Bishop Lawrence Reddick, the 51st bishop elected in the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, has been presiding bishop of the Eighth Episcopal District since July 2014.

Born June 20, 1952, in Huntsville, Alabama, he is one of seven children of the late Reverend and Mrs. L. L. Reddick, Jr.

He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University of Delaware, Ohio (Bachelor of Arts degree) and Duke Divinity School of Durham, North Carolina (Master of Divinity Degree). He was conferred honorary doctoral degrees from United Theological Seminary and Bible College of Monroe, Louisiana, and Texas College, Tyler, Texas

His journey into ordained ministry began in 1966 in Athens, Alabama (Frazier Chapel CME Church), when he was licensed to preach by the Reverend R. E. Brooks. He was ordained deacon in 1968 and ordained elder in 1969 by Bishop E. P. Murchison, and admitted into full connection in 1972 by Bishop C. A. Kirkendoll.

His ministerial appointments prior to being elected bishop included being pastor in Alabama, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, and Mississippi. He also assisted as youth minister in Ohio.

He was elected editor of The CHRISTIAN INDEX, the Official Publication of the CME Church, in 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994. When elected bishop in 1998, he was simultaneously serving as editor of THE CHRISTIAN INDEX and presiding elder of the Aberdeen-Tupelo District in the North-East Mississippi Annual Conference.

Upon election as bishop in 1998, he was assigned as bishop of the Tenth District (including the work in Jamaica, Haiti, Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria). After service in the Tenth Episcopal District, Bishop Reddick was assigned in 2002 and 2006 as bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District (which includes the denomination’s work in Alabama and Florida). In 2010 he was assigned to the First Episcopal District, comprising Arkansas, Tennessee and Jamaica. In 2014, he was assigned to the Eighth Episcopal District, comprising Texas (except El Paso) and Jamaica.

He became Senior Bishop (the longest serving active bishop and CEO) in 2014. He is chair of the Texas College Trustee Board, and was chair of the Committee to Develop a New CME Hymnal and the Compilation Committee for THE BOOK of DISCIPLINE 2014. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Bread for the World.

He is married to Mrs. Wynde Jones Reddick, is the father of five children (Jon, Janice, Iris, Rose, and Samuel), and is the grandfather of eight (Sean, Nylah, Lailah, Gabriel, Benjamin, Anthony, Anyah, Judah).