Pastor Charlena (Hamlin) Croutch is a native Long Islander.  She is the eldest of four children born to Elder Charles and Evang. Mary Hamlin in Roosevelt, New York.  Upon graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School in 1987, Pastor Croutch enrolled at Berkeley College where she obtained an Associate Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management.  Following Berkeley, she began her career at Grumman Aerospace Corporation and enjoyed its employment until she relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina and transitioned into a career as a Registered Nurse.

Pastor Croutch is a devout woman of faith and accepted the call to serve in Christian ministry in 1993.  Because of her love and commitment for youth, she was appointed national youth president within her church affiliation for 10 years, and later served two years as its national evangelist during her tenure in the Free & Independent Holiness Churches, Inc.  Thereafter, Pastor Croutch and her family returned to Roosevelt and she continued her career as a Registered Nurse at Mercy Medical Center among various other area hospitals.  She is a member of the Roosevelt PTSA, Nassau County & Vicinity Minister’s Wives & Minister’s Widow’s, the NAACP and the New York City CCFM Leadership Alliance.  Currently, she is studying Religion in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science degree, but every road leads back to youth and education.

In 2009, Pastor Croutch and her husband, Elder Franklin Croutch, founded the Refuge Citadel of Hope Church with the goal of inspiring continued change in Roosevelt, NY.  A ministry with goals designed to be positive and impactful, she and her husband launched and oversee several outreach programs that include a food pantry, which distributes to anyone requiring food assistance.  She hosts a yearly back to school event called Pack Your Backpack where backpacks and school supplies are distributed to local students.  For the past 15 years, Pastor Croutch and Refuge Citadel of Hope host an annual holiday food and toy giveaway, wherein they have partnered with local hospitals and businesses, and they adopt schools and families in the Roosevelt community.

In June 2011, along with the ministry they serve, Pastors Croutch became a part of the Christian Covenant Fellowship of Ministries (CCFM), under the leadership of their spiritual parents, Bishop Michael & Pastor Malinda Blue.  Pastor Croutch and her husband are also recording artists, whose debut CD entitled "Survivor" was released in 2006 and they are currently working on their new project.  The Croutch's are the proud parents of three handsome sons, Anthony, Bernard, and Jayden.

In March 2015, Pastor Croutch was asked to join the cast of the Women of Destiny Talk Show, where she now hosts her own show, which airs “live” every third Saturday of the month on MadhouseTV.com and UStream.  In June 2015, she was elected to the esteemed position of Trustee on the Roosevelt Union Free School District Board of Education.  Inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” Pastor Croutch firmly believes that our youth and our community matter! She believes that true public service requires passion and leadership that is anything but one-dimensional.  Public service is multifaceted, complex, ever expanding and those serving should only influence meaningful public policy with outcomes having positive effect and the public’s trust, not self-interests.

Not being ashamed of where she has come from, boldly embracing where she is going, Pastor Charlena Croutch remains steadfast, being fully persuaded that He who hath begun a good work in her, is able also to keep what she has entrusted to Him.  God won’t fail!!