Bishop Paul A. Stewart, Sr. was elected the 50th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church on July 1, 1998, in the Thirty-Third Quadrennial Session and the Thirty-Forth General Conference meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Bishop Stewart was born June 21, 1941 in Baldwyn, Mississippi, the youngest of six children born to the late Mr. Leroy and Ms. Bessie Agnew Stewart. He was educated in the elementary and secondary schools of Baldwyn. Believing strongly in the value of education, his quest for knowledge led him as follows:

• Bachelor of Science, Mississippi Industrial College, Holy Springs, Mississippi, 1961
• Master of Divinity Degree, Phillips School of Theology of the Interdenominational Theological Center, 1965
• Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi,1975
• Graduate of the United States Military Academy for Chaplains, Staten Island, New York, 1975
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Training for Ministers, Fort Hood, Texas, 1977
• Training courses for ministering to cancer patients, University of Alabama, 1980
• Doctorate of Humane Letters from Miles College, Birmingham, AL, May, 2002.
• Doctorate of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, May 2012 

The Ministry of Bishop Stewart in the C.M.E. Church has been extensive. He has served faithfully as a local pastor of C.M.E. congregations and has been recognized as a gifted counselor, educator, and administrator at institutions across the United States:

• Guntown C.M.E. Church, Mississippi Circuit from 1958-1961
• Miles Memorial C.M.E. Church, Augusta, Georgia, 1961-1962
• Holsey Temple and Mt. Sinai, Rome, Georgia, 1962-1963
• Bethel Crowley C.M.E. Church, Louisiana, 1964-1966
• Dyer Chapel C.M.E. Church, West Monroe, Louisiana, 1966-1967
• Dean of Chapel and Instructor of Religion at Mississippi Industrial College, Holly Springs, Mississippi
• Pastor of Anderson Chapel, 1967-1975.
• Chaplain in the United States Army, with the rank of Captain from 1975-1977 and granted with the Outstanding Achievement Award of Counseling Soldiers who were under stress
• Dean of Students at Miles College, Birmingham, Alabama, 1977-1982 and also pastored Miles Chapel, Reform, Alabama and Porter-St. Paul, Northport, Alabama during that period
• Pastored Russell Memorial, Durham, North Carolina 1982-1988 where more than 300 members were added to the church and five programs funded during his tenure.
• Pastored Phillips Temple, Los Angeles, California, 1988-1998, from which he was elected Bishop. Four funded ministries were added to the Church, a Hispanic Ministry was organized and developed, and the Feeding Ministry was expanded extensively. More than 200 members were added to the church.
• Served as the Presiding Elder of the Los Angeles/San Diego District in 1998.

Throughout his ministry Bishop Stewart has been an active participant in community, ecumenical, civic, social and civil rights affairs. He has worked extensively with the NAACP; served on the NAACP Executive Board of Durham, North Carolina; Former president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Durham, North Carolina and Vicinity; Former President of the Los Angeles Council of Churches for six years; Former Co-Chairperson of the Southern California Organizing Committee of the Industrial Area Foundation; Former member of the Board of Trustees and Chairperson of the Joint Board of Finance of the Southern California Conference of the C.M.E. Church; Former member of the Coordinating Council of Hope in Youth Gang Prevention Program of Los Angeles, California.

Bishop Stewart is married to the former M. Earline Gardner. They are the parents of three children: Gloria Jean Stewart-Wicks, a former elementary education teacher, Greenville, Mississippi School System; Paul Jr., an Engineer for the County of Los Angeles and Shinar LaDonna Stewart-Parnell, a former speech therapist, Dallas, Texas. They are proudly parents-in-law of Mr. Dana Parnell. The Stewarts are grandparents to three precious grandchildren: Kim Wicks, Dylan Parnell, and Noah Parnell.

Upon his election and consecration in 1998 in the Thirty-Third Quadrennial Session and Thirty-Forth General Conference meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, Bishop Stewart was assigned to the Fifth Episcopal District, comprising the states of Alabama and Florida.

In the Thirty-Fourth Quadrennial Session and Thirty-Fifth General Conference of the CME Church in Atlanta, Georgia (June 29 – July 7, 2002), Bishop Stewart was assigned to the Third Episcopal District, comprising eight mid-western states.

At the Thirty-Seventh Quadrennial Session and Thirty-Eighth General Conference of the CME Church in Baltimore, Maryland (June 2014), Bishop Stewart was officially and honorably retired.

In August 2020 through June 30, 2022, Bishop Stewart was assigned to the Ninth Episcopal District after the death of Bishop Bobby R. Best, comprising the states of Alaska. Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington.