Nancy Petty, Pastor

Nancy E. Petty began her ministry at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in June of 1992. She has served Pullen in the role of senior pastor since 2002. Prior to being called as the pastor, she served Pullen as the Minister of Christian Education and Associate Pastor. As Pullen’s pastor her role is to function as the spiritual guide of the congregation, performing duties of preaching, teaching, counseling and visitation, to honor the traditions that have developed over the years at Pullen, and to initiate new traditions that capture the theology of Pullen and the spirit of the members.

Through her role as Pullen’s pastor, Nancy is known as a community faith leader speaking out on issues of social justice, interreligious dialogue, and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community. She is chair of the Board for Repairers of the Breach, a non-profit organization that “seeks to build a moral agenda rooted in a framework that uplifts our deepest moral and constitutional values to redeem the heart and soul of our country”.  She is a contributor to several books written on the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina and has been interviewed several times on Frank Stasio’s The State of Things, WUNC program. Nancy’s ministry has been recognized by the following awards: 2011 W. W. Finlator Award-Wake County ACLU; 2013 Women of Influence Humanitarian Award, Hannah Keith S.F. Inc.; 2014 North Carolina NAACP Minister of the Year Award; 2015 Human Relations Commission City of Raleigh Award; 2016 Champions for Children Award, North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children; and the 2018 Neighbor to Neighbor Award, As Salam Islamic Center, Raleigh, NC. In September 2019, The Center for American Progress listed Nancy as one of nine ministers to watch in our nation in 2019. 

She is married to Karla Oakley. Karla works in education reform and is often traveling with her work. They have two daughters (Jasmine and Nora), two cats (Tasha and Leo), and one spoiled Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Louis). 

When asked what people should know about her, Nancy responded: “Tell them that I am blessed beyond measure because I get to pastor the best church in the world. Not because it is perfect – it’s not – but because the people are amazingly authentic and they truly care about making a difference in the world. Tell them that I love what I do and who I get to do it with. Tell them that I love people, I hate flying (but will board a plane when it means I get to extend Pullen’s ministry to other places), I collect old watches, and I deeply enjoy the North Carolina mountains. A relaxing day for me is being at home with Karla and Louis with no agenda. But most importantly, I want people to know that what matters to me in life is having the courage to take the risks in life that help those who are struggling and suffering, and help me grow in compassion, grace, wisdom, and love for all God’s people.”

Contact: npetty@pullen.org