[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 26, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    IN HONOR OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF BISHOP HARRY L. SEAWRIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 2019

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 133rd 
Elected and Consecrated Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal 
Church, Bishop Harry L. Seawright. Bishop Seawright has spent more than 
37 years in ministry as presiding prelate of Alabama's 9th Episcopal 
District. On June 25, 2019, Bishop Seawright was invested and elevated, 
becoming President of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a 
tremendous and well-deserved honor within the church and the community.
  Bishop Seawright has been preparing for this most recent and elevated 
recognition for most of his life. A fourth-generation A.M.E., Bishop 
Seawright's faith was nurtured from an early age, both at home with his 
family and within his first church, Prodigal A.M.E. in Swansea, South 
Carolina. Alongside his faith, Bishop Seawright ingrained an innate 
work ethic after seeing his mother widowed when he was only five years 
old. Born to a family of sharecroppers and lacking financial resources, 
Bishop Seawright's mother worked tirelessly to care for her seven young 
children. Like his mother's, Bishop Seawright's relentless work ethic, 
buoyed by his unflappable faith, was and still is, the driving force 
behind his many accomplishments.
  Having witnessed first-hand the challenges that his mother faced in 
attempting to provide for seven children with only a ninth grade 
education, Bishop Seawright took his mother's insistence on education 
to heart, remaining in South Carolina to earn his Bachelor's Degree in 
Business Administration from Benedict College. He then continued on, 
earning his Master of Divinity from Howard University School of 
Divinity in Washington, D.C. Bishop Seawright remains interested and 
invested in many businesses in addition to his work within the church.
  It was not just education that Bishop Seawright's mother emphasized 
as a crucial guiding force for future success. Bishop Seawright's 
mother instilled in her son a deep and unwavering faith, which he, in 
turn, saw mirrored within her, even during the family's darkest 
struggles. ``My mother was a praying woman,'' Bishop Seawright said. 
``She had a lot of faith and courage.'' That faith and courage remained 
evident over the course of many moves, many job changes and many days 
of wondering if and how she would be able to feed her children. 
Nevertheless, Bishop Seawright's mother never gave up her faith in 
God's will, nor did her son.
  In 1976, Bishop Seawright accepted his call to ministry, and in 1977 
was admitted to the South Carolina Central Annual Conference, by the 
late Bishop Frank M. Reid, II. He was later ordained as an Itinerant 
Deacon in the Washington Annual Conference in 1979 by the late Bishop 
Henry W. Murph and as an Itinerant Elder in 1981 by Bishop John Hurst 
Adams.
  In 1978, Bishop Seawright served as Interim Pastor of St. Stephen 
A.M.E. Church in St. Matthews, S.C., as well as staff minister at Reid 
Temple A.M.E. Church in Washington, D.C. In 1981 he received his first 
pastoral appointment, to Payne Memorial A.M.E. Church in Jessup, MD, 
where he served until 1983. Between 1983 and 1986, Bishop Seawright 
served as pastor of Hemingway Temple A.M.E. Church in Jessup, MD, 
before being assigned to Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal 
Church in Brandywine, MD.
  Bishop Seawright served Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal 
Church for thirty years, longer than anyone else in the church's 
history. During his tenure, he led the church in a $1.6 million 
construction project, building a gorgeous sanctuary that will serve as 
a reminder of his commitment to his faith and to Union Bethel for many 
generations to come.
  Early in his ministerial journey, Bishop Seawright met his future 
wife, Sherita Moon Seawright. He was still a sophomore in college when 
they met, unaware that she would soon be his wife, partner, inspiration 
and support. The two married in 1982, and have been blessed with two 
beautiful children, Shari Nicole and Harry Matthew.
  After 30 years of service, in 2016 Bishop Seawright left Union Bethel 
and prepared to transplant his life and family to Alabama, having 
accepted an appointment in Alabama's 9th Episcopal District. Moving to 
Birmingham, AL provided Bishop Seawright fresh opportunity to focus on 
engaging and mentoring other pastors throughout the region. Further, 
Bishop Seawright took advantage of the opportunity to develop several 
new programs, including the Life Center at Daniel Payne Plaza.
  The Daniel Payne Plaza is an invaluable community resource, providing 
struggling community members with the opportunity to earn a GED and 
gain certifications in a multitude of vocational areas, including food 
preparation and construction. The program's goal is to transform how 
the 9th district serves not only the church, but the community. Thanks 
to the challenges he faced throughout his childhood, and the resilience 
he witnessed within his mother, Bishop Seawright is uniquely positioned 
to understand the value of quality education, and as such, is 
determined to provide educational opportunities to all those he serves.
  Bishop Seawright's 37 years of tireless service have earned him a 
rightfully exalted position within the community. His most recent 
appointment, to President of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 
further solidifies his impressive and well-deserved reputation as a 
leader, mentor and spiritual guide. He has given more than can ever be 
repaid, and both the church and community owe him a tremendous debt of 
gratitude. On a personal note, I want to thank Bishop Seawright for his 
continued support and encouragement of my home church, the Historic 
Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, AL.
  On behalf of the 7th Congressional District, the State of Alabama and 
this nation, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the many 
accomplishments of Bishop Harry L. Seawright. We pay tribute to his 
distinguished career for the betterment of the State of Alabama and 
extend deep appreciation for his exemplary service as the Presiding 
Prelate of the 9th Episcopal District.

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