Bishop Darryl Starnes to Join The Foundation for Evangelism Board in the Fall

Born in Hampton, VA, but nurtured in the First AME Zion Church in Knoxville, TN, where his grandfather was the organizing pastor, Darryl gave his life to Christ as a teenager and entered the ministry at age 17. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC, a Master of Divinity Degree from Hood Theological Seminary, in Salisbury, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree with a Concentration in Evangelism from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL.

He has pastored eight churches in five states. In the last church, he was the organizing pastor. In 1996, he was elected the Director of the Bureau of Evangelism for The AME Zion Church, where he served for twelve years, until his election to the episcopacy in 2008. He has been an Adjunct Professor at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham and at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury. He is the presiding bishop of the Piedmont Episcopal District, which includes the Blue Ridge, West Central North Carolina, Western North Carolina, and Jamaica Conferences. He is chairman of the denomination’s Church Growth and Development Board, the Worship and Ritual Board, and the Board of Trustees of Hood Theological Seminary. He is the Secretary of Evangelism for the North American Section of World Methodist Evangelism and the North American Officer on the World Methodist Council Steering Committee. His books include Not Ashamed of the Gospel; An Evangelism Training Manuel; 21st Century Christians Under Construction: A Discipleship Training Manuel; and For the Perfecting of the Saints: A Handbook on Small-Group Discipleship.

He is married to Sis. Camille Cullom Starnes, a minister of the gospel and the Missionary Supervisor for the Piedmont Episcopal District. They have three children and seven grandchildren.