The Right Reverend Carolyn Tyler Guidry
122nd Elected and Consecrated Bishop
African Methodist Episcopal Church

I am pleased to extend greetings to all who visit this site and I must say that I am truly excited to have the opportunity to serve as the Presiding Prelate of the Eighth Episcopal District for this 2008- 2012 Quadrennial.

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The Right Reverend Carolyn Tyler Guidry is the presiding prelate of the Eight Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The district includes Louisiana and Mississippi.

She received her first pastoral appointment to First A. M. E. Church in Indio, California. Under her leadership the congregation undertook a massive renovation of the church building and parsonage, and the establishment of a Day Care Center. She was the founder/director of the Unity Center for Human Development, a community faith based project funded by HUD.

In 1983 she was assigned to Cain Memorial A. M. E. Church in Bakersfield, California. Rev. Tyler demonstrated her business acumen and led the Bakersfield congregation in purchasing adjacent property, now valued at over three million dollars. The church utilized this key property and established a day care center and began several community service programs, including a “Senior Sack Meal” service that is still in operation to this date. (08)

In 1989, Rev. Carolyn Tyler was assigned to Walker Temple A. M. E. Church in Los Angeles, California. This assignment gave her the distinction of being a trailblazer again, the first female appointed to a major metropolitan charge in the A M E Church. She was appointed as the first female Presiding Elder in the Fifth Episcopal District in 1994 and served in that capacity until elected and consecrated the 122nd AME. Bishop in 2004. She was assigned Presiding Prelate to the 16th Episcopal District. 

Under Bishop Tyler Guidry’s leadership the 16th District has purchased its first Episcopal Residence. She started the first Annual Christian Education Conference, and partnered with Payne Seminary in a Ministerial Training Program. Economic Development projects, seeded through her, are now established in all conferences in the 16th District. 

She is the chairperson of the Social Action Commission, AME. Church and a member of various social, educational, political, interdenominational Religious organizations that serve to uplift human kind. She was recently appointed to the Board of The National Council of Churches.

The Right Rev. Carolyn Tyler Guidry received her Associate of Arts Degree in Business and Secretarial Science from J. P. Campbell College in Jackson, MS. She studied Economics at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, MS. In 1977 she graduated from Los Angeles Bible School (under the auspices of Talbot Seminary) with a four year certificate in Religion and Bible; she is a graduate of the Fuller Theological Seminary with the Master of Arts in Theology. She is a contributor to the fourth edition of “Those Preaching Women,” by The Rev. Dr. Ella Mitchell, published by Judson Press which was released in June, 2004, and has contributed to the publications of the AME Bishops, "The Anvil."

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry has received many honors and awards and was featured in Ebony magazine in 1968 and 2004. The California State Legislative Caucus honored her as California, “Woman of the Year”, and the Women of Religious Achievement, as “Woman of our Times.” Carolyn Tyler Guidry’s Christian service to the church and the progress of the people are the driving forces of her ministry. This seed was planted while working in the NAACP office of Medger Evers until he was slain in Jackson, Mississippi.

Carolyn Eujean Jackson Tyler Guidry is the mother of five sons and one daughter, twelve grandchildren and two great-grand children. Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry was recently widowed June 2007.


 

Itinerary

Here we will soon have a travel schedule.

Biography

Here we will soon have a downloadable biography