Bishop Harry L. Seawright serves as the 133rd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. His election marked a historic moment during the church’s 50th Quadrennial General Conference as he became only the second bishop to be elected on the first ballot.

On December 12, 2025, he was appointed by the Council of Bishops to the Second Episcopal District to serve as the Presiding Prelate over five Annual Conferences: Baltimore, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, and Western North Carolina. He also serves as Chair of the AME Commission on Christian Education. From 2019 to 2020, he faithfully led the denomination as President of the Council of Bishops.

From 2016 to 2024, Bishop Seawright served as Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District (the State of Alabama). On August 28, 2024, during the 52nd Quadrennial Session of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio, he received his Episcopal assignment as Presiding Prelate of the Thirteenth Episcopal District (the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the State of Tennessee).

Born in Swansea, South Carolina, Bishop Seawright is the youngest child of the late Joe Nathan and Mary L. Seawright. A fourth-generation AME, his faith was deeply nurtured at Prodigal AME Church in Swansea, South Carolina. His humble beginnings and spiritual foundation continue to illuminate and sustain his lifelong commitment to faith and service.

Bishop Seawright earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C., where he was honored with the award for “Student Most Likely to Excel in Pastoral Ministry.” He earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University and was named “Doctor of Ministry Student of the Year” for his exceptional doctoral project. He has received numerous additional honors, including participating in the University of Oxford Roundtable in Oxford, England.

Throughout his ministerial journey, Bishop Seawright was admitted to the Central Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District by the late Bishop Frank Madison Reid, II, and appointed to serve as Interim Pastor of St. Stephen AME Church in St. Matthews, South Carolina. He was ordained an Itinerant Deacon by the late Bishop Henry Wendell Murph and an Itinerant Elder by the late Bishop John Hurst Adams. Over a distinguished pastoral career spanning 35 years, he served congregations at Payne Memorial AME Church in Jessup, Maryland; Hemingway Temple AME Church in Washington, D.C.; and Union Bethel AME Church in Brandywine and Temple Hills, Maryland.

Bishop Seawright is the author of More Than Bricks and Mortar: Building a Church Without Losing Your Mind and Don’t Faint: Help for Hurting Pastors and Their Families. His practical and transparent writings continue to encourage, guide, and strengthen pastors, leaders, and congregations.

In addition to his pastoral and Episcopal leadership, Bishop Seawright has served the church and broader community in numerous capacities, including the AME International Commission on Economic Development, the AME International Health Commission, Second Vice President of the Trustee Board at Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center, the Church Mutual Insurance African American Leaders Advisory Committee, and the AstraZeneca U.S. Health Equity Advisory Council. In 2018, he was inducted into Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.

As an entrepreneur, Bishop Seawright is the founder and co-owner of WeKleen, Inc., HLS Consulting, Trinity Group, and Prestigious Property Management. He continues to apply his business expertise to advance community development and promote positive societal change.

Bishop Seawright is married to the former Sherita Gayle Moon. They are the proud parents of Ms. Shari Nicole and the Reverend Harry Mathew Seawright, and the loving grandparents of Minister Cameron Isaiah Seawright.