Betty L Furbert -Woolridge was born 25 September 1942. She is a product of one of the largest families in the Western end of the Island of Bermuda the well-known Raynor family. By 1954 she had found her niche in church and served as President of the Y.P.D at Richard Allen A. M.E. church and from 1972-78 Director of Christian Education in the same church. She organized the 100 men breakfast in 1995 and by 1998 was founder and organizer of a reading programme operated by five senior members of Allen Temple where they served students of the West End Primary School in Sandy’s Parish Bermuda three days per week the first A.M.E. church to do so in the Bermuda Conference. Reverend Betty was not afraid of work and served on several boards within the confines of the various A.M.E. churches and was appointed to serve on several government boards. Betty married in 1961 to Norvell Furbert and of that union had two sons Brent and Norvell Jr. she lost her beloved Norvell sr. in 1993. She later met and married Edward MacDonald Woolridge in September of 1999. She was local preacher at Richard Allen in 1976  In 1981 she was the first female Ordained an Itinerant Deacon in Bermuda Conference at Bright Temple under Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand. In 1983 she became the first female Ordained Itinerant Elder at the Bermuda Conference at Allen Temple A.M.E. where presiding Elder was William Lee Freeman under Bishop Frank Curtis Cummings. Reverend Betty’s heart was very much into her religious beliefs and she continued to work tirelessly to support her community. 

In 1983 -1985 she was the Associate Pastor at Richard Allen A.M.E. St. George’s Bermuda under Reverend Wilbur Lowe Sr. In 1986-93 she was Pastor at St. John A.M.E. church Bailey’s Bay Hamilton Parish. She not only showed her expertise in preaching from the pulpit but her leadership skills in being  instrumental in many renovations at the St. John’s A.M.E ,Allen Temple A.M.E. and St. Philips A.M.E. churches. She was the longest serving Pastor of the Allen Temple church serving there for seventeen years. In April 2010 she was the first female Pastor to be appointed Presiding Elder of the East – West District of the Bermuda Annual Conference by Bishop Richard F. Norris and appointed Pastor of St. Philip A.M.E. church Harrington Sound in Smiths by the same Bishop . Rev. Betty retired from the ministry and was given the honour by her congregation and friends of a grand farewell banquet on 3rd. March 2018. She was appointed a Justice of the peace in 2002 and received the Queens Certificate and Badge of Honour in 2007. Rev. Betty achieved many first in her life. She held strong to her beliefs and did not lack to fulfill her duties as a Pastor extraordinaire. Well done my sister your deserving of this recognition for your service to your church, the Community and the Island of Bermuda.