In the early 1950s, after taking off six years for childbearing, Ella Mitchell resumed her career as an instructor in religious education at Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (now American Baptist Seminary of the West). From there she went on to Fresno State College, where she studied and taught early childhood education. From 1959 to 1973, she served on the Board of Educational Ministries of American Baptists, four years as its president. In the late 60s, she was instructor of early childhood education at Compton College and at Santa Monica City College.
A renowned preacher, Ella Mitchell in 1974 received her D.Min from the School of Theology in Claremont, and four years later − after a ministry that spanned 35 years − she was finally ordained at Allen Temple Baptist Church, in Oakland, CA.
She also taught at the American Baptist Seminary of the West; The Claremont School of Theology; LaVerne University; Compton College and Santa Monica City Colleges, and the public schools of Fresno and Claremont, CA. In 1983, she was the first woman to preach at the Hampton Ministers’ Conference. Thereafter she served as a minister of education at Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles; and as associate professor of Christian education and director of continuing education at the Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond. She was the first female dean of Sisters Chapel at Spelman College in Atlanta.
Ella and Henry Mitchell team-taught as visiting professors of homiletics at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta from 1988 to 2001. They also taught together as mentors in the Doctor of Ministry Program at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Ella Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in religion from Talladega College, Talladega, AL. In addition to her joint M.A. in Religion from Union and Columbia University, she held a D.Min from Claremont School of Theology. In 1989, Talladega College conferred upon her the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
In 1994, Ella Mitchell was among the first ten Union graduates to receive the Seminary’s Unitas Distinguished Alumni/ae Award, which honored her for inspiring generations of women, particularly African-American women, to exercise their gifts as preachers and ministers. She and Henry were honored at the Claremont School of Theology as distinguished alumni/ae in 2008. They were also honored at Union Trailblazers 2008.
Ella Mitchell died peacefully in her sleep on November 19, 2008, among family, friends, and her faithful and devoted husband, Henry. When she died they had been married 64 years. In addition to her husband, Ella was survived by their children, Muriel, Elizabeth, and Kenneth, and six grandchildren. She was predeceased by their son Henry IV, who died of leukemia at age 26.