Thursday, October 1, 2026
Family, friends, clergy members and community leaders gathered at the Coral House in Baldwin on June 27 to celebrate Reverend Dr. Phyllis Carter’s 85th birthday and retirement as a marriage and family therapist, honoring a woman whose decades of ministry and counseling have left an indelible mark on Freeport.
Carter’s journey in ministry began alongside her late husband, Bishop Ronald H. Carter, who was the founder and pastor of Refuge Church in Freeport.
“My husband Bishop Ronald H Carter was the pastor, and I worked very closely with him in ministry,” Carter said. “I was the First Lady, but I was more than that. I worked very closely with him in the counseling field.”
While her husband led the congregation, Carter became a teacher, mentor and licensed marriage therapist.
“Very often people see ministry as just in the pulpit,” she said. “They don’t see ministry as a broad spectrum of ministering to God. Helping people gives me joy.”
That passion for helping others led Carter to a career in counseling. For more than four decades, Carter witnessed a cultural shift in how counseling was viewed within the African American community.
“Many years ago, counseling and therapy was not accepted by the African American community. This community reached out to their senior pastor as their leader for guidance,” Carter recalled. “More recently, in the past 20 years, professional counseling and therapy has been accepted by this community.”
Carter said earning the trust of the community took time to develop. As an African American counselor who was already active in ministry, she understood the stigma many families associated with therapy were dealing with.
As a therapist, Carter helped bridge the gap between faith and clinical counseling. She said many church members were hesitant to discuss their personal struggles with their pastor because they did not want to be judged.
“They don’t want to tell the pastor what is happening in their family,” Carter explained. “They want their pastor to see them as a good praiser, as a good Christian.”
Driven by her passion for helping others, Carter’s private practice gave individuals the opportunity to learn and grow from her teachings.
The most rewarding part of her career was transforming lives. “I enjoyed helping people, it became my passion,” she said. “I enjoyed people walking away being blessed and changing their lives.”
Among those who celebrated Carter’s birthday was Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, who praised her years of service to the community.
“For decades, Reverend Dr. Carter has served the greater community with distinction, dedication and compassion in all of her endeavors,” Mulé said. “It was a pleasure to join community members and loved ones in celebrating this milestone and thank her for all she has contributed to Nassau County and especially the communities of District 6.”
Looking back, Carter said the greatest reward has been hearing from people years later about the impact she had on their lives.
“People have walked up to me and said, ‘I was on the bridge of failure and you helped me,’” Carter said. “It just blesses my heart to know that I am doing what God would have me do.”
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, Carter hopes Americans will remember the importance of faith, perseverance, community and hope.
“People must understand their journey,” she said. “God will always put a comma behind our names, but many times we put a period, which means it’s over, but it’s not over. It gives people hope. If they can have hope, then they can have faith.”
As she begins a new chapter in retirement, Carter hopes her legacy will continue to inspire others to lead with faith, compassion and a commitment to helping those in need.
