Page 2 - Pleasant Hill News Letter June 2025

PHBC Featured Member
By Beverly Parker
Sister Kiaa Richelle Prelow
If any church has one or more members who loves children and wants to do
everything possible to motivate them to higher heights, then these churches are blessed indeed. It’s not everyone who has the patience to work with them or know what it takes to motivate them. Thankfully, in Sister Kiaa Prelow, Pleasant Hill is blessed to have someone who enjoys working with its youth department. Sister Kiaa said, “I love children, their honesty, seeing them thrive, and learning and growing to be the best versions of themselves. I believe in rearing respectful children, and I know that they sometimes are not heard, so I like to think of myself as an advocate for them.”
Sister Kiaa was born in Washington, DC, and is the daughter of the late Ruthie Washington Beasley and Thomas Woods. As the youngest of three children, she remains close to her siblings, Gentry Dorsey of Shreveport and Yolanda Dorsey of Houston, Texas. As she grew up, she remembers moving to several states. Several of her school years were spent in California, North Carolina, and Louisiana. She said, “I have attended PHBC for most of my life at various intervals. I spent every summer here in Shreveport until I returned permanently in 1986. My aunt, Alma Washington Mitchell, who was a member of Pleasant Hill, took over the responsibility of rearing me and ensured that I attended the church as well. I thrived under her supervision, as well as my grandparents, Deacon Flenory and Rosie Washington, who were both Sunday School Teachers at the church. I was active in the youth department, the choir, and served as an usher. I later served with the Young Women’s League at our previous Abbie Street location. With much appreciation, Sister Kiaa recalls her youthful days under the teachings of the late Sister Birdia Jackson, as well as
the training and teachings of other Christian women at Pleasant Hill who influenced her life.
Sister Kiaa is a 1990 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. She briefly attended Northwestern University and later became an employee of LSU Health Shreveport, where she has served for the last 31 years achieving several promotions. When asked what she is most proud of, she said, “I am most proud of serving at my job for over 30 years.” In 1994, she began as a Clerk I in Medical Records; 1995 as Clerk II in the labor unit; 1996 Clerk III and 1998 Clerk IV in patient billing. In 1999, Sister Kiaa was promoted to Administration Coordinator in the Human Resources Department. Currently, she is a Manager for Employee Benefits and Retirement. In 2024, she received the “Employee Excellence Award.”
For the past 30 years, Sister Kiaa has been married to Stanley Prelow, and they are the parents of two children, Sierra and Kameron. She enjoys watching movies (comedy and drama), listening to music, working puzzles, and going on cruises. She is a big San Francisco 49ers fan, loves arts and crafts, and collecting butterfly memorabilia. She also loves the company of her Maltipoo Furbaby, King Gizmo.
Sister Kiaa said, “A few years after my marriage, I moved my membership to Bright Star Baptist Church on Hearne Avenue and stayed for a while, but in 2015, I returned to PHBC, the church I so dearly love.” At Pleasant Hill, she is a member of the Senior Usher Board where, since 2019, she has served as 2nd Vice President and a trainer for Youth Ushers and Secretary for the Youth Department. She is also a member of the Announcing Clerk Ministry, Events Ministry Secretary, and she serves on the Vision Team. Sister Kiaa said, “I am pleased to be an active member at Pleasant Hill because in these various ministries, I am able to assist, gain or give insight, and lend a helping hand to our members. This past March, in celebration of National Women’s History Month, Sis. Kiaa was presented with a plaque in recognition of her commitment and dedication to the PHBC Youth.
Sis. Kiaa’s favorite scriptures are Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding ...; Psalm 3:4, “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart ... “ and Joshua 1:9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed ... .” To her, these three scriptures mean that she may not know everything, but she trusts the Lord for guidance. She knows that the Lord is with her and she’s not afraid of anything because the Lord is with her. She also said, “My desire is to see the Lord one day and hopefully, He will tell me he is pleased with me.”
In closing, Sister Kiaa said, “I truly believe that my purpose is to be a servant of others, thereby being a servant for the Lord. Jesus said in Colossians, ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.’ I’d like to think that I’ve followed this advice, as I’ve always tried to do what is godly and for no other reason. My daily prayer includes a simple request that God would allow me to be a help and not a hinderance to anyone I encounter each day, be it in person, by phone, or virtually.” Sister Kiaa’s beliefs and the way she demonstrates her love for the youth and humanity in general are indeed a blessing to our Pleasant Hill Family! We love her and wish only the best for her as she continues spreading her love.
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