Ninth Episcopal District

Our Bishop

Meet Bishop Harry L. Seawright

Rev. Dr. Harry L. Seawright was born in Swansea, SC to the late Joe Nathan and Mary L. Seawright. As a fourth-generation AME, his faith was nurtured at Prodigal A.M.E. in Swansea, SC.

Rev. Seawright accepted his call to ministry in 1976. The late Bishop Frank M. Reid, II admitted him to the South Carolina Central Annual Conference in 1977. He was ordained as an Itinerant Deacon in the Washington Annual Conference in 1979 by the late Bishop Henry W. Murph and as an Itinerant Elder in 1981 by Bishop John Hurst Adams.

In 1978 Rev. Dr. Harry L. Seawright served as the Interim Pastor of St. Stephen A.M.E. Church, St. Matthews, SC and a staff minister at Reid Temple A.M.E. Church, Washington, DC. During 1978-81, he was the Assistant to the Pastor at Pilgrim A.M.E. Church, Washington, DC. His first pastoral appointment was to Payne Memorial A.M.E. Church, Jessup, MD where he served 1981-1983. For three years, 1983-1986, he served faithfully as the pastor of Hemingway Temple A.M.E. Church, in Washington, DC. In June 1986, he was assigned to Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Brandywine, MD. Rev. Seawright has served Union Bethel longer than any other pastor in the church’s history.

In 1991, Rev. Seawright led Union Bethel in the construction of a $1.6 million sanctuary. Union Bethel has over 50 innovative ministries. More than 50 persons answered the call to ministry. In 2001, Union Bethel opened a satellite church in Temple Hills, MD, and Union Bethel North (previously known as Union Bethel Intergenerational Center, Inc. – IGC) was birthed. This second church location holds Sunday worship services, Church School, weekly Bible Study and Intercessory Prayer. This facility also features a banquet hall for special events; it is the former home of a Union Bethel non-profit’s certified HUD Housing Counseling Program office (which is now located in a professional building in Camp Springs, MD). Union Bethel’s ministries and services continue to bless thousands of people in the county annually.

Rev. Seawright has spent over 37 years in ministry, specializing in community leadership, church construction and development. He is a spiritual leader, entrepreneur, community leader, world traveler, author and a family man.

Among Rev. Seawright’s affiliations are: Trustee Emeritus of Prince George’s Community College; President/CEO and founder of HLS Consulting, Inc., a company that specializes in church construction, administration, management and finance; and the founder and CEO of WeKleen, Inc. a commercial cleaning, landscape and handyman services company. He is also the CEO and founder of the Union Bethel Intergenerational Center, Inc (IGC) and the CEO and founder of Prestigious Property Management, Inc. He holds memberships in many other community and national organizations.

Rev. Seawright’s prophetic vision and outstanding leadership made Union Bethel into a well-respected church serving over 1,700 members. The transformation included growing from five to over 55 acres of land, from two to over 75 employees, from a little chapel to a sanctuary that seats over 500 and to property that includes three houses, two apartments, a greenhouse and a pond.

Rev. Dr. Harry L. Seawright knows the power of prayer. He makes time for daily devotions with God. Anyone who meets him knows he is a praying man! In 2011, he started a daily prayer conference call. This time of scripture reading and prayer ministers to individuals in the United States and in foreign countries.

Rev. Seawright is the author of two books: More Than Bricks and Mortar: Building a Church without Losing Your Mind, 1996, and Don’t Faint: Help for Hurting Pastors and their Families, 2012. He is also a contributing author for The African American Devotional Bible and The Pastor’s Manual.

Rev. Seawright serves as Treasurer of the Washington Conference, the 2nd Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church, the 2nd Episcopal District Religious, Education and Charitable Non-Profit Board (RED, Inc.) and is a board member of the Collective Empowerment Group (formerly known as the Collective Banking Group). Rev. Seawright is a member and past president of the AME Ministerial Alliance of Washington, DC. He is the founder and past president of Bethel House, Inc., Union Bethel’s nonprofit outreach agency.

The Reverend Dr. Harry L. Seawright was a delegate to the 2011 and 2013 World Methodist Council meetings in Durban, South Africa and London, England, respectively. Rev. Seawright represented the Second Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, as a delegate to this prestigious international association representing over 80 million people in 155 countries.

Rev. Seawright earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Benedict College, Columbia, SC and Master and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Howard University School of Divinity. As a member of the graduating class of 1995, he received the Doctor of Ministry “Student of the Year” award for his research project. In 1996, he received the Concerned Black Christian Men of Prince George’s County Religious Award. In August 2004, he attended St. Antony’s College, at the University of Oxford, Oxford England, where his presentation on “Dynamics of the Church, Politics and Education” was well received by the Oxford Round Table of distinguished leaders from around the world. Rev. Seawright has received other awards and recognitions for his leadership in the community and church.

Rev. Seawright is married to the Reverend Sherita Moon Seawright. They are the parents of Shari Nicole and Harry Matthew and the grandparents of Cameron Isaiah.

Rev. Dr. Harry L. Seawright, Bishop

REV. SEAWRIGHT WAS ELECTED THE 133RD BISHOP OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

AME Church

Our Episcopal Family

Bishop Harry L. Seawright
Reverend Sherita M. Seawright, Episcopal Supervisor

Our vision for the Ninth Episcopal District is to “Encourage, Empower and Enable the People of God!”
For He is well able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. – Ephesians 3:20

It is for this reason that we have this theme at the very heart of all we do in the Ninth District.

Join us as we accomplish great things for God!

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Bishop Harry L. Seawright