Bishop George Edward Battle, Jr.

May 14, 1947 – March 9, 2025

 

George Edward Battle, Jr. was born May 14, 1947, in Edgecombe County, NC. He graduated from Clinton Jr. College in 1967, and he earned his B.A. from Livingstone College in 1969. He earned the M.Div. degree from Hood Theological Seminary in 1972. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree from the Howard University School of Divinity in 1990.

 

While a student at Clinton, he attended St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion Church, where he preached his Trial Sermon in 1966, and he was admitted into the South Carolina Annual Conference in 1967. His first pastoral assignment was at Center Grove Circuit in Tobaccoville, NC, in 1966. From there, he was sent to the Mt. Vernon Circuit in Statesville, NC. While at Mt. Vernon, he was ordained a deacon in 1967. He was appointed Pastor of the Foundation Tabernacle Circuit in Rock Hill, SC, in 1968 and was ordained an Elder. In 1972, he was sent to Mt. Zion in Lancaster, SC, and in 1974, he was appointed Pastor of the Gethsemane A.M.E. Zion Church in Charlotte, NC. While at Gethsemane, Rev. Battle had a tremendous impact on the city of Charlotte. He was elected to the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Board of Education in 1978 and served as a member of the Board until 1995. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 1990 and held this position until his resignation from the Board in 1995.

 

At the Forty-Fourth Quadrennial Session of the General Conference, which met at Shaw Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Atlanta, GA, Rev. Battle was elected the 84th Bishop in the line of succession of The A.M.E. Zion Church, and he was assigned the Palmetto, Pee Dee, South Carolina, Georgia, and South Georgia Annual Conferences. After the death of Bishop Herman Anderson in 1995, he was assigned to the Central North Carolina and Virgin Islands Annual Conferences. In 1996, he was assigned to the Eastern North Carolina Episcopal District and served there 8 years. In 2004, he was assigned to the North Eastern Episcopal District and served there for eight years. In 2012, he was assigned to the Piedmont Episcopal District as the Senior Bishop of The A.M.E. Zion Church and served until his retirement in 2021.

 

Bishop George Edward Battle Jr. transitioned to eternal rest on March 9, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of faith, love, and service. Though we grieve his loss, we celebrate the profound impact he made on all who knew him. May his soul rest in peace, and his memory live on in the hearts of those he touched. He was married to the former Iris Miller, and they have two children: George Edward the III and LaChandra, and a host of grandchildren.