TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Bishop Clarence Kelby Heath was elected the 64th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church on June 29, 2022 at the 39th Quadrennial Session and the 40th General Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio. The General Conference appointed him to the Fifth Episcopal District comprising of the states of Alabama and Florida. He was elected while serving as pastor of Carter Metropolitan Christian Methodist Episcopal Church of Fort Worth, Texas.

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Bishop C.K. Heath was born June 16, 1968 in Milledgeville, Georgia to Clarence Melvin and Doris Ragin Heath. He is the oldest of five siblings (Yolanda, Melvina, Melanie, and Melvin) raised in Woodbury of Meriwether County, Georgia. He graduated from Woodbury High School’s “Mighty War Eagles” Class of 1986. He married his college sweetheart, Lakisha Young, of Augusta, Georgia. The two were married at Mother Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church on April 23, 1994. They have two sons: Cornelius Kelby and Caleb David Heath.

Bishop Heath graduated from Augusta University with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Management) and Commissioned Army Officer Senior R.O.T.C. His military service includes Army National Guard and Reserves (11B and 11M). He completed Army Chaplaincy School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He was honorably discharged in 1999 at the rank of First Lieutenant. He earned a Masters of Divinity (Theology) and Master of Arts in Christian Education at Phillips School of Theology at the Interdenominational Theological Center. He continued postgraduate studies in Psychology and Counseling at the University of Sarasota. He earned a Doctorate of Theology at the International Theological Seminary (Dissertation: Christian Leadership: An Introduction and Emphasis on Guardianship as a Practical Role in Church). He is a graduate of Leadership Fort Worth Class of 2020, and scheduled to graduate in the Spring of 2023 with a Doctor of Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary (Major Project: A Focus on the Itinerancy in the CME Church).

As Bishop Joseph C. Coles, Jr. prayed for young people at a Georgia Leadership School held on the campus on Paine College, he heard the voice of God and responded to his calling to preach. He was licensed in at Trinity CME Church, pastor Rev. Larry Fryer and Presiding Elder Rev. Gene Dean. He was ordained deacon and elder by Bishop Othal H. Lakey in the Georgia Annual Conference. He was admitted into Full Connection in 1995 at the Georgia Annual Conference. He pastored Jones Tabernacle CME of Macon, Georgia (1994-1996); Bethel CME of Sarasota, Florida (1996-2004); Thirgood Memorial CME of Birmingham Alabama (2004-2008); Central Metropolitan CME of Jacksonville, Florida (2008-2011); Greenwood CME of Memphis, Tennessee (2011-2014); and Carter Metropolitan CME of Fort Worth, Texas (2014-2022).

He considers it a distinguished privilege to serve as the president of Phillips School of Theology Alumni Association. He also served as a school teacher, little league basketball coach, and mentor for the Urban League. He has promoted school partnerships, and developed summer school programs. He also enjoys family, traveling, writing, studying, reading books, personal devotion, physical fitness, movies, and sports.