Mrs. Joan Marla McAllister, the wife of Bishop Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr., was born and reared in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She is the ninth of ten children born to the late Mr. Jesse William Bulle and Mrs. Matilda Bard Bulle. She attended the public schools in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

 

Mrs. McAllister attended Florence – Darlington Technical College and Limestone College in Florence, South Carolina, where she pursued degrees in social work. Having spent most of her professional adult life working with children, Mrs. McAllister has attended numerous schools and classes, seminars and

workshops in Omaha, Nebraska; Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; and Anderson and Florence, South Carolina, dealing with early childhood development.

 

In May 2013, after 28 years, she retired from Florence Public School District One (Theodore Lester Elementary School) where she instructed children who had been diagnosed as autistic.

 

She was actively involved in ministries at the churches where her husband served as pastor, including serving as president of the Mount Zion AME Church McAllister-Witherspoon Women’s Missionary Society. She also served as assistant secretary of the Seventh Episcopal District WMS and as a Northeast

Conference Branch standing committee chairperson. She was also actively involved with the M-SWAWO, having served in several capacities. Mrs. McAllister’s superb fundraising skills have earned her special recognition on local, district/area, and conference levels of the Church.

 

In her role as Episcopal Supervisor of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Twentieth Episcopal District, Mother McAllister exemplified a spirit of compassion, love, commitment, and generosity. In an effort to assist the YPD and WMS in executing their duties and responsibilities, she gave leadership in

the purchase of new laptop computers, digital cameras, and health care equipment, and was actively involved with the Girl/Boy/Child Education and other school projects. She assisted in the purchase of bicycles and motorbikes for presiding elders and pastors and the purchase of shoes and clothing for

pastors and their spouses. In addition, she was involved with other major fundraising projects for the district.

 

In July 2012 and again in July 2016, the General Conference assigned her husband to the Eighth Episcopal District. As episcopal supervisor of the Eighth Episcopal District, Louisiana and Mississippi, Mother McAllister continued to exemplify a spirit of compassion, love, commitment, and generosity. That spirit is clearly seen in the leadership she provides in overseas missions, especially for the 20th Episcopal District for the McAllister International AME Worship Centre in Blanytre, Malawi. Many thousands of dollars were raised for that ministry.

 

She provides leadership in several Eighth Episcopal District WMS projects, including raising in excess of $50,000.00 for the installation of a sanitary lift station on the campus of Bonner-Campbell, disaster relief efforts in the district and several other episcopal districts, the promotion of anti-gun violence initiatives. Under Mother McAllister’s leadership, the WMS and M-SWAWO retreats moved from one day retreats at Bonner-Campbell to 2-3 day retreats at hotels. She also introduced to the WMS the Grandmother of the Year fundraiser.

 

Mrs. McAllister is a member of several organizations, to include the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA), and National Association of Social Workers.

 

She is married to the Right Reverend Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr., the 129th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. They are the parents of three wonderful children: the Reverend Dr. Julius Harrison McAllister, Jr., who is married to Mrs. Deana Young McAllister and who is the pastor of Greater Bethel AME Church in Tallahassee, Florida; Mrs. Juanita Michelle McAllister Caldwell, who is married to Mr. Francoise Caldwell and who is a middle school guidance counselor; and Ms. Jocelyn Marla McAllister, who is a graduate of South Carolina State University and Liberty University

graduate school is employed at a child care center.

 

Bishop and Mrs. McAllister are the proud grandparents of Julius Harrison McAllister III, Breanna Michelle Caldwell, Colin McKinley Young McAllister, Jaelan Harrison Caldwell, and Dylan David Jeremiah McAllister.