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Presiding Elder
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The Reverend Dr. Willie C. Champion, General
Secretary of Evangelism and Mission of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church,
is the presiding elder of the Dallas District (Dallas/Fort Worth Conference,
Eighth Episcopal District). Dr. Champion is a native of Greenville Texas
and a graduate of Carver High School in Greenville. He completed degree
courses at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas (Psychiatric Nurse Technician);
East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas (Bachelor of Science); and Perkins
School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas (Master
of Theology and Doctor of Ministry).
Dr. Champion was licensed to preach
in 1976 in Greenville, Texas (Carter Temple C.M.E. Church) by the late Rev.
N.B. Stewart. He was ordained Deacon in 1977, Elder in 1978 and admitted
into Full Connection in the Central Texas Conference in 1980 by Bishop C.D.
Coleman.
His iternerant ministries have included Pastor of Friendship C.M.E. Church (Kemp, Texas) and Big Rock C.M.E. Church (Eustace, Texas) from 1976 - 1978; St. Mark C.M.E. Church (Wills Point, Texas) from 1978 - 1984; Northpark C.M.E. Church (Dallas, Texas) 1984 - 1991 and Presiding Elder of the Dallas District in the Dallas/Fort Worth Annual Conference from 1991 to present.
Dr. Champion's conference responsibilities have included delegate to four consecutive General Conferences (1986, 1990, 1994, 1998), member of the General Connectional Board (1984 - 1998), secretary of Presiding Elder's Council (1992 - 1998), representative for C.M.E. Church on Ecumenical Network Commission with the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (1990 - present).
Dr. Champion has served as Associate Professor of Religion and College Chaplain at Texas College in Tyler, Texas. He has also been a visiting teacher at Perkins School of Theology, teaching in the area of evangelism.
On July 2, 1998, Dr. Champion was elected General Secretary of Evangelism and Mission at the Thirty-Third Quadrennial Session of the Thirty-Fourth General Conference of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama. He has the responsibility of moving the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in the direction of carrying out the Great Commission given to the church by Jesus the Christ, "Go and make disciples."
Dr. Champion authored The Black Church and AIDS which was self-published in 1991.
Dr. Champion is married to the former Shirley Thrash (a native of Neylandville, Texas), is the father of Wendell Lane Champion, the father-in-law of Dorothy, and grandfather of Karrnilya DeAnn.
e-mail Dr. Champion at Champ_dr@msn.com