A native of Washington, North Carolina and the son of the late Mr. Charlie LeRoy Jackson Woolard and Mrs. Rebecca Woolard.

Bishop Woolard holds to his credit a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Moody’s Seminary, Chicago, Illinois; and an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity Hall Seminary, Springfield, Massachusetts.

Bishop Woolard is second generation of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He has been in ministry for 55 years. He was groomed to be a Christian gentleman and servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ under the late Bishop Wyoming Wells, Bishop Archie D. Headen, and Bishop Leo B. Davenport. As a young evangelist, he traveled throughout these United States preaching, singing, and playing his guitar. Because of the anointing, which rests upon his life, he operates in the five-fold ministry, and countless souls have been healed, delivered, and set free.

He is the former Pastor of Pentecostal Temple Church of God In Christ, located in Plymouth, North Carolina, where he served for 32 years. During his tenure there, God blessed him to construct a new edifice, which is complete with a fellowship hall and several classrooms for ministry. He currently serves as Senior Pastor of Davenport Temple Church of God In Christ (19 years), located in Washington, North Carolina and Greater Harvest Fellowship Church of God In Christ (41 years), located in St. John, North Carolina.

Bishop Woolard is the Founder and President of the You’re Not Alone Ministries, a local ministry, which was launched over 45 years ago and includes, but is not limited to a Weekly Television Broadcast; Radio Ministry; Feeding and Clothing Ministry; Prison Ministry; Youth and Children’s Church Ministry; Day Care Ministry; Sick and Shut-In Ministry; Senior Assistance Outreach Ministry; and Video-Audio Ministry.

He has authored and published, “Let the Church be the Church” and “The Seven Dispensations.”

In August 1991, Bishop Woolard was consecrated to the Office of Jurisdictional Prelate of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Greater North Carolina by the late Presiding Bishop Louis H. Ford and General Board Members of the Church of God In Christ, Inc., and is overseer of over 107 pastors and churches throughout the State of North Carolina.

Immediately following his appointment, Bishop Woolard embraced a vision and established the Church of God In Christ Academy of Greater North Carolina. The academy operates with a staff of qualified educators who teach and train individuals about the various aspects of ministry as well as the history of the Church of God In Christ and its great leaders. To date, the Academy has graduated 442 successful students.

Bishop Woolard also embraced a God-given vision to build a new State Temple Headquarters for the people of Greater North Carolina Jurisdiction. With prayer and God’s favor, in three years’ time, the Jurisdiction acquired 48.58 acres of land in Wendell, North Carolina, which is located about 15 minutes from the Capital City of Raleigh, North Carolina. In less than 11 months, this land was paid in full. Under this visionary, the building fund efforts continued to excel, and in July 2003, a $3 million plus state-of-the art edifice was successfully completed with a fellowship hall, administrative offices and classrooms. The late Presiding Bishop G. E. Patterson of Memphis, Tennessee officiated the dedication of this grand facility.

Personally, Bishop Woolard was married to the lovely Lady Dorothy L. Crooks Woolard for 55 years until her passing away to be with the Lord in 2011. From their union, they were blessed to have one daughter, Missionary Saundra W. Cooper, who serves with her parents in the ministry, a son-in-law, Elder Linwood A. Cooper, Jr., and a grandson, Elder Kenneth B. Jefferson, Jr., who now pastors Greater Harvest Fellowship Church of God in Christ and he also support the ministry endeavors of Bishop Woolard. In addition, Bishop Woolard is a spiritual father to countless individuals throughout the United States. On May 4, 2013, love was found again when Bishop LeRoy Jackson Woolard and Evangelist Sheila Adell were joined together in holy matrimony.

Since 1991, Bishop Woolard’s motto has been and remains, “Success for My Life, is my Obedience to God, and my Destiny on Tomorrow, depends on my Obedience to God Today.”

Greater North Carolina Jurisdiction Church of God In Christ

Mother Harrizene Hedgebeth Keyes was born to the union of the late Deacon Harry L. Hedgebeth, Sr. and the late Evangelist Missionary Inez D. Hedgebeth in Plymouth, NC. She attended and graduated from the public schools of Washington County. She furthered her education at Beaufort Community College in Washington, NC, graduating with a concentration in business and office administration. In addition, she attended East Carolina University focusing her studies further in Business Education.

She began her professional career at Beaufort Community College, East Carolina University, and East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine. During her tenure at ECU, she held key administrative positions and served on several university committees. The latter years of her employment included serving as Executive Assistant to the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, who was also the Director of the East Carolina Heart Institute as well as a world-renown cardiothoracic surgeon. In addition, for 13 years, she supervised the administrative support staff in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. Although she enjoyed her position, which afforded her invaluable knowledge and friendships with top corporate and world-renown medical professionals from all around the world, in November 2008, the Lord impressed upon her heart to retire. Not knowing God’s plan, in obedience, she retired February 2009, after 32 years of service with the State of North Carolina.

She is second generation Church of God In Christ and has been a member of this church since an infant. She accepted Jesus Christ into her life as a little girl, and received the baptism in the Holy Ghost at age 10. She was nurtured and trained in the way of holiness by her late mother at the “Sanctified” Church of God In Christ in Plymouth, NC, which is now Pentecostal Temple Church of God In Christ. She is a product of the Sunshine Band, Sunday School, Y.P.W.W., and Youth Department. She was always actively involved in the church serving on the Choir, Junior Ushers’ Board, Kitchen Committee, Missionaries’ Circle, and President of the Junior Missionaries’ Alliance.

