The Rev. Julius H. McAllister Jr., senior pastor of Bethel AME Church in Tallahassee, Florida, has been elected the 144th bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The election occurred August 26, during the denomination’s 52nd Quadrennial General Conference held in Columbus, Ohio.
McAllister has served as the senior pastor of Bethel AME Church since 2008, also overseeing various outreach programs and initiatives. A fourth-generation minister, he follows in the footsteps of his father, Bishop Julius H. McAllister Sr., who currently serves as the Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District of the AME Church.
As a newly elected bishop, the younger McAllister will take on greater responsibilities within the AME denomination, including overseeing a network of churches and providing spiritual guidance to clergy and laity. His election comes after an extensive two-year campaign that involved traveling throughout the United States and abroad to share his vision for the church. McAllister also launched a website named “McAllister for Bishop” to campaign for the position. He and his wife, Deana Elizabeth Young McAllister, share three children.
The AME Church, founded in 1816, is one of the largest Methodist denominations in the world, with a significant presence in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. Bishops in the AME Church serve lifetime appointments until the mandatory retirement age of 75.
This article was written with the assistance of A.I.
