Reverend Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr.
"A Shepherd's Heart and a Pastor's Spirit"

"And I will give you shepherds after my heart, who will guide you with the knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15

The Reverend Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr., was born and raised in Darlington, South Carolina. He is a son of the Reverend Joseph and the late Mrs. Gladys Marks McAllister. He comes from a family of preachers: five brothers, two sisters, four brothers-in-law, two nephews, and his son Julius Jr.
Rev. McAllister received his undergraduate education at Essex Junior College in Newark, New Jersey, and at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, his seminary education at Turner Theological Seminary (ITC) Atlanta, Georgia. In 1991, he was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree.
Rev. McAllister was licensed to preach in 1972 at Allen Chapel AME Church in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1973, he was admitted to the Kansas-Nebraska Annual Conference (Fifth Episcopal District) by Bishop Harrison J. Bryant. In April 1976, he was ordained an Itinerant Deacon in the New Jersey Annual Conference (First Episcopal District) by Bishop Ernest L. Hickman. Two years later, he was ordained an Itinerant Elder in the North Atlanta Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, (Sixth Episcopal District) by Bishop Harold I. Bearden.

Pastor McAllister began his pastoral ministry as an associate minister at Allen Chapel AME Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Later he became an associate minister at Israel Memorial AME Church in Newark, New Jersey. Still later, he served as an associate minister at Turner Chapel AME Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He has served as pastor of Trinity AME Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and at Bethel AME Church in Anderson, South Carolina. Since 1984, he has served as pastor of Mount Zion AME Church in Florence, South Carolina.

Rev. McAllister is actively involved in the affairs of his denomination. He serves as chairman of the Northeast South Carolina Annual Conference Board of Examiners, Dean of the Conference Ministerial Training, Conference Trustee, and member of the Finance Committee. He also has served as a trustee of Allen University. On the connectional level, he has served on the Annual Conference Boundaries Committee (1996). He has been elected a delegate to the General Conference since 1984.

Pastor McAllister's community/civic involvement, both past and present, includes the following: Mayor's Advisory Board, People for People Advisory Board, Governor's Task Force on Hunger, Second Vice President of the local branch of the NAACP, Vice President and one of the organizers of the Manna House, the Ministerial Alliance, and the Education Advisory Committee.
Rev. McAllister has received many special recognitions, awards, honors, etc. His most coveted award came in 1990 when Turner Theological Seminary (ITC) in Atlanta, Georgia, recognized him as Alumnus of the Year.

Rev. McAllister is married to Mrs. Joan Marla Bulle McAllister, formerly of Elizabeth, New Jersey (Mount Teman AME Church). They have three children: Rev. Dr. Julius H. McAllister, Jr., (his wife, Deana Young McAllister) the pastor of Greater Institutional AME Church in Chicago, Illinois; Juanita Michelle Caldwell (her husband, Francoise Caldwell), middle school guidance counselor, and Jocelyn Marla McAllister, graduate student and assistant director of a  child development center. They also have five grandchildren: Julius Harrison McAllister III, BreAnna Michelle Caldwell, Colin McKinley Young McAllister, Jaelan Harrison Caldwell, and Dylan David Jeremiah McAllister.