At the age of 17, she acknowledged and accepted her call from God to become a Missionary. She was mentored by Bishop LeRoy Jackson Woolard, who has been her Pastor for 46 years. She is very appreciative of him for taking the time to pray with her, after school each day, asking God to anoint her and bless her life. At the age of 18, she was licensed as a Missionary in the Church of God In Christ under the late State Supervisor, Mother Estelle McEwen.

In 1998, she transferred her membership from Pentecostal Temple to Davenport Temple Church of God In Christ in Washington, NC, where she serves as a Sunday School Teacher for the Young Adult Women’s Class; Member of the Missionaries Circle; Member of the Program and Planning Committees for Annual Women’s Day and Annual Women’s Conferences, and President of the Outreach Street Ministry. In addition, for the past 15 years, she teaches weekly Bible Study at an apartment complex in Greenville, NC for individuals 55 and up. She also hosted a weekly radio outreach ministry broadcast on JOY 1340 AM.

In 1996, by divine providence, she was selected to be the District Missionary of the Edenton District. Under her supervision, she reorganized the Women’s Department and, with God’s favor, the work excelled and resulted in the Edenton District Women’s Department receiving numerous awards and special recognition from the Greater North Carolina Jurisdiction Department of Women. She served in this position until February 2013.

In the Jurisdiction, she was appointed by Mother Mary L. Greene (Supervisor Emeritus) to serve as a Member of the Executive Board; Secretary, Licensing Examining Board; Member of Finance Committee, Steering Committee for the Jurisdictional Women’s Convention, Program Committee, and Planning Committee in the Department of Women.

In addition, for the past 21 years, she has served as Executive Assistant to the Jurisdictional Bishop and serves on several administrative committees. She also worked under the supervision of Administrative Assistant Tommie Murphy, representing Greater North Carolina by leading the Registration efforts for the National 2010 AIM Convention, which resulted in her being asked to work with the National Registration Department.

On December 1, 2012, by divine providence again, she was anointed and appointed by Bishop LeRoy Jackson Woolard to serve as Jurisdictional Supervisor Pro Tem of the Department of Women for Greater North Carolina. On March 16, 2013, she was confirmed and appointed permanently to this position by Bishop LeRoy Jackson Woolard. To complete the national credentialing process, on April 9, 2013, in Memphis, Tennessee, she appeared before the National Licensing Examining Board for the Department of Women for written and oral testing, of which she successfully completed. She was approved by Mother Willie Mae Rivers, General Supervisor, for the Department of Women of the Church of God In Christ and has received her certificate of appointment to serve as Jurisdictional Supervisor of Greater North Carolina. Her official installation ceremony will be held during the 2013 International Holy Convocation in St. Louis, MO.

She is grateful for every accomplishment, but her most treasured gifts are her family. She cherishes her husband, Deacon Donnie Keyes, and they have been married nearly 35 years. To their union, they were blessed with one son, Ryan Blake Keyes, who is n ordained Elder in the Church Of God In Christ, along with his precious wife, Lady Jennifer Keyes. Although being a wife and mother has been rewarding, nothing compares to being Grandma, a.k.a. “Mimi!” to her grandson, Langston Blake Keyes. She is most appreciative of God for her entire family because they have always believed in her and provided support of her professional and ministry endeavors.

On the morning of her retirement, God spoke to her and said, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil to give you an expected end.”(Jeremiah 29:11).

She gives God all of the glory, honor, and praise for the amazing things He is doing in her life, and she lives by the principle, “God First!”

E.C. Cannon Memorial District Superintendent

Bishop Tommie Allen Murphy was born and reared in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is the seventh of nine children born to Mr. James H. & Mrs. Mary A. Murphy. He was educated in the Public Schools of Ashville, NC. Superintendent Murphy was saved at the age of 18 and joined Garden of Prayer Church Of God In Christ under the leadership of Superintendent C.W. Johnson, Sr. It was there that he received the call to the Gospel Ministry at the age of 20.

Bishop Murphy graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in Business and a concentration in Finance. He retired from his secular assignment after twenty seven years as Senior Vice President of Wachovia Bank Treasury Services Operations. He presently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife of over 40 years, Lady Doris D. Murphy. They have two beautiful daughters; Trevira Nicole and Ericka Lanae Murphy.

Bishop Murphy serves as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Church of God in Christ, the Superintendent of the E.C. Cannon Memorial District and as the Second Executive Assistant and Chief Financial Officer to Bishop LeRoy Jackson Woolard of the Greater NC Jurisdiction. He serves on the Finance Committee for the Board of Bishops for the Churches of God in Christ, Incorporated. Bishop Murphy is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for All Saints Bible College, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee and serves as a member on the General Assembly Sub-Committee for Remunerations for the Churches of God in Christ , Incorporated under the committee leadership of Dr. Clarence Cranford. he has served as Vice-Chairman and Comptroller for the International Council of Pastors and Elders for the Church of God in Christ, Inc. under the leadership of Chairman Michael Eaddy.

Bishop Murphy is known for his uncompromising preaching and teaching messages which transcends all cultural as well as denominational barriers. Many souls have been saved, healed and delivered by Pastor Murphy’s unique and insightful delivery of the word of God. He is full of wisdom and God has truly gifted him with the ability to teach and reach all people. He is an example to all who meet him of the love of God. His goal in life is to reach the lost and to equip and empower the saints for effective ministry.