Her Story

Lady First, Daphne Sherell Jenkins, was born and raised in the state of Arkansas. After graduating from Humphrey High School in Humphrey, Arkansas, she moved to Merced, CA.  She attended Merced College where she majored in Early Childhood Education. 

Lady First Daphne knew something was missing, so she started attending church at Second Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. E. W. Roland. She attended regularly and knew she had found her church home. She has always been active in the church in her younger days.  She became a choir member, a youth leader and later became the youth director of the children’s choir. 

While attending college, she had no time to date but little did she know that God had another plan.  She met and married the love of her life, her husband: the now Pastor Felix (Phil) Jenkins. Through this union two children were born, Monique Sheree, and Phillip Deon.

Lady First graduated from Merced College with an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.  Her first job was a teacher at Merced Child Development. She worked by day and at night attending college to further her education until she had enough experience to apply at Merced Head Start under Community Action Agency.  She applied for a Teacher I position and by the grace of God was blessed with this job.  She felt that the one gift she knew God had blessed her with was the love of children. 

Lady First and her husband began taking classes to be foster parents.  She was instantly a grandmother and mom to her first set of foster children.  She treated them as if one of her own.  They stayed the course for 17 years and never regretted one moment of it.  By the grace of God, Lady First and Pastor was blessed with two more children of which they legally adopted. Their names:  Travon and Aaliyah.  How blessed she was because she was unable to have anymore children. 

Lady First has had her own privately owned daycare and has been in teaching in the preschool age now for over 30+ years between Merced Child Development, owning her own preschool-Dee Jay’s Preschool, teaching at All of God’s Children Christian Preschool, family owned daycare/preschool in her home and currently holding a position as Teacher II. I get excited teaching the children just like I get excited about the word of God.

Sis. Jenkins is very supportive of her husband and his ministry.  She states, “He is truly a man after God’s own heart.”  Sis. Jenkins says her husband comes to bed late praying his flock and studying the word of God during all parts of the early morning hours despite the fact he has work at 8am in the morning.  Jeremiah 3:15, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” 

I feel that it is hard to hear the truth but please do not shoot the messenger delivering God’s word but rather take heed and hear.  I do not say these things because he is my husband, but I say these things because HE IS A MAN CALLED BY GOD AND MY PASTOR.

Email Lady First: Lady@mtoliveatwater.org