The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (2024)

The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop

RNS covers the world of religion. Your support makes it possible.

Donate now

`, additionalHtml: ``, }

Skip to content

Covering the world of religion.

Donate

  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Faiths
    • Christianity
      • Catholics
      • Protestants
        • Black Protestants
        • Evangelicals
        • Mainline Protestants
      • Latter-day Saints
      • Orthodox Christians
    • Judaism
    • Islam
    • Hinduism
    • Buddhism
    • Sikhism
    • Alternative Faiths
    • More Faiths
  • Politics
  • World
  • U.S.
  • Podcasts
  • Photos of the Week
  • News Quiz
  • Newsletters
  • Jobs Board
  • About RNS

The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (2) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (3) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (4) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (5) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (6) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (7) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (8) The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (9)

RNS Press Releases

The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop

The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (10)

RNS Press Release Distribution Service

March 22, 2021

Link copied!

The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (11)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Bishop J. Drew Sheard has been elected as the new Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country.

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) General Assembly, the legislative body of the denomination, has voted Bishop J. Drew Sheard of Detroit, Michigan as the leader of the worldwide organization.

Presiding Bishop Sheard says, “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.”


He adds, “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. I am so grateful for the unparalleled support of my loving wife, Karen, who has served diligently alongside me in ministry, and for my children. I could never adequately honor or appreciate my parents for demonstrating holiness by sheer example. With complete excitement and joy, I look forward to serving the Lord’s people.”

Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard was born on January 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and a Master of Education degree in Mathematics. Bishop Sheard is a former mathematics teacher and has served as senior pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ since 1988. He is the prelate of the Michigan North Central Jurisdiction, was a former Auxiliary In Ministries (AIM) Convention chairman, and International Youth Department president for COGIC. Since 2012, he has served as a member of the General Board. Sheard is married to Mrs. Karen Clark-Sheard, a member of the legendary Grammy Award-winning group – The Clark Sisters – and is the father of Kierra and J. Drew II. He has two grandchildren: Jacob and Kallie Drew.

The General Board – the twelve bishops who serve as the Board of Directors of the Church – the following persons have been elected:

  • Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Michigan
  • Bishop Jerry W. Macklin, California
  • Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, Wisconsin
  • Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten, Sr., Missouri
  • Bishop Brandon B. Porter, Tennessee
  • Bishop Darrel L. Hines, Sr. , Wisconsin
  • Bishop Michael E. Hill, Sr., Michigan
  • Bishop Prince E. Bryant, Sr., Texas
  • Bishop David A. Hall, Sr., Tennessee
  • Bishop Loran E. Mann, Delaware
  • Bishop Malcolm Coby, Oklahoma
  • Bishop Charles H. McClelland, Wisconsin

Presiding Bishop Sheard has chosen Bishop Jerry W. Macklin and Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten, Sr. as his first and second assistant Presiding Bishops respectively.

The Installation for the Presiding Bishop, General Board members and General Officers will be held at a later date.

Founded in 1907 by Bishop Charles Harrison Mason and headquartered in Memphis, TN, The Church of God in Christ is one of the oldest Pentecostal denominations in the World and the 4thlargest Protestant group in the UnitedStates with 10,000 churches in over 112countries worldwide and millions of adherents.


Contact:
Robert Coleman, Jr.
Church of God in Christ
901.235.2160
rcoleman@cogic.org

###

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.

Link copied!

Help us continue this work

RNS is an independent nonprofit dedicated to shining a light on the ways religion and faith help shape our world. Our coverage provides essential context, historical background, and nuanced commentary found nowhere else. If you value this kind of factual journalism, please consider becoming one of our supporters. Thank you for reading!

Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher

Donate today
The Church of God in Christ elects Bishop J. Drew Sheard as its new presiding bishop (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Tish Haag

Last Updated:

Views: 6279

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tish Haag

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 30256 Tara Expressway, Kutchburgh, VT 92892-0078

Phone: +4215847628708

Job: Internal Consulting Engineer

Hobby: Roller skating, Roller skating, Kayaking, Flying, Graffiti, Ghost hunting, scrapbook

Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.