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Bishop Elijah Williams was born in Maple Hill, North Carolina to the late Charlie and Martha P. Williams. He has five sisters. He is a graduate of the Pender County Public Schools. In 1961, he graduated from the United Christian College, Goldsboro, NC with a Bachelor of Theology degree. In 1969, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Fayetteville State University. He studied at North Carolina A & T University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Additional study culminated with a Master of Theological Studies degree from Duke University Divinity School in 1991.
Bishop Williams is the former pastor of Antioch Holy Church, Rocky Point, NC 1961 - 1963 and Holy Trinity United Holy Church, Siler City, NC 1962 - 1981. He was the pastor of Jerusalem United Holy Church in Reidsville, NC from August 1981until July, 2008.
Bishop Williams has served the United Holy Church in all capacities. Positions held on the District Convocation level include Union officer, district elder, Board of presbytery and dean of the Western North Carolina Division of the United Christian College. He served as president of the Georgia-Florida District 1984 - 1992, second vice president of the Western North Carolina District 1988 - 1992, and served three terms as president of the Western North Carolina District 1992-2004. Bishop Williams served as second vice president of the General Church 1992 - 1996. He served as vice president of General Church 1996 - August 2005. In August 2005 he became the president of The United Holy Church of America. and was elected to his first full term in May 2008.
In addition to his church service, Bishop Williams has been a social studies teacher in both private and public schools. He taught middle school students at Palmer Memorial Institute, Alamance County Public Schools, and Guilford County Public Schools. His teaching career spanned the years August 1969 - December 1981.
Bishop Williams is active in social and civic affairs. He served on the boards of several community organizations. His professional and civic affiliations include organizations such as the Board of Directors of Rockingham Community College Foundation, Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity, the Human Relations Commission of Reidsville, the Board of Directors of the Free Clinic of Reidsville and Vicinity and the Ministerial Alliance of Reidsville and Vicinity. Throughout the years he has received many plaques and letters of recognition. In 2001, Bishop Williams was honored for serving seven years on the Trustee Board of Annie Penn Memorial Hospital where he served as chairman of the Ethics Committee. In September, 2001, the City of Reidsville presented him a Certificate of Recognition for service to the community and church. Beginning January 1, 2005 Prince Street, the street on which Jerusalem United Holy Church is located was renamed Prince Williams Street in honor of Bishop Williams. Overseer Brown and the Noah’s Ark Full Gospel Baptist Church presented him with the “Friends of the Faith Award”, June 2005. In 2008 the Reidsville Branch of the NAACP awarded him the Martin Luther King, Jr. “Man of the Year Award” for outstanding community service. Bishop Williams is a lifetime member of the NAACP.
Personal travel and travel with the United Holy Church of America has taken Bishop Williams across the United States of America, Bermuda, Mexico, the Holy Land, South America, England, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Crete, the Caribbean Islands, and Africa.
Bishop Williams is married to a retired educator, the former Mamie O. Barnes of Baltimore, Maryland. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Dr. Hazel E. Williams a pharmacist, Minister M. Charmaine Kelly (Robert), a speech/language pathologist and one son Elijah Lamont (Sophia), a Professional Engineer. Robert and Charmaine have blessed them with two grandchildren, Danica and Robert Niegel. Lamont and Sophia have blessed them with two grandsons, Joshua Lamont and Caleb Lamont. More important than their offspring’s personal and professional accomplishments, Bishop and Mrs. Williams are most thankful that they are developing into mature Christians who are committed workers for God.
Kenneth Ollin Robinson was born in the city of Newark, N. J. on October 8, 1935, the second child of Robert and Catherine Robinson. At the age of four, the Robinson family moved to Vauxhall, N. J. where Kenneth attended the public school of Vauxhall and graduated from Union High School in 1953. His mother and family and friends desired for him to go to Howard University and eventually Law School.
However, God had other plans for him and at the age of sixteen Kenneth was converted to Christ at the True Holiness Pentecostal church in Vauxhall. He later became a member of Mt. Calvary Holiness Church in Staten Island, N. Y. As a member of Mt. Calvary he met and married Ada Bass. They have been blessed with five children, Vanessa, Sharon, Kenneth Jr., Brenda, and Michael.
