About Bishop Sarah Davis

The Right Reverend Sarah Frances Davis is the 126th elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E. Church). Her historic election on July 6, 2004, makes her only the third woman in the 218-year history of the denomination to ascend to its highest level of Episcopal service in African Methodism. Bishop Sarah Davis currently serves as the presiding prelate over the 16th Episcopal District, comprised of churches and schools in South America, Windward Islands, the Caribbean Islands, Cuba and Europe. Since being assigned to the 16th Episcopal District from the Southern African 18th Episcopal District, Bishop Davis was unanimously elected to the office of Chair of the Global Development Council (GDC) of the A.M.E. Church. The GDC is responsible for the unification of all AME churches in Africa, the nations of the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and Canada; and to promote collaboration, cohesion, and cultural integration with AME churches in the USA.

Bishop Davis is affectionately known as the “Prayer Bishop” because of her consistent emphasis on the importance of prayer in the life of the Church. She has organized numerous prayer ministries and has sponsored annual prayer conclaves in the 18th Episcopal District. Bishop Sarah was chairperson of the prayer committee for the 48th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the A.M.E. Church. As a result of her prayer committee leadership, the first ever Connectional Day of Prayer in African Methodism was held April 13, 2008.

Bishop Sarah is one who has experienced a number of firsts throughout her ministerial career. Prior to her Episcopal election, it had been almost a century since anyone from Texas had been elected to the office of Bishop. Bishop Sarah served for seven years as the first female pastor of the 115-year old Bethel A.M.E. Church in San Antonio, Texas having been appointed there by Bishop John R. Bryant in 1997. With this appointment, Bishop Sarah became the first woman in Texas to be appointed to a major A.M.E. Church. Also in 1997, Bishop Sarah, became the first woman in the Connectional A.M.E. Church to be appointed chair of a Board of Examiners. Ebony Magazine named Bishop Sarah as one of the 50 Most Intriguing Persons of 2004.

Bishop Sarah is well prepared and trained to perform in all areas of her life’s calling having earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology, a Master of Divinity from the Houston Graduate School of Theology, a Master of Science from New York Pace University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas.

Her first Episcopal assignment was to the 18th Episcopal District, comprised of Churches in Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, and Mozambique. She and her husband Claytie Davis, Jr., lived in Maseru, Lesotho from 2004 through 2008 while serving in Southern Africa. A staunch advocate of empowerment through education, Bishop Davis gave exemplary leadership over the 39 A.M.E. Church sponsored schools in Southern Africa. She introduced the first summer science and math institute program ever, in Maseru, Lesotho to help globalize the knowledge of students and the development of teachers. Bishop Davis granted a record number of academic scholarships to young people, adults and clergy while in the 18th District. During her term, two clerics earned degrees in theology from universities in South Africa and Mozambique; and four earned diplomas in Theology in Botswana. For the first time, English classes were provided for Portuguese-speaking lay and clergy persons in the A.M.E. Churches in Beira, Mozambique which resulted in many receiving English Second Language (ESL) certificates.

Davis was responsible for oversight of three orphanages in Swaziland during 2004-2008. Through her leadership of the Board of Directors, the Selulasandla Village became fully operational and housed 21 orphans. In April 2008, the building of the first A.M.E. Church-sponsored orphanage was completed and dedicated in the mountains of Mokhotlong, Lesotho.

Bishop Sarah is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Houston Graduate School of Theology; serves as a member of the Jamaica Council of Churches; and is a member of the 500-member World Methodist Council (WMC) through 2011. She was appointed convener of the Strategic Planning Committee of the WMC Executive Council in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and her Committee will make its first report to the Executive Council in September 2009 in Santiago, Chile.

A much sought after preacher, teacher and workshop leader, Bishop Sarah has ministered throughout West Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Turkey and the Bahamas. In 2007, at the invitation of King Mswati, III of Swaziland, she was one of three clergy persons to preach at the National Easter Service of the King in Swaziland. She was the keynote preacher at the Annual General Assembly of the Lesotho Christian Council of Churches in May 2008; and she brought the message at the Ecumenical Service of the Centennial Boule of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, July 2008, in Washington, D. C. Bishop Davis is a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Bishop Sarah is married to Claytie Davis, Jr., a retired manager of Southwestern Bell, who now serves as the Episcopal Supervisor for the 16th Episcopal District. The Davises have two sons and a daughter in love: Corey B. Davis, and Dr. Claytie Davis, III, and wife Yolanda. The greatest joy for Bishop Sarah and Supervisor Davis when in the States, is spending quality time with their only grandchild, Alexandra Morgan Davis.