Meet Our District Officials
BISHOP JOHN C. WRIGHT
Presiding Prelate
New England District,
United Holy Church of America, Inc.
Bishop John C. Wright was born January 10, 1940, to Mr. & Mrs. Marion Wright, Sr. in Hemingway, South Carolina. He was raised in a Christian family and became a member of the Jerusalem A. M. E. Church at a very early age. In 1959, Bishop Wright moved to New Haven, CT and joined Mount
Hope Temple, U.H.C.A., under the pastorate of the late Bishop Jeremiah Covington.
Bishop Wright graduated from Howard High School in Georgetown, SC in 1958. He served two years in the U.S. Army, and furthered his secular education at the University of New Haven. He received religious education from the Ecumenical Institute, Chicago, IL, the United Christian College, NY branch, including the Sacred Letter STD Degree. He has received many certificates of courses in academic, administrative and technical training.
Bishop Wright married Virginia Covington in 1963. They have 3 children, Philip Wright, Phyllis Wright -Abraham, Elaine Wright-Smart; 2 son-in- laws, Matthew Abraham and Michael Smart; 1 grandson and 5 granddaughters.
Bishop Wright served as 2nd Assistant Superintendent of the General Bible Church School, as well as District Superintendent of the New England District Bible Church School. He serves as advisor to the BCS Department and to the New England Executive District Development Committee. He also served on the UHC 1997 Manual Revision Committee. He also served as the former president of the New Haven Clergy Association.
Bishop Wright accepted the call to the ministry in 1975. He was ordained Elder in 1979. He served as Assistant Pastor of Mount Hope Temple from 1985 until the passing of the illustrious Pastor, Bishop Jeremiah Covington.
In 1990, he was elected Interim Pastor and installed as Pastor on September 29, 1991. He was elected Vice President of the New England District in 1992. On Thursday, May 5, 1994, he was consecrated to the office of Bishop in the United Holy Church of America, Inc. In May, 2000, he was named as one of the 12 original members of the Provisional Board of Bishops of the United Holy Church of America. In July of that same year, he became the President of the New England District after the passing of Bishop Lowell E. Edney. Bishop Wright serves many roles and capacities of responsibility and leadership in the church, locally and district-wide.
BISHOP VICTOR J. RUSH
Vice President
New England District,
United Holy Church of America, Inc.
Bishop Victor J. Rush, a servant of the Lord, is anointed by God to preach and teach the gospel. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, raised in a Christian home. He committed his life to the Lord Jesus at the age of 18. He attended Hartford Public Schools and graduated from Thomas Snell Weaver High School in May of 1980.
Victor Rush continued his studies at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut where he earned
a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1984. While studying at UCONN, He accepted the call upon his life to enter the ministry and was licensed to preach on September 17, 1982 by the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Hartford, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Judge Lee. Rev.
Rush was called by God to Ebenezer Temple, United Holy Church of America in 1985, where he was trained, mentored and prepared for higher ministry under his spiritual parents, Rev. Dr. Evan E. Spencer and Rev. Dr. Mildred N. Spencer. He was later ordained in 1992 by the United Holy Church of America. In September of 2000, Pastors Evan and Mildred Spencer passed the torch of the pastorate to Victor, and he presently serves as the
Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Temple in Hartford, CT.
Under Bishop Rush’s visionary leadership, Ebenezer Temple has experienced tremendous numerical and spiritual growth. In addition, The Lord has blessed him to minister extensively throughout the state of Connecticut and nationally.
In May of 2007 Pastor Victor Rush was elected to the bishopric by the United Holy Church of America, and was officially consecrated as Bishop in May of 2008. Because of his faithful service to the New England District, shortly after his consecration he was elected to (and currently serves in) the office of Vice President of the New England District of the United Holy Church of America, Inc. He is also a member of the Strategic District Initiative
Committee, Member of the Board of Directors, and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Presbytery of the New England District.
In addition to his pastoral ministry, Bishop Rush is currently employed by the Connecticut Housing and Finance Authority as the VP of Administration. Bishop Rush is currently enrolled at The Hartford Seminary pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Transformative Leadership and Spirituality.
Bishop Victor Rush is married (for 30 years) to the lovely, anointed and talented Co-Pastor Jeanette (Spencer) Rush and blessed with three beautiful and gifted children – Kymberli, Jonathan, and Kayla. Each of them are a vital part of the ministry. Ebenezer Temple’s Vision is simply “Committed to increasing the Kingdom of God” and it
is Bishop Rush’s vision to win the City of Hartford, the State of Connecticut, the United States of America and the World for Jesus Christ.
