Eighth Episcopal District
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Bishop Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr., was elected and consecrated the 129th Bishop of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church during the 48th Session of the General Conference of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, July 2008, St. Louis, Missouri. He is a native of Darlington, South
Carolina. Bishop McAllister is the son of the late Reverend Joseph and Mrs. Gladys Marks
McAllister.
Bishop McAllister attended the public schools in Darlington, South Carolina, graduating from
Mayo High School in 1968. He received an Associate’s degree at Essex County Junior College in
Newark, New Jersey; a Bachelor of Arts degree at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia; and
a Master of Divinity degree at Turner Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational
Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
He was licensed to preach in 1972 at Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He served
as an associate Minister at Israel Memorial A.M.E. Church, Newark, New Jersey, and at Turner
Chapel A.M.E. Church, Atlanta, Georgia.
In his 30 years of pastoral ministry, Bishop McAllister served as Pastor of Trinity A.M.E. Church,
Spartanburg, South Carolina (2 years); Bethel A.M.E. Church, Anderson, South Carolina (4years);
and Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, Florence, South Carolina (24 years).
His first appointment after his election to the episcopacy in 2008 was to the Twentieth Episcopal
District, which is comprised of Malawi, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Bishop McAllister led the
Twentieth District, with the financial assistance of the Connectional Church, in the construction of
10 church facilities and 17 residential homes that were destroyed by several earthquakes in
Karonga, Malawi, December 2009. At the 49th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference,
Bishop McAllister was assigned to the Eighth Episcopal District which encompasses Mississippi and
Louisiana. He is leading the District in the renovation of the Bonner-Campbell Campus. He also
assisted the pastor and officers of Union Bethel A.M.E. Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, in the
refinancing of the its mortgage and the reduction of the church’s monthly mortgage note by more
than 50%.
Bishop McAllister’s religious, civic and community affiliations, past and present, include Mayor’s
Advisory Board, People for People Advisory Board and Pee Dee Transitional Shelter Advisory
Board. He served as Vice President of the Local Branch NAACP, Vice President and one of the
organizers of Manna House. He also served as a member of the South Carolina Action Council and
a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Hunger.
Bishop McAllister is married to Mrs. Joan Marla McAllister, formerly of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
They are the proud parents of three adult children: the Reverend Dr. Julius H. McAllister, Jr.,
who is married to Mrs. Deana Young McAllister, is the pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in
Tallahassee, Florida; Mrs. Juanita Michelle McAllister Caldwell, who is married to Mr. Francoise
Caldwell, is a middle school guidance counselor; and Ms. Jocelyn Marla McAllister, a graduate
student at Liberty University, is employed with the Florence Public School District one. They also
have five (5) wonderful grandchildren: Julius Harrison McAllister III, BreAnna Michelle
Caldwell, Colin McKinley Young McAllister, Jaelan Harrison Caldwell, and Dylan David Jeremiah
McAllister.