Deborah Metts, Kids Ministry Director

Born and raised in the South, Deborah came to faith at an early age through the faithful ministry examples of her parents. She earned a BBA from Georgia Southern University and an MFA from Art Academy of Art, San Francisco. She moved to NYC in 2013 to work in the corporate fashion/retail sector after finishing Graduate School. A chance encounter at a small Uptown church plant led her to meet and connect with the Hart family that same year. In 2016 she joined with a small team of nine people to start The Gathering Harlem. Deborah moved to Central Harlem and began serving those in the area through missional activities around racial reconciliation, gentrification discussions, and social justice. She also functioned as the first ever Kids Ministry Director upon the church’s opening and throughout its first year thereafter. In addition to professional achievements, Deborah has been a longtime volunteer/advocate in other causes all over the city such as domestic human trafficking, tenant’s housing rights, and food insecurity. She is also a global educator/lecturer at the post-secondary level at local universities.