Jamal Harrison Bryant
Jamal Harrison Bryant | |
|---|---|
| Church | New Birth Missionary Baptist Church |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 21, 1971 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Gizelle Bryant
(m. 2002; div. 2009) |
| Occupation | Senior Pastor |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) Duke University (MDiv) Graduate Theological Foundation (DMin) |
Jamal Harrison Bryant (born May 21, 1971) is an American minister, author and former political candidate. He is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.
Early life and education
[edit]Jamal Harrison Bryant was born on May 21, 1971, in Boston, Massachusetts, to John Richard and Cecelia Bryant (née Williams). He has a younger sister. He was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where, as a child, he attended his father's church Bethel A.M.E. Church. He preached his first sermon when he was a child at Bethel titled "No Pain, No Gain."[1]
Bryant attended Morehouse College where he earned an undergraduate degree in political science and international studies. He obtained a master's of divinity degree from Duke University. He received a doctorate of ministry degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation. Bryant is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Ministry
[edit]In April 2000, Pastor Jamal Bryant founded the Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and served for 18 years.[2] In December 2018, he became pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia.[3][4]
Politics
[edit]Bryant ostensibly ran for U.S. Congress in 2015, aiming to represent Baltimore, Maryland, as a Democrat.[5] He suspended his campaign less than two weeks after announcing his run.[6]
AME review after divorce
[edit]Officials of the A.M.E. denomination intended, as of February 2008, to enter into discussions regarding Bryant's leadership, following mutual filings for divorce by Bryant, his spouse, Hampton alumna and future Real Housewives of Potomac star Gizelle Bryant.[7] However, they said that Bryant did not face a disciplinary trial because no one came forward with a complaint against him. Church officials said that Bryant "was never charged through the church system with anything."[8] In 2019, the two renewed their relationship and began dating.[9][10]
Controversies
[edit]In 2022, in Rashan Ali's "Cool Soror" podcast, he said he wanted to develop a "new gospel for adults" who are used to having sex and wanted to grow marijuana on the land of the church to attract young people to church.[11] Bishop Patrick Wooden Sr., pastor of the Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, North Carolina, criticized that project, saying that "marijuana is a dangerous drug that leads to depression and suicide, and is a gateway drug, this man is wicked and leading his congregation to be worldly and not righteous."
References
[edit]- ^ Poole, Shelia (November 20, 2018). "9 things to know about New Birth pastor Jamal Bryant, LIFE". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ Mitchell, Marissa (December 8, 2018). "Pastor Jamal Bryant plans to usher in a rebirth of New Birth". Fox 5 Atlanta. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ Leonardo Blair, Jamal Bryant gets rock star welcome at New Birth, offered full support of county gov't, christianpost.com, USA, December 10, 2018
- ^ Greene-Hayes, Ahmad (December 4, 2018). "New Birth and Jamal Bryant: Time for the Black Church To Address Its Culture of Sexism, Misogyny and Homophobia". The Root. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- ^ John Fritze (Sep 14, 2015). "Baltimore pastor Jamal Bryant will run for Congress". baltimoresun.com.
- ^ John Fritze (Sep 22, 2015). "Jamal Bryant to end his House campaign". baltimoresun.com.
- ^ Reddy, Sumathi (February 16, 2008). "Questions, concerns over pastor's divorce". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ Blair, Leonardo (May 12, 2016). "AME Church Says Rev. Jamal Bryant Did Not Face Trial for Affair Because No One Came Forward". The Christian Post.
- ^ Rosenfeld, Laura (September 15, 2019). "Gizelle Bryant Is Back Together with Ex-Husband Jamal Bryant: "I Feel Like He's a Different Person"". The Daily Dish. Retrieved August 28, 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Campione, Katie (July 8, 2021). "RHOP's Gizelle Bryant Says She and Ex-Husband Jamal Are Still 'Best Friends' After Splitting Again". People. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- ^ Leonardo Blair, Pastor Jamal Bryant suggests new ‘gospel for grownups’ who are 'used to getting some' sex, christianpost.com, USA, December 20, 2022