Welcome Bishop Kirkland
Pastor Carey G. and 1st Lady Phyllis Anderson along and the entire FAME family would like to welcome, Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Sr. and Episcopal Supervisor Mrs. Mary L. Kirkland to the Pacific Northwest Conference.
Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Sr. was elected and consecrated the 114th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1996 in Louisville, Kentucky. His first assignment was to the Seventeenth Episcopal District encompassing the countries of Zaire, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi and Zimbabwe. After four years of international service, the General Conference of 2000 assigned Bishop Kirkland to serve as the Ecumenical Officer for the Denomination. In 2001, he served as the President of the Council of Bishops and in 2002, was assigned to serve the Ninth Episcopal District. This gave him the distinct pleasure of holding two offices simultaneously. He was reassigned to the “Notable Anointed Ninth” District in 2004 and has since provided stellar spiritual leadership to the state of Alabama. He is credited with providing the District with community outreach programs that include computer literacy training and health services for the needy at a state-of-the-art medical facility, located on the campus of Daniel Payne/Nichols-Thomas-Grady School of Religion.
Prior to being elevated to the Episcopacy, Bishop Kirkland was the first pastor of Brookins Community AME Church-a mission to mega-church located in Los Angeles, California. Arriving in Los Angeles in 1977 with a reputation for being a great revivalist from the south; many ministers dubbed him “A Down Home Preacher” as an insult to his southern roots and worship style. By being keenly aware of the power of the word of God and the southern lineage of most Angelinos; the Bishop took the insult as a challenge, began to distinguish himself as a pastor and grew the mission church of twelve borrowed members, to a congregation of more than eight thousand. His twenty year tenure at Brookins helped establish a strong spiritual and social presence in the Los Angeles community and the entire West Coast. He was, and is now, affectionately known as “The Down Home Preacher with the Uptown Message.” Bishop Kirkland’s education at Alcorn State University, the University of Mississippi, the Claremont School of Theology and the California School of Theology, along with his experiences as educator and coach, prepared him for the rigors and challenges of building and maintaining a prominent ministry.
Bishop Kirkland’s ministry of over 40 years has placed him in the company of presidents, politicians, celebrity personalities and other dignitaries. He has been featured in Ebony and Jet and continues to be actively involved with local and state politics in the district he serves. He was seen by the world via C-Spann and CNN welcoming Senator Barack Obama to the Ninth District’s Observance of Bloody Sunday, in Selma, AL. He is the author of several books on church growth and continues to be consulted by both Christian and civic organizations. His preaching, evangelism and ability to develop strong relationships across denominational and cultural lines, have garnered him respect and standing invitations with some of the nation’s greatest ministries. Bishop Kirkland is married to Mrs. Mary L. Simon-Kirkland and is the proud father of three adult children and the grandfather of one.
Born to the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Simon, Mary Kirkland was raised in the State of Mississippi. She
received her primary education in the public schools of Jefferson County and received her Bachelors Degree in Education from Jackson State University. Her additional educational study was at Delta State University, California State University at Dominguez Hills and Pepperdine University. Her career in education has spanned more than 30 years.
Mrs. Kirkland is the spouse to Bishop Larry T. Kirkland, the ll4th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She has served the AMEC at all levels, particularly the Women’s Missionary Society. Furthermore, she has served as a member of the New Members Institute where she taught new members what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. She is extremely proud of the development and organization of the WMS at Brookins Community AMEC in Los Angeles, CA. There the Society grew from a membership of zero to become a viable part of the Fifth Episcopal District. Her most rewarding and challenging endeavor was inspiring young women under the age of forty to use their talents and gifts for the uplifting and building of the Kingdom of God.
Under former California Governor, Gray Davis, Mrs. Kirkland was appointed to the state Commission on Education. Whether in Mississippi, Louisiana, California, Central Africa or Alabama, Bishop and Mrs. Kirkland have been a powerful team in spreading the gospel.
Mrs. Kirkland is a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend.