Rev. Marian Royston

Rev. Marian Royston is an ordained elder in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is honored to serve as the first woman appointed to pastor the historic St. Paul United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to her local church ministry, she serves as a Cultivator for New and Renewing Churches in the North Alabama Conference, helping congregations dream new dreams and discover fresh ways to engage their communities.

Rev. Royston holds a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary and a Master of Science in Leadership for Sustainable Rural Development from Queen’s University Belfast, where she studied as a George J. Mitchell Scholar. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Auburn University.

Her ministry journey has included service in Huntsville and Randolph County, Alabama. While in Randolph County—her home community—she also worked as a high school social studies teacher and founded the Randolph County Youth Development Initiative, an organization that was dedicated to equipping the next generation of leaders.

Rev. Royston is passionate about connecting the church to the community and is active in both civic and denominational service. She serves on the Board of Directors for the National Issues Forum Institute and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. Within the United Methodist Church, she is the Secretary of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and a member of both the North Alabama Poverty Action Team and the Conference Missions Team.

At the heart of her ministry is a deep love for prayer, spiritual formation, and building authentic relationships. In her free time, Pastor Royston enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Most of all, she seeks to live as a beloved child of God, committed to sharing Christ’s love with the world.