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Presiding Bishop Eleventh Episcopal District On July 12 of the year 2000, Bishop John Hurst Adams, formerly of the Seventh Episcopal Distrist (South Carolina) was assigned to serve as the presiding prelate of the Eleventh Episcopal District at the 26th Quadrenniel Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Adams, the 87th Bishop of the AME Church, is the senior prelate on the Episcopal Council and past chairman of the Finance and Statistics Committee. It is, indeed, a pleasure to welcome the Right Reverend and the strength of his wisdom and experience as an outstanding leader in the AME Church.
The Bishop is the son of the late Rev. E.A. Adams, who had distinguished himself as a leader of the AME Church, and the brother of Dr. Lucy Rose Adams. a former longtime Bethelite and professor of Business at Florida A&M University. He is a native of Columbia, SC and a vere seasoned and astute minister of the AME Church.
He has a very impressive resume, having started his work in the ministry as a student pastor at Bethel AME Church of Lynn, Massachusetts in 1960. After serving as a professor at Payne Theological Seminary, president of Paul Quinn College and pastor of First AME Church (Seattle, Washington) and Grant Memorial AME Church (Los Angeles, California), he was elevated to the bishopric in 1972. As bishop, he has presided over the Tenth, Second, Sixth and Seventh Districts, respectively. He is credited with initiating 70 new congregations during his tenure.
A prolific pace setter, Bishop Adams has founded various organizations that focused on improving the quality and operations of Black churches as well as the quality of life of Blacks in general. These include--the Congress of National Black Churches; the Educational Growth Organization in Los Angeles; Executive Management Training for Black Church Leaders; the Richard Allen Service and Developmental Agency; the AME Church Ethnic School and Turorial Program; the Texas AME Credit Union; and the Central Area Civil Rights Committee of Seattle.
The Bishop, a very active communty leader, has been a strong advocate for education. He has served on and chaired a number of community and civic organizations. He has performed effectively as the chair of several boards of trustees for colleges and universities, including--Paul Quinn College; the Interdenominational Theological Center; Allen University; and Edward Waters College.
Among his many awards and honors, he has been the recipient of eight honorary doctorates from various colleges and six leadership awards from national associations and organizations. In addition to the accomplishments noted in his resume, many are of the opinion that Bishop Adams--a critical thinker, no-nonsense, bold adminsitrator, and eloquent communicator--is a distinctive, spirit-driven, and Christ-centered personality.
Bishop John Hurst and Dr. Dolly Desselle Adams are the proud parents of three daughters--Gaye D. Adams-Massey, Dr. Jann Hurst Adams-Brogan, and Madelyn R. Adams-Cobb. They have seven grandchildren--Amina Desselle Massey, Mitchell Gino Brogdam Jr., John H. Adams Brogdon, Amilcar Kamau Adams Massey, Malcom Moses Adams Brogdon, Harrison Avery Adams Cobb, and Timothy Fitzgerald Cobb Jr..
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