite purpose. I want to see people across the world step into the fullness of who God made them to be. Ultimately, I want ministry to be one of impact and transformation.

KTF: What’s your vision for the future of the Church in the UK — especially around inclusion, unity, and youth empowerment?
SH: My vision is for a Church that looks like the Church in Acts 2, where people have things in common, have aggressive unity, and no one falls through the gaps. A Church where inclusion isn’t a programme, but a posture – one where unity is not just aspirational, but actionable. I see a future where Black and Brown leaders don’t have to justify their presence, where the voices of women are not tolerated but celebrated and positioned in senior leadership across every church role, and where young people/leaders are not just the future, but the now and their vocational is taken seriously.

I want to see a Church where justice and revival hold hands, a Church that isn’t silent about biblical justice and where joy is seen as a revolutionary act. We must empower emerging leaders not by handing over token roles, but by inviting them to shape the future with authority, creativity and courage. This is the Church I believe in. And this is the Church I’m working to build.