Today on the Podcast we have Amber Webb Sims joining us. If you remember, Amber was with us last season sharing with us how she got started over again from divorce. She’s back to help us heal from church trauma. This is how she describes herself: 

Attorney.

Speaker.

Writer.

Abolitionist. 

These are just a few words that describe Amber Webb Sims. As a trial lawyer with nearly 100 first chair jury trials, Amber is skilled at courtroom presentation and advocacy. But her true gift and passion are empowering people through making complicated, intimidating information understandable, engaging, practical, and fun. This passion has extended beyond the courtroom to topics such as theology, politics, and social justice.

After graduating from The Hockaday School in 2003, Amber got a B.A. in Political Science from The George Washington University. Afterwards, she obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law. She worked briefly as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County during the tenure of Craig Watkins, the first African-American elected District Attorney in the State of Texas. Her primary field of practice is insurance defense litigation, and Amber has worked in a top insurance defense law firm as well as for three of the largest carriers in the country.  Amber currently works as Assistant Vice President, Senior Legal Counsel in Litigation for AT&T, and her responsibilities include handling commercial disputes and significant tort matters.

In her spare time, Amber co-hosts the Broke-ish podcast with Erika Brown, and they discuss the systemic and interpersonal impacts of racism and injustice on the Black community.  She also regularly appears on radio shows, virtual events, and churches and has been featured as a guest on many  podcasts and shows, including Roland Martin’s “Black Power Network”  She lives in Wylie, Texas with her husband, Freddie, their dog, and blended family of six children. 

Welcome to the Elevate Life podcast with a focus on Starting Over Again with Purpose! In this transformative
episode, host Dieula Previlon introduces a new series focusing on Women and
Church Trauma, sharing her personal journey as a Black woman minister and therapist navigating church spaces.

Looking Forward
This new series promises to explore the complex relationship between women and
church trauma, offering paths to healing and hope. Stay tuned for future episodes featuring guests sharing their experiences and journeys toward healing within church
spaces. For more insights and stories about starting over with purpose, follow Dieula Previlon's podcast and check out her newly published book discussing these important themes in greater detail.

Join us next time as we continue to explore women's experiences with church trauma and pathways to healing.

Join me with Dr. Liz Rios as she shares her story of pain, loss, and starting over again through Jesus and other resources. Be encouraged. 

Dr. Elizabeth Rios is an accomplished Afro-Latina leader in the Christian community who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team as we implement our program. With degrees from various institutions, including a BA in Liberal Arts, an MA in Management, an EdD in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and a DMin from Southeastern University, Dr. Rios is currently pursuing an MA in Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary. As a former pastor and church planter, she founded Passion2Plant, one of the few national church planting training networks in the United States founded by a BIPOC woman. Passion2Plant trains Black and Brown church planters to start holistically minded, justice-oriented churches. Dr. Rios is also the founder of the Passion Center, an online, justice-oriented, liberation-driven training center based in South Florida.

In addition to her work with Passion2Plant and the Passion Center, Dr. Rios is an Adjunct Faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary and serves on the Missiologists Council at Wheaton College's Church Multiplication Institute. She is a respected authority on women in ministry, organizational culture, civic activism, and church planting. Her articles have been published in various reputable outlets, including Sojourners, Influence, Called, Christianity Today, and Pentecostals and Charismatics for Peace and Justice. She has also been featured or quoted in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, and Outreach Magazine. Dr. Rios is the author of "Don’t Buy The Lie: Eradicating False Belief Systems That Keep You From Your Destiny" (Ghetto Rose Publications, 2012) and has contributed to many books, including "Rhythms of Rest: 40 Devotions for Women on the Move" published by Our Daily Bread Publishing.

Dr. Rios has been mentoring emerging women leaders and ministers since founding the Center for Emerging Female Leadership in NYC (1996-2001) and currently serves as a Senior Mentor in the R.E.A.L. Black Women in Ministry THRIVE initiative. Recently, she was inducted into the 37th MLK Jr. Morehouse College Board of Preachers comprised of ordained clergy from the Christian tradition as well as faith leaders from a wide array of global spiritual and ethical traditions. This prestigious recognition is reserved for those who have exhibited a commitment to using their positions of religious leadership to promote peace, tolerance, interfaith understanding, healing, reconciliation, nonviolence, moral cosmopolitan social progress, justice, and care for the ecosystem.

You can find her on Instagram and Facebook. She teaches, preaches and consults, reach out to her to speak at your next event.