BISHOP Judge King (Presided 1910 – 1946) Founder, Archbishop; “Preacher & Singer Extraordinaire”

As young converts into sanctification and holiness, Judge and his wife, Sarah, were up and coming leaders in the “Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church.”  Sarah was first to be baptized in the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues.  Later, Judge King was baptized in the Holy Ghost as he was working in the saw mill.  As this “very mean person” prayed over his lunch pail while at work, God met him and told him to “Pull off your gun.”  As a result of his obedience to the voice of God, the Holy Ghost met him, as he was block setting on the carriage.   His demonstration of joy, clapping of hands, and shouting caused the mill to be shut down, as they thought he would endanger his life and the lives of others.  This was the beginning of a colorful life in Pentecostalism.

During the early years of Judge and Sarah King’s ministry, they did not know how to defend the various ordinances found in the Bible; therefore, these young converts did not baptize, bother about music, or bother with communion and foot-washing.  Yet God, in His wisdom and miraculous power, had picked up unlearned people and shared with them His grace and the mysteries of the Holy Ghost.  The church sent Judge and Sarah King out into the farming areas, lumber camps, and along the Mississippi River, preaching the doctrine of the earlier leaders.   However, because of Judge King’s aggressiveness and enlightening sermons on water baptism and other ordinances of the Bible, he was counseled and reprimanded.  Unfortunately, their teachings on these important New Testament ordinances would later cost Judge and Sarah King their membership in Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church.

While out on an evangelism crusade, Judge King and 20 men and women went to incorporate the church in Mansfield, Louisiana.  Before incorporating, however, Judge and Sarah King discovered they had been dropped from the roll of the early church because of the differences in views and because of their youth and inexperience.  They did not know what to do.  Some white saints, S.A. York and T.D. McAllister, came and counseled them and advised them to set up their own group and to name it, “Christ Holy Sanctified Church.”  At that particular time, all they knew and taught were sanctification and abstinence from worldly pleasures.  As the years went by, hundreds of converts (sawmill people, farmers, school teachers, rich and poor, black and white) all heard the Word of God and became sanctified, baptized with the Holy Ghost, and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.  This small band of people, in a small town called Keatchie, Louisiana, became the fountainhead of what would later become a large, growing holiness movement.  Judge King began to baptize in water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  He had Communion using cooked grape juice – not fermented.  Foot washing was one of the sacraments and this brought about a firm breach between Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church and Christ Holy Sanctified Church.

Arch Bishop Judge King served as senior bishop and president of Christ Holy Sanctified Church for over 35 years, until his death in 1945.

Bishop Ulysses S. King, Sr. (Presided 1946 - 1985)

Theologian & Seminarian; “A Preacher’s Preacher”

After the death of his father, Arch Bishop Judge King, Elder U.S. King was called from his seminary studies and consecrated as bishop in 1946, during the 37th National Convocation of the Christ Holy Sanctified Church in Beaumont, Texas by Elder Ted Sanders, D.D., a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Taking the reins of the organization, Bishop U.S. King served as national president and senior bishop for nearly 40 years (until his death in 1985), longer than any other (senior) presiding bishop of Christ Holy Sanctified Church.  Being the son of the founders, Bishop King was the only person who was bestowed the title and position of Senior Bishop “for life.”

As a writer, author, singer, master musician (Bishop King played the banjo, piano, and organ), orator, historian, and the “preacher’s preacher,” Bishop King brought notoriety and excellence to the Christ Holy Sanctified Church, as he led the church through some of its most difficult times.  His fellowship and friendship with several prominent leaders of other Pentecostal movements, such as Bishop E.F. Morris, Bishop Robert L. Searcie, Bishop S.M. Crouch, Bishop E.E. Cleveland, Sr., and Bishop E.R. Driver, made him the consummate statesman.  Although hundreds of thousands wanted to leave other organizations to come under the leadership of Bishop King, he did not believe in enlarging the Christ Holy Sanctified Church by taking in others from those leaders with whom he knew and had fellowship with.  He would always say, “I’d rather have your friendship and fellowship than your membership.”

Bishop King and his wife, Tryphosa, were personally responsible for bringing in over 100 churches from Nigeria and Lagos, West Africa into Christ Holy Sanctified Church.  Missionary work was their passion; they loved the African Saints as they ministered to tens of thousands each worship service during their many missionary journeys overseas.

As a theologian and seminarian, many of Bishop King’s writings and memoirs can be found at the Theological Union Center for Urban Black Studies located Berkeley, California.

Bishop Elmer L. Mc Bride (Presided 1985 - 1991)

Builder of Churches; “Innovator"

As superintendent (presiding elder) of District No. 1 of the State of Texas, Superintendent Mc Bride had the largest district within Christ Holy Sanctified Church.  Being a faithful member and follower since the early 1950’s, E.L. Mc Bride was elected First Vice President of the organization in 1975 and was subsequently appointed as Overseer of the State of Texas.

After the illness of Bishop U.S. King in 1985, then First Vice President and “interim” Presiding Bishop, E.L. McBride, was confirmed as only the third president and presiding bishop in the 75-year history of Christ Holy Sanctified Church.  Despite predictions from some outsiders that the organization would split, Bishop E.L. McBride proved that Christ Holy Sanctified Church was a “family,” and the family would stay together.

Numerous administrative innovations came under Bishop Mc Bride’s leadership.  He built a Bible and Christian school, grades K – 8.  During his tenure, the Board of Presbytery (Board One) expanded to its highest number of fifteen.    In addition to Bishop Mc Bride’s experience in the Christ Holy Sanctified Church, in 1985, he was also elected as the vice president of the Federated Pentecostal Churches, International.

Bishop James Earl Williams, Sr. (Presided 1991 - 1998)

Administrator & Planner; “Mountain Mover”

Taking the leadership of the church in 1991, Bishop J.E. Williams became one of the youngest presiding bishops of Christ Holy Sanctified Church at the age of 47.  Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Bishop Williams started preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the age of 15 and became one of the up and coming leaders in Christ Holy Sanctified Church.

Upon moving to California, he married the love of his life, Alice King, the oldest daughter of Bishop U.S. and Tryphosa King.  Later, this young couple and their children moved to Sacramento, California and pioneered missions and churches, winning hundreds of souls for the Lord.

Ascending to the rank of superintendent, Bishop Williams became a member of the Board of Presbytery (Board One) of Christ Holy Sanctified Church, becoming one of its youngest members.  Through the years, he would become Overseer of the Western Diocese, Third Vice President, and in 1991, he was elected the presiding bishop and president, immediately going  to work as the Chief Apostle of Christ Holy Sanctified Church. 

Under his administration, Bishop Williams established policy and guidelines, as well as training for all churches to come into compliance with local and federal laws governing religious organizations.  Bishop Williams established stewardship accountability and responsibility among the leadership ranks, and more bishops were consummated under his administration than in any other.  As a result of Bishop Williams’ charisma and love of Christ, many pastors who had no denominational tie joined in with Christ Holy Sanctified Church.

Bishop Billy R. Brown (Presided 1998 - 2005)

National Convention Host Pastor

Succeeding to the office of the presiding bishop and president after the passing of Bishop James E. Williams in 1998, Bishop Brown was the host pastor of the national convention in Beaumont, Texas from 1954-1987.  After the national conventions had moved from Beaumont, Texas to Fort Worth, Texas (where the national convention convened for 15 years), Bishop Brown moved the national convention to the city of Houston, where the conventions were held in 2004 & 2005.  Bishop Brown later resigned from the office of presiding bishop and president in December 2005.

Bishop Georgia Evelyn Jones (Presided 2006 - 2008)

Encourager & Gap Stander; “The Mighty Woman of God”

The sudden and unexpected resignation of Bishop B.R. Brown catapulted Bishop G.E. Jones into the office of the presiding bishop and president of Christ Holy Sanctified Church at a tumultuous time in the 95th year of our history.  As the first female superintendent and overseer of the state of Louisiana, Bishop Jones became the first female consecrated as a bishop in the Christ Holy Sanctified church in 2002, ushering in the Episcopal liturgy of ordination and consecration to Christ Holy Sanctified Church.  Bishop Jones was later elected the first female vice president of Christ Holy Sanctified Church in 2004, and confirmed presiding bishop and president in January 2006.  As one who always preferred to “stay in the background,” Bishop Jones enjoyed esteeming and elevating others, especially younger leaders, to positions of prominent recognition and experience.

Bishop Jones was one who loved giving leadership information and providing resources to the Board Members.  Also, she was second to none in her stewardship, as she always gave what was required for her reporting.  She gave compassionately and was always the first partaker in any fundraising rally.  She relished being able to share her revelatory knowledge; she was anointed to preach the Gospel under a powerful conviction leaving the Saints of God spell-bound and rejoicing in the Lord.  Like her mother, the late Evangelist G.E. Smith, Bishop Jones was a soul-winner, establishing churches and rebuilding congregations throughout the State of Louisiana.

Despite challenges to her health, Bishop Jones always said, “Yes,” when it came to doing the will of God.  Whether it was traveling to the various conventions, representing the office of the presiding bishop, or standing as the advocate general for the church in complex legal matters, Bishop Jones stood for what she believed and never backed down from challenges threatening the integrity and authority of the organization and the office of the bishop of Christ Holy Sanctified Church.

Under her leadership, in 2007, the organization ratified its first set of revised Bylaws in nearly 61 years.  Bishop Jones served faithfully and untiringly until her death in 2008.

Bishop R.L. Swain, Sr. is from a family lineage and heritage that is one of the deepest and longest in the Christ Holy Sanctified Church.   His knowledge and understanding of the organization’s history is foremost, as he is one of the few individuals among us today who has been a member of Christ Holy Sanctified Church for 70+ years of the organization’s 100-year existence.  His mother, the late Bertha B. Charles, was a pioneer in Christ Holy Sanctified Church and the president of the Home and Foreign Mission Society (Womens Department) for many years.  Delaying his plans to retire from “active” leadership, Bishop Swain stepped in at a most critical time to lead the church after the passing of Bishop G.E. Jones.

Bishop Swain has had the pleasure of working in and / or directing every key position in the organization’s structure; from being president of the youth department and minister’s alliance of the state of Texas as well as pastor of several churches, superintendent, overseer, vice president to now, presiding bishop and president.

As a highly respected minister in the North Texas area, Bishop Swain is counsel and a liaison to law enforcement, a community leader in city government, and the “dean” of the various ecumenical alliances.

Bishop Swain has a passionate love for literary works and will often merge the writings of famous authors and poets into his sermons.  He is a masterful teacher and an anointed preacher of the Gospel and exemplifies excellence and etiquette in sermon preparation and delivery.  As a Bible scholar, he taught many who ascended to leadership roles within the organization how to read and study the Bible.