Jewel Delores Davis-McAshan

Jewel Delores Davis-McAshan was born in Arkansas, and raised in Missouri and Oklahoma in an African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) parsonage.From a little child she had a love for music and a strong desire to' play the piano.She said that when she saw a piano, she would get so excited.She began taking music lessons at the age of 11 years from the music teacher in her school who went home to Tulsa, Oklahoma on weekends.There were no lessons during the summer vacation.She later attended Lois Sokolosky's School of Music.

She began playing for the Baptist church in her hometown of Wilburton, Oklahoma at 13 years of age.After graduating from high school at age 16, she attended Shorter College in North Little Rock, Arkansas where she accompanied her college choir for two years.

It was at Shorter College at an AME District meeting that she met the Rev. Eugene E. McAshan.They were married after a brief courtship and 47 years later, they have three daughters, one son and eleven grandchildren.

She has worked with the YMCA as a Y -Teen Instructor and the Bell Telephone Co.She also worked in the public school system.

She served as Young People's Division Director for 61/2 years ( 1959 -1965) in the Oklahoma Conference, and as Young People's Division Director for 9 years ( 1971 - 1980) in The New York Conference Branch.She was Local President of the Missionary Society of Bethel AME Church, Buffalo, NY for eight years, and now serves as First Vice President of the First Episcopal District WMS.Se is also Editor of "The Reflector," which is a First Episcopal District Newsletter .

Musically she has played for church choirs all of her adult life.After a period of years, she returned to school to complete her B.A. from Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont, majoring in music.Her desire is to return to school to obtain a Masters Degree in Music.

She served as Minister of Music for People's Institutional AME Church for most of the 13 years of her stay there, playing at one time, for as many as five choirs.She has served as Director of Music for the National Association of Minister's Wives and Widows, Inc. as well as New York State Association of Ministers' Wives and Widows.She is the organist for the International Association of Minister's Wives and Widows, Inc.

She is the Minister of Music at Bethel AME, Copiague, New York.She is the President of the AME Minister's Wives and Widows Alliance of NY, Secretary of the Interdenominational MWMW and a member of the NY State Association of Minister's Wives and Widows.

She loves the Lord and has been truly born again.