Tuesday, April 4, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. EST – Author, Minister and Attorney-Kanisha L. Adkins, J.D., M.Div., M.S.W.
Kanisha L. Adkins is a life-long learner and holds several academic degrees including: a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Virginia Commonwealth University; a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond, School of Law (formerly the T. C. Williams School of Law); a Master of Divinity degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University where she graduated with honors, ranking #1 in her graduating class in 2007 and; a Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University with a clinical counseling concentration. She is also an attorney, licensed by the Virginia State Bar.
Kanisha is also a minister and was licensed in 1992 by Rev. Michael V. Kelsey (now Bishop Michael V. Kelsey) and the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Glen Allen, Virginia. In 1997, she was ordained by Rev. Rufus Adkins (her father) and the Friendship Memorial Baptist Church in Chesterfield, Virginia. She is currently an associate minister and a member of the Pastoral Ministry Team of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Beaverdam, Virginia, where the senior pastor is the highly esteemed and beloved, Rev. Dr. John W. Kinney who has also served as the Dean of the School of Theology of Virginia Union University for more than 25 years.
Rev. Kanisha’s journey as a Christian started very early when she accepted Christ as her savior at the age of 7. She has served in various leadership capacities in ministry for over 40 years as a singer, choir director and pianist, bible study and Sunday School teacher, minister of worship and assistant Pastor, just to name a few. She has a natural gift of discernment of biblical principles and is able to stand before people and preach and speak comfortably and with understanding. Her many different areas of education and work experience have formed her into what she calls a “professional hybrid.” She uses this “hybrid” approach in her writing, preaching, teaching and counseling, drawing from all of her areas of training to educate, empower and encourage her listeners and readers.
Rev. Kanisha has spent more than twenty-five years working for various agencies for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the areas of conflict management and resolution. She is particularly adept and skilled at addressing and resolving conflict in “workplace and working relationships.” She is a gifted and talented writer and currently writes for an online blog which she created entitled “FAITH &…” where her goal is to inform readers about select political, legal, social and cultural issues; give insight into the spiritual side of these topics; and suggest contemporary ways for readers to engage their faith. “FAITH &…” can be found on www.KanishaLAdkins.com, as well as on LinkedIn, GooglePlus, Facebook and on Twitter where her Twitter handle is @kanishaladkins.
Rev. Kanisha’s most recent creation is her newly published book: HELP! THERE’S A JUDAS ON MY JOB! 9 Steps for Surviving Workplace Betrayal. In the book, she tells the story of how she entered what she thought was going to be a dream job but actually turned out to be a nightmare because of a co-work, who was bent on undermining and sabotaging her every step. Out of this experience, HELP! THERE’S A JUDAS ON MY JOB! was born! And in the book, she gives nine steps to teach people how to identify and how to deal with a “Judas.” This is what she says in the Introduction:
“I was a licensed attorney and proficient in my profession. I was Reverend Kanisha L. Adkins, duly licensed and ordained, seasoned in my faith, and experienced in ministry. And yet, none of this excused me from the sting of being stabbed in the back by a co-worker, whom I thought was trustworthy. Instead, I was challenged to take all that I had, all that I knew, and all that I was, and to use it to get beyond the betrayal. I needed a model of how to survive and how to thrive. I found that model in a sacred text.
A close look at the relationship between Jesus and Judas, as told in the New Testament gospel of Matthew, holds some helpful hints on how to minimize the impact of betrayal. More importantly, if you’re not able to leave the job, if you still need an income, and if you’re willing to put forth some effort and follow the steps presented in this book, it’s possible for you to not only minimize the effects of the betrayal – you can actually be better, in spite of it!”
