Alfred Gwinn
Bishop Alfred Gwinn
Retired
United States
Southeastern Jurisdiction

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Alfred W. Gwinn, Jr. was born in Ironton, Ohio. He grew up in Russell, Kentucky, and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. degree in History and Psychology and from Asbury Theological Seminary with a M.Div. degree. He has received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Union College, Kentucky Wesleyan College, and Asbury Theological Seminary.
Al was ordained elder by Bishop Roy Short. He has pastored rural, town, inner city, and urban congregations, as well as an African-American congregation. During a ten-year tenure at Lexington Centenary UMC, he led the congregation through relocation and the building of an $11 million facility. Worship attendance more than doubled and it became the largest congregation in the conference.
His last appointment was as Senior Pastor of Lexington First Church (Mother of Kentucky Methodism). Al served as Associate director of the Conference Council on Ministries, Lexington District Superintendent, chaired the Board of Ordained Ministry (1996-2004), chaired the Committee on New Church Starts, chaired the Area Episcopal Committee (1991-2000), was a prominent leader in the Uniting Committee of the Kentucky and Louisville Conferences. He was a General Conference Delegate in 1988, l992, l996, and 2000, and head of the delegation in 2004. He was a member of the General Council on Ministries and the SEJ Administrative Council.
Alfred W. Gwinn, Jr., was elected to the episcopacy by the Southeast Jurisdictional Conference in 2004 and was appointed Bishop of the North Carolina Conference/Raleigh Area.
He has chaired the Design Team for the Council of Bishops' District Superintendents and Directors of Connectional Ministries Annual Training and served as board trustee of many institutions.
Al and Joyce Gwinn have two daughters, Deborah Ann and Christine Denice. Debbie is married to Paul Robert Mann and has two children, Wesley Sentel Plunkett and Luke Abrams Plunkett. Christy is married to Philip Stephen Morgan and has two children, Paul Tyler Morgan and Alicia Hannah Morgan. Both families live in Lexington, Kentucky.