Staff

The Church of God in Christ has elected Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new leader. Results of the virtual election—making Sheard the presiding prelate of the 7-million member strong, worldwide denomination headquartered in Memphis—were announced March 20.

Sheard, 62, had formerly served as prelate of the Michigan North Central Jurisdiction,
pastors the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church in Detroit. He will succeed previous
presiding Bishop Charles Blake Sr, who announced he would seek re-election last year.

“I am humbled and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve this extraordinary
organization, the Church of God in Christ, as its new leader and Presiding Bishop,” Sheard said. “To be elected to serve as the Presiding Bishop for the Church in which I was born, raised, and have learned and served all my life, is a dream and desire that can only be fulfilled by God’s loving grace and guidance. The opportunity to serve such an extraordinary organization at our highest recognized level of priesthood is beyond humbling.”

Sheard also thanked his wife Karen Clark-Sheard of gospel’s famed Clark Sisters and his children, J.Drew Sheard II, a producer and songwriter, and daughter Kierra Sheard, a Grammy-winning vocalist and actress who is one of gospel’s hottest stars.

In other election results, the following eleven bishops were named to the COGIC general
board:

• Bishop Prince E. Bryant, Sr., pastor of The Island of Hope Church of God in Christ and Buck Street Memorial Church of God in Christ in Houston
• Bishop Malcolm Coby, pastor of Victory Temple Church of God in Christ, World Ministry Center, in Oklahoma City
• Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, pastor of Holy Redeemer Church Of God In Christ in Milwaukee
• Bishop David A. Hall, Sr., pastor of historic Temple Church Of God In Christ in Memphis
• Bishop Michael E. Hill, Sr., senior pastor of Kingdom International in Dearborn, Michigan
• Bishop Darrell L. Hines, Sr., pastor of Christian Faith Fellowship Church of God in Christ in Wisconsin
• Bishop Jerry W. Macklin – founder of Glad Tidings International Church of God in Christ in Hayward, California
• Bishop Loran E. Mann, founder of Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ in Pittsburgh
• Bishop C. H. McClelland, pastor of Holy Cathedral Church of God In Christ in Milwaukee
• Bishop Brandon Porter, pastor of Greater Community Temple COGIC in North Memphis
• Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten Sr., pastor of Williams Temple Church of God In Christ in St.Louis