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Leadership
Rev.
Dr. Ronnie Elijah Brailsford has provided 24 years of faithful and
visionary pastoral leadership in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
He is the pastor of Historic Bethel A.M.E. Church of Columbia,
South
Carolina (SC). He was
licensed to preach January 20, 1980 at his home church,
Historic Liberty Hill
A.M.E. Church,
Summerton, SC.
His overall ministerial experience covers twenty-seven years and
includes a campus ministry.
Prior to his present pastorate, he served as pastor of
Amanda
Flipper A.M.E.
Church, Decatur,
Georgia, associate pastor at
Big Bethel
A.M.E. Church,
Atlanta, Ga.,
and pastor of Mt. Carmel A.M.E.
Church, Gray Court, SC.
Presently, he serves on the Board of Directors of Bethel Bishop
Chappelle Memorial Apartments, Inc. housing complex for 200 low income
families (Chairman); Trustee Board of the Sisters of Charity Foundation
of SC (2nd largest foundation in SC); Trustee Board of Allen University;
a member of the
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance; Columbia Urban League Board of
Directors (Former Chairman); Columbia Annual Conference: Board of
Examiners (Chairman) and member of the Finance Committee; Bethel
Learning Centers Board of
Education (Chairman); Renaissance Foundation Board of Directors and USC
Community Advisory Committee to the President.
He is a member of the
A.M.E.
Church's General
Conference Commission (Executive Committee) and Retirement Board
(Secretary). His General
Conference services have included both Credentials and Episcopal
Committees and the General Board.
He served as General Chairperson for the Seventh Episcopal District's
three Pentecost In The New Millennium events that averaged over 14,000
in attendance.
He is a
native of SC, born and raised in
Clarendon
County.
He graduated in 1976 from Scott's Branch High School of
Summerton, SC as Valedictorian. He is a graduate of the University of SC, with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Marketing. His Master of
Divinity degree was earned at the Interdenominational Theological Center
(ITC) in Atlanta, Ga.
During his tenure at ITC, he was a Benjamin E. Mays Fellow, John
Middleton Scholar, etc. His honorary Doctor of Divinity degree was
bestowed by A.M.E. University of Monrovia, Liberia. He did further
studies in the Doctor of Ministry program at I.T. C.
He is a doctoral candidate at United Theological Seminary.
He has
a very rich and varied professional background. In 1999 he was inducted
with Bishop Desmond Tutu, Bishop Vashti McKenzie, Rev. Bernice King and
others into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse
College. He has received
numerous academic, professional and community awards and honors.
A
leadership that is defined by perpetual motion and progress has
continued during his tenure at
Bethel.
His arrival at Bethel A.M.E.
Church at 1528 Sumter Street
on December 6, 1992, marked the beginning of a renaissance in the life
and works of the church.
His initial fourteen plus years has been highlighted by exceptional
spiritual, numerical, and financial asset growth.
Sixty-two (62) new ministries have been established.
More than 1,600 persons have joined the church and over
$5,000,000.00 (five million) in assets have been added to the church.
Under his leadership in 1995, Bethel relocated to 819 Woodrow Street
and acquired an 86,000 square feet facility that sits on five acres of
land. It offers 366 parking
spaces and has all the modern accommodations to serve this present age,
including 107 classrooms and offices, a
Community Computer Center,
The Renaissance Foundation 501(c)3, a Christian Life
Center and Gymnasium on
the campus. A new school,
Bethel Learning Centers, has been founded, established and accredited
since 1995; it is one of only three predominantly African American
elementary schools in the entire state of
South Carolina
that is accredited. The
church's overall annual revenue has grown from $160,000.00 in 1992 to
over $2,000,000.00 annually. There are 52 employed persons. The impact
of ministry in the community has been far-reaching and quite diverse.
For instance, hundreds of households are blessed daily through this
seven day a week ministry and thousands are blessed through the Sunday
morning television and radio broadcasts.
Praise the Lord!
He was
a resident of Atlanta, Ga.
from 1980-1993. His travels
abroad include the Bahamas;
Puerto Plata, Dominion
Republic;
San Juan, Puerto Rico; St.
Thomas, Virgin Islands; Kingston
and
Ocho Rios, Jamaica;
and the countries of Liberia,
Namibia, Swaziland, Melawi,
Lesotho, and South Africa on the continent of Africa.
In 1983, he married Carolyn Elizabeth Irvin. She is an Itinerant Elder
in the A.M.E.C., Minister of Music at Bethel A.M.E.C. and a professional
recording artist. She is the founder and director of the highly regarded
CaBrailSong School of Vocal Arts in
Columbia,
SC.
They have three children: one daughter, Veronica-Carol and two
sons; Ronnie Jr. and David. He
is a very devoted husband, father, pastor, and community leader.
His commitment, dedication, and determination to serve are
undergirded by his faith in God and the fact that he has been called,
anointed and appointed by God to serve this present age.
Commissions
Auxiliaries and Organizations
Elected or Appointed Board Members
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