At the age of 18, while a member of Mt. Calvary Holiness Church he was called to the gospel ministry. He had a great love for the word of God and was a ardent student of the Bible, taking various correspondent course to increase his understanding of the Word. In 1957, after returning from serving in the U. S. Army, he became a member of the United Holy Church of America, Inc. and enrolled in the Lilia A. Coleman Bible Academy. He completed the regular courses and graduated from the Post-Graduate course.
To raise his family Rev. Robinson worked for the United States Postal Service for almost thirty-three years. He became the first black supervisor in the Postal Service on Staten Island and spent over half of his postal service in management, including sixteen years as Postmaster of Cornwall on the Hudson, N. Y.
Desiring to further his religious studies, Rev. Robinson enrolled O. M. Kelly Bible and Religious Training Institute where he received from the New York School of Theology the degree of Bachelor of Theology. In 1966 he was appointed Pastor of Holy Temple, UHC in Newburg, N. Y.
In 1972 he attended the United Christian College where he received his Master of Theology degree in 1974. He began to teach at the school while continuing his studies until he received his Doctor of Theology Sacred degree in 1976. In the year 2002, after serving for 20 years as Vice President, Bishop Robinson became the President of the United Christian College of Eastern New York.
Rev. Robinson was ordained an Elder in the United Holy Church of America in 1966 and has served as District Elder for eighteen years. He was appointed Pastor of the historic New Covenant Temple, UHC in New York City in 1979 where he has served for 26 years. In 1984 Elder Kenneth O. Robinson was consecrated a Bishop in the United Holy Church of America. As a Bishop he has served as the secretary of the Bishops Council, Bishop of Publications, Bishop and Advisor to General Education Department, and as the Vice President of the Virginia District. In 1996 Bishop Robinson was elected as the second Vice President of the General Church and as the President of the Northern District Convocation. He has traveled extensively throughout the length of the church in nearly every District, both in the continental United States and abroad. He is well known and highly respected throughout the United Holy Church of America.
In August 2005, upon the passing of our General President, Bishop Robinson became Vice President of the United Holy Church of America, Inc.
September 1996 Bishop Ralph Edward Love, Sr., began this now nearly thirteen year journey as Prelate and President of the Southern District Convocation, Goldsboro, North Carolina.
Bishop Love, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina was educated in the Guilford County school system. He matriculated to institutions of higher learning at Guilford Community College, United Christian College and Pitt Community College.
He has been blessed with 4 children and 5 grandchildren. He is presently married to the very beautiful, Frieda Beamer Love.
A longtime resident of Greenville, North Carolina, Bishop Love is considered a defined pillar of the community. He serves not only the city of Greenville but the entire county of Pitt in an honored, faithful and fruitful manner. His most recognizable contributions includes continued service as the thirty year pastor of Holy Trinity United Holy Church of America in Greenville, member of the Pitt County School Board, and member of the Pitt County Black Ministers Conference to name a few.
It is no surprise with his accomplishments that we also recognize the unique strengths and talents Bishop Love has been blessed with as the leader of the Southern District Convocation. We are grateful that Bishop Love yielded himself as an instrument and God so blessed him to serve as our leader.
Because of this, congregants of this great District echo “Oh, Lord how great are Thy works!!” When the torch was passed to him in 1996, the flame was flickering low. Not because of the people, but because of state of the District he inherited.
The man of faith and conviction that so defines Bishop Love, with unwavering faith and Heavenly zeal, took on the challenge of rebuilding and redefining what we today know this District to be. He built a new administration and in partnership with them leads with the substance that has not been visible since the Fisher/Branch years.
His leadership has revamped the morale of the body of Christ under the Southern District banner. This is evidenced as Convocation attendance increases year after year.
Bishop Love’s fruit of labor testifies of a concordat Bishop of the reunification of the General United Holy Church of America, churches were built and founded, fallow ground was broken, a Mid-Year Conference for the Southern District was instituted and a building fund that had previously been a project without a reachable goal became a viable venture.
Under the leadership of the torch blazer Bishop Love, we realize the product of faith, vision and determined work of a people. Today, the Southern District Headquarters calls the 3.5 million dollar edifice known as Love Temple located at 201 North Oak Forest Road, Goldsboro home.
