A house RESOLUTION

To congratulate Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr., the 129th bishop of the african methodist episcopal church and his wife, Joan Marla MCalLister, Episcopal Supervisor, upon their upcoming retirement.

Whereas, The Right Reverend McAllister is a native of Darlington, South Carolina, and is the son of the late Revered Joesph and Mrs. Gladys Marks McAllister. He received an associate degree from Essex County Junior College in Newark, New Jersey; a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia; and a Master of Divinity degree from Turner Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He was honored to be presented the Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. After a long career dedicated to church and faith, Bishop McAllister is well deserving of his retirement beginning in August of 2024; and

Whereas, Bishop McAllister was elected and consecrated the 129^th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church during the 48^th Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in July of 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was appointed the Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District on July 10, 2021, at the 51^st Session of the General Conference; and

Whereas, no stranger to service, Bishop McAllister served in the United States Air Force. While serving he was licensed to preach in a Quarterly Conference at Allen Chapel AME Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He also served as a member of the pulpit staff at Israel Memorial AME Church in Newark, New Jersey, attended Newark New Brunswick ministerial training classes, was ordained an Itinerant Deacon at the New Jersey Annual Conference in 1977, and two years later was ordained an Itinerant Elder at the Atlanta North Georgia Annual Conference. Later, Reverend McAllister, along with his family, transferred from the First Episcopal District to the Seventh Episcopal District. During the 49^th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference, he was assigned to the Eighth Episcopal District; and

Whereas, in his thirty years of pastoral ministry, Reverend McAllister served as the Pastor of Trinity AME Church, in Spartanburg (two years); Pastor of Bethel AME Church, in Anderson (four years); and Pastor of Mount Zion AME Church, in Florence (twenty-four years). He led the congregation in the building of a one-million-dollar edifice and educational facility and liquidated the indebtedness in thirty-six months. More than fifty ministries were established during his administration, including the "Come Home for Christmas" Ministry which distributed nearly a half million dollars to needy families with children, community organizations, and AME ministries on the continent of Africa and the Caribbean. While at Mount Zion, the Mount Zion Apartments, one hundred-eight units, underwent a $1.5 million renovation; and

Whereas, they have three children: the Reverend Dr. Julius H. McAllister, Jr., who is married to Mrs. Deana Young McAllister; Mrs. Juanita Michelle McAllister Caldwell, who is married to Mr. Francoise Caldwell; and Ms. Jocelyn Marla McAllister. They have five grandchildren: Julius Harrison McAllister III, BreAnna Michelle Caldwell, Colin McKinley Young McAllister, Jaelan Harrison Caldwell, and Dylan David Jeremiah McAllister; and

Whereas, Bishop McAllister has made a substantial impact on the world. During his first appointment after his election to the episcopacy, he assisted in providing transport for presiding elders and pastors in the Twentieth Episcopal District, assisted in providing annual school fees for hundreds of orphans and other needy children, and assisted in the giving of academic scholarships to pastors to attend secondary schools and theological colleges, among countless other good deeds. He has been able to achieve an incredible amount of charity work; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to congratulate The Right Reverend Julius Harrison McAllister and Episcopal Supervisor Joan Marla McAllister upon the milestone of their retirement. The members wish them happiness in the days ahead. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, congratulate Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr., the 129th bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and his wife, Joan Marla McAllister, episcopal supervisor, upon their upcoming retirement.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr.

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