Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant. (born May 21, 1971, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an African-Americanpreacher, television personality, and pastor of the Empowerment Temple AME Church in his hometown ofBaltimore. He is the son of Bishop John Richard Bryant, Senior Bishop and Presiding Prelate of the Fourth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

Early life and education

Bryant, who after the 11th grade had dropped out of high school, later obtained a GED certificate and went on to further his education.  He holds a BA degree in Political Science and International Studies fromMorehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and earned a MA of Divinity degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. In 2005 he received his Doctorate of Ministry Degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

Ministry

Prior to his role as pastor, Dr. Bryant served as the director of the NAACP’s youth and college division.  A dynamic motivational speaker, he was responsible for over 650 youth councils and college chapters, representing over 68,000 young people in the United States, Germany, and Japan. Today, his ecumenical messages have been heard in such other places abroad such as South Africa, Belgium, England, and India.

Empowerment Temple

Bryant and his wife Gizelle founded the church in 2000 with a congregation 43 people,  The first service was held on Easter Sunday, April 22, 2000, in a Baltimore City banquet hall. Within seven years, The congregation grew to a population of 10,000 members to become the fastest growing church within the A.M.E. denomination.  on February 15, 2004, the Empowerment Temple congregation moved into a new 2,000 seat facility located in Baltimore.

For more information about Dr Bryant, please visit http://www.jamalbryant.org.