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Bishop Paul A. G. Stewart, Sr.
Presiding Prelate
Mrs. M. Earline Stewart
Liaison Officer & Advisor to
the Ministers' Spouses & Widows and
the Women's Missionary Society |
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Bishop Paul A. G. Stewart, Sr.
Bishop Paul A. Stewart, Sr. was elected the 50th Bishop of the
Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church on July 1, 1998, in the
Thirty-Third Quadrennial Session and the Thirty-Forth General Conference
meeting in Birmingham, Alabama.
Bishop Stewart was born June 21, 1941 in Baldwyn, Mississippi, the
youngest of six children born to the late Mr. Leroy and Ms. Bessie Agnew
Stewart. He was educated in the elementary and secondary schools of
Baldwyn. Believing strongly in the value of education, his quest for
knowledge led him as follows:
 | Mississippi Industrial College, Holy Springs,
Mississippi, 1961 |
| Master of Divinity Degree, Phillips School of
Theology of the Interdenominational Theological Center,1965 |
| Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling,
University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi,1975 |
| Graduate of the United States Military Academy for
Chaplains, Staten Island, New York, 1975 |
| Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Training for
Ministers, Fort Hood, Texas, 1977 |
| Training courses for ministering to cancer
patients, University of Alabama, 1980 |
| Doctorate of Divinity Degree from Reed School of
Religion, Los Angeles, CA, 1996 |
| Doctorate of Humane Letters from Miles College,
Birmingham, AL, May, 2002. |
The Ministry of Bishop Stewart in the C.M.E. Church has been
extensive. He has served faithfully as a local pastor of C.M.E.
congregations and has been recognized as a gifted counselor, educator
and administrator at institutions across the United States:
| Guntown C.M.E. Church, Mississippi Circuit from
1958-1961 |
| Miles Memorial C.M.E. Church, Augusta, Georgia,
1961-1962 |
| Holsey Temple and Mt. Sinai, Rome, Georgia,
1962-1963 |
| Bethel Crowley C.M.E. Church, Louisiana, 1964-1966 |
| Dyer Chapel C.M.E. Church, West Monroe, Louisiana,
1966-1967 |
| Dean of Chapel and Instructor of Religion at
Mississippi Industrial College, Holly Springs, Mississippi and
Pastor of Anderson Chapel, 1967-1975. |
| Chaplain in the United States Army, with the rank
of Captain from 1975-1977 and granted with the Outstanding
Achievement Award of Counseling Soldiers who were under stress |
| Dean of Students at Miles College, Birmingham,
Alabama, 1977-1982 and also pastored Miles Chapel, Reform, Alabama
and Porter-St. Paul, Northport, Alabama during that period |
| Pastored Russell Memorial, Durham, North Carolina
1982-1988 where more than 300 members were added to the church and
five programs funded during his tenure. |
| Pastored Phillips Temple, Los Angeles, California,
1988-1998, from which he was elected Bishop. Four funded ministries
were added to the Church, a Hispanic Ministry was organized and
developed, and the Feeding Ministry was expanded extensively. More
than 200 members were added to the church. |
| Served as the Presiding Elder of the Los
Angeles/San Diego District in 1998 |
Throughout his ministry Bishop Stewart has been an active participant
in community, ecumenical, civic, social and civil rights affairs. He has
worked extensively with the NAACP; served on the NAACP Executive Board
of Durham, North Carolina; Former president of the Interdenominational
Ministerial Alliance of Durham, North Carolina and Vicinity; Former
President of the Los Angeles Council of Churches for six years; Former
Co-Chairperson of the Southern California Organizing Committee of the
Industrial Area Foundation; Former member of the Board of Trustees and
Chairperson of the Joint Board of Finance of the Southern California
Conference of the C.M.E. Church; Former member of the Coordinating
Council of Hope in Youth Gang Prevention Program of Los Angeles,
California.
Bishop Stewart is married to the former M. Earline Gardner. They are
the parents of three children: Gloria Jean Stewart-Wicks, an elementary education
teacher, Greenville, Mississippi School System; Paul Jr., an Engineer
for the County of Los Angeles and Shinar LaDonna Stewart-Parnell, an
elementary school teacher, Los Angeles, California. They are proudly
parents-in-law of Mr. Dana Parnell and Reverend Thomas Wicks. The
Stewarts are grandparents to two precious grandchildren.
Upon his election and consecration in 1998 in the Thirty-Third
Quadrennial Session and Thirty-Forth General Conference meeting
Birmingham, Alabama, Bishop Stewart was assigned to the Fifth Episcopal
District, comprising the states of Alabama and Florida.
In the Thirty-Forth Quadrennial Session and Thirty-Fifth General
Conference of the C.M.E. Church in Atlanta, Georgia, June 29 - July 7 ,
2002, Bishop Stewart was assigned to the Third Episcopal District.
As the Presiding Bishop of the Third Episcopal District, Bishop
Stewart serves as the "Spiritual Leader" of the Southeast
Missouri, Illinois & Wisconsin Region, the Michigan-Indiana Region
and the Kansas-Missouri Region with churches in ten Midwestern
states.
Bishop Stewart is the Chaplaincy Endorsing Agent for the C.M.E.
Church; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Phillips School of Theology,
Atlanta, GA; Chairman of The Christian Index; Vice Chairperson
for the Board of Trustees of Miles College, Birmingham, AL; and Advisory Board Member, Institute of Church Administration and
Management (ICAM). |
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