Anniston District - C.M.E. Church

Rev. Wallace Edward Lockett is the former senior pastor of Metropolitan Christian Methodist Episcopal Church of Houston, Texas where he served for 25 years.  During his tenure more than 45 ministries were developed, including a charter middle school for males. Rev. Lockett serves as President and CEO of Metropolitan Community Development Corporation (MCDC), a 501(c) (3) not for profit Corporation. A pioneer in Houston’s economic development community-based corporation, he previously presided over the Board of Directors of a successful community-based development corporation, Sunnyside-Up, Incorporated, specializing in substantial rehabilitation of both single and multi-family housing. Under his leadership, the organization managed an inventory of more than one hundred homes in the organizations signature “lease-purchase program.” Additionally, over 600 units of multi-family housing were purchased, rehabilitated and joint managed.

Rev. Lockett is the former president and principal shareholder of Century Forest Industries, a railroad crosstie treating plant, located in Lufkin, Texas. Under his leadership, this for profit venture grew from $500,000 annual revenue to more than $6 million per year in less than five years. Rev. Lockett is the first African-American to compete as a manufacturer in the crosstie industry.

While actively involved in church, community, and for profit enterprises, Rev. Lockett also finds time for civic and political involvement. He serves on the Texas College Board of Trustees, (Tyler, Texas). He has served as a member of the Ministers Advisory Council to each mayor of Houston since 1985. Past positions held include President of the Texas State Legal Services Support Center (Austin, Texas), Board Member of the Deep East Texas Council of Government (DETCOG), and President of the Lufkin Branch of the NAACP, Lufkin, Texas.

Rev. Lockett also served his country honorably as a member of the United States Air Force working as a team member with the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System.

For the past four years, Rev. Lockett and his business partner Dr. Gideon Adjei (a native Ghanaian); have been involved in developing Crystal Horizon Investment (Ghana) Ltd. This project supports the development and security of 35,000 acres of land for farming, affordable housing, health care facilities, and schools in the Volta River area known as Ocosenbou of West Africa.

Rev. Lockett led Metropolitan CME Church in directing the construction of a 49,000 square foot building on 16.49 acres of land valued at 7.52 million dollars, which allows the church to move forward in actualizing his vision of “Restoration”.

Rev. Lockett is a graduate of Richard J. Murray High School in St. Augustine, Florida. He attended Florida A&M University, Ohio State University and holds a Masters Degree in Business Management (MBA) and International Marketing from the University of Phoenix. He is a candidate for Master of Theological Studies at Trinity Theological Seminary.

Wallace Edward Lockett is married to Lillie B. and is the father of three children, Dwayne Demetrius, Vernon Dale and Nicole Tonita. He is the proud grandfather of five grandchildren. 

Bishop W. E. Lockett was elected the 57th bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church at the thirty-six quadrennial session and the thirty-seventh General Conference in Mobile, Alabama on June 26-July 4, 2010.