Like the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:22, Sandra A. Ogunremi has become all things to all people. A minister and health care executive, Ogunremi helps meet spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.

Ogunremi is vice president of patient relations and belonging at Monument Health in Rapid City, South Dakota. She also serves as women’s director for the South Dakota Assemblies of God District, a position she assumed in 2022 after 14 years as a sectional representative.

As a bivocational minister, time management is crucial for Ogunremi.

“We all have the same number of hours in a day,” Ogunremi says. “We have a lot of wasted time that can be harnessed. Intentionality matters.”

Born in Nigeria, Ogunremi spent part of her childhood in the U.S. Her husband of 32 years, Ayodele, is also Nigerian and works at Monument Health as an internal medicine physician. The couple have three adult children.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Ogunremi memorizes Scripture and seems to have a text for every situation. Co-workers, church friends, and community members often come to her for prayer and counsel.

“The one thing that never changes is the Word of God,” Ogunremi says. “Everything else can change around you, but God and the lessons in the Bible never change.”

When Ogunremi and her family moved to Rapid City 23 years ago, only 1 in 200 residents was Black.

“We still stand out like fish in a bowl,” Ogunremi says. “But I never stop to ask why. God has amazed us, and we have thrived here.”

Monument Health has attracted a more diverse workforce in recent years, with a number of nurses emigrating from foreign countries, particularly the Philippines. However, only about 1% of Rapid City’s 80,000 residents are Black.

Ogunremi says she strives to represent both her culture and faith well.

“Because I stand out, I have to represent Jesus wherever I go, living a self-controlled life,” Ogunremi says. “I have to behave in a way that glorifies the Lord.”

One of the departments Ogunremi oversees at Monument Health is spiritual care services.

“God has placed me strategically to invite partners to come in to pray with patients,” she says.

Ogunremi coordinates chaplains across the system. She also relies on volunteer clergy, including her own lead pastor, Craig M. Moore. Ogunremi and her family have attended First Assembly of God in Rapid City since 2003, and she served as the church’s treasurer for seven years.

Ogunremi is also on the board of trustees at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School in Ellendale, North Dakota.

Through her speaking and example, Ogunremi challenges others 
to live with grace, compassion, and purpose.

“Sandra is a great communicator, a great leader, and a great person,” says South Dakota Assemblies of God Superintendent Drew S. Becker.

Since completing her doctorate in health administration from Central Michigan University during 2009, Ogunremi has maintained a passion for learning. Every few years, she takes another course to sharpen her skills. Last year, she completed a certification in traumatic stress studies.

Ogunremi takes her ministry credentials just as seriously. She has been an ordained Assemblies of God minister since 2011.

“I teach women not to stop at certification, not to stop at being licensed, but to get ordained,” she says. “Especially for women, ordination opens a different set of doors to do what God has called you to do.”

While she has ministered for nearly two decades at conventions, church services, and retreats, recently Ogunremi has focused on speaking to women. She was keynote speaker at a breakfast for AG Women during the 2023 General Council in Columbus, Ohio.

“Sandra is a tremendous communicator of the Word, an exemplary leader who cares deeply for people and helps them move closer to Jesus,” says Nonda Houston, national director of AG Women. “God has uniquely created her to bring a different perspective.”

Ogunremi has authored two books, Casting Down Disruptive Imaginations and Overcoming Threats, Thoughts, & Triggers. She says many Christians don’t realize how destructive negative thought patterns can be.

“You’ll never accomplish anything if you listen to voices saying, This is too hard, I’m stupid, I hate my life,” Ogunremi says.

Ogunremi coaches people on how to live a meaningful, healthy life and alleviate hurt and anguish that may have caused emotional crippling.

Despite her full schedule, Ogunremi has always been intentional about making time for family. She opted not to travel for work and ministry during her children’s formative years. While pursuing advanced degrees, she studied at night after her two daughters and son had gone to bed.

When she started traveling and speaking, Ogunremi coordinated her schedule with her husband’s.

“He has always supported my ministry,” Ogunremi says. “There has to be united vision in the home to fulfill the call.”

Ogunremi’s parents divorced when she was young. She recalls that despite regular church attendance, her mother and father drifted apart amid the busyness of life.

Even with her children grown and out of the home, Ogunremi limits her ministry travel to 12 weekends annually.

Whether speaking at a women’s event or interacting with a health care colleague, Ogunremi trusts God to work through her to accomplish His purpose.

“Not just in the church world, but also in her secular job, Sandra is recognized for her leadership capacity,” Houston says. “People look to her for leadership, advice, and expertise.”

Through her speaking and example, Ogunremi challenges others to live with grace, compassion, and purpose.

“People respect Sandra for her passion for God, her fervent commitment to His call, her position in the medical field, and the awareness of the suffering and brokenness affecting people around the world,” Becker says. “She has led the women of our state to respond with generosity to women across the globe who are struggling.”

This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Influence magazine.