ELDER DONOVAN C. WOODRUFF
2nd Vice President
New England District,
United Holy Church of America, Inc.
Elder Donovan C. Woodruff, was born on March 3, 1969 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was raised by his mother and grandmother, the late Margaret Woodruff, whose influence and memory he cherishes. Elder Donovan gave his life to the Lord at the age of 16. He acknowledged his call to the ministry while attending Vacation Bible School at Ebenezer Temple of Hartford Connecticut, under the tutelage of the late Dr. Mildred Spencer. The Lord used many people and events to direct him to the focal point of his ministry…EVANGELISM.
In 1988, Elder Donovan relocated to Worcester, MA and attended Mt. Olive Pentecostal Church. His late pastor, Bishop Lowell E. Edney, recognized the call on his life and began cultivating his gifts in the Lord. Bishop Edney instilled in him a love and compassion for souls and a reverence for the people of God. Bishop Edney’s example in
giving of himself for the betterment of the saints remains to be Elder Donovan’s stronger convictions in ministry. Elder Donovan received his 1st ministry credentials, the Missionary License, from the New England District Convocation in July of 1990.
It was in Worcester, MA that Elder Donovan met the love of his life, Cynthia L. Gilmer. They were joined in Holy Matrimony on May 14, 1989. This union was blessed with 4 children, Martika Renee, Seth Xavier and Chandler Bryant, and their son Timothy Blake who went home to be with the Lord on February 2, 2002. In 1991 the Woodruff Family returned to Connecticut, where Elder Woodruff resumed his apprenticeship with the late Pastors Evan and Dr. Mildred Spencer. Both he and his wife attended United Christian College – Hartford Branch at Ebenezer Temple and the New England Bible Institute at the First Cathedral of Bloomfield, CT, after which he received his Evangelist credentials.
Elder Donovan was faithful in service to Ebenezer Temple and the New England District United Holy Church of America, serving as an active participant in Project Providence since the inception of the project in December 1998. He and his wife were assigned to the Ministry Team of couples instrumental in the birthing of Holy Zion.
Bishop John C. Wright ordained Elder Donovan in Hartford CT in July, 2000 during the 75th NED Convocation, after he had been appointed to serve as interim Pastor at Holy Zion United Holy Church of America, Providence in January, 2000. In March 2001 Bishop John C. Wright installed Elder Woodruff as Pastor of Holy Zion Church, Inc.
UHCA. In addition, Elder Woodruff serves as a member of the Strategic Development Initiative Committee and as the 2nd Vice President of the New England District. Elder Woodruff takes no credit for the blessings in his life. He gives all the glory to God.
MINISTER CALVIN WALKER
Bible Church School Superintendent
New England District,
United Holy Church of America, Inc.
Minister Calvin Walker has served at the New England District Bible Church School Superintendent since July 2000. But his history with the ministry of “Sunday School” goes back to 1961 when he was drawn into Holy Temple Church through this ministry. Through the Sunday School outreach ministry, under the direction of Sis. Harriet Newton and Mother Ella Reason, he eventually joined the congregation. His formative years in Christianity and his love for the ministry of Sunday School was shaped by his favorite teacher, Elder Isabelle Miller. He accepted the Lord there and remained a part of that congregation until 2002.
After graduating from Wentworth Institute of Technology with degrees in Electronic Engineering Technology and Management Engineering Technology, he met his wife of 40 years, Esther, at a B.C.S. & Y.P.H.A. Convention. He is the father of 3 lovely daughters and grandfather of 5.
He has served the New England District in the Finance Department. He also served in the Finance Department and Trustee Board of Holy Temple Church of Boston. He currently is a member of Holy Zion UHC, located in Cranston, Rhode Island where he serves as Chief Financial Officer.
Minister Walker has always worked with the young and the young at heart in various ministries of the church and in service to the Community. He has served the Commissioner of the Christian Youth Basketball Program since 1994. Before that he was an Assistant Basketball Coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
His vision for the Department is to have a functioning Bible Church School in every church within the district. The main objective is to make sure that the Word of God gets into our youth at an early age. In Isaiah 55, God says that his word will not return unto him void. So if we do our job, God will keep his word. Minister Walker says, “My job is to encourage the local church superintendents and their staff to remain faithful to their post every Sunday, to always study and to be prepared for their students. Only Glory will show the impact you have on a life. The homework assignment for each student is to tell someone else what they learned in Sunday School, about Christ”.