Carlyle Fielding Stewart, III, was born in Detroit, Michigan. He is the fourth generation of Methodist ministers beginning with his great grandfather, the Reverend Henry Elijah Stewart, who was ordained by Bishop Henry McNeal Turner of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1888. His grandfather, the late Rev. Carlyle Fielding Stewart, Sr, was the founding pastor of the Historic People’s Community Church in Detroit, Michigan after many years of distinguished service in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Dr. Stewart received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Wilberforce University in Social and Behavioral Psychology; a Master of Arts degree in Religion, Social Science and Policy Studies from the University of Chicago; Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Chicago Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Religious Studies from Northwestern University.
He was Bishop Dwight Loder Scholar and Rockefeller Fund Fellow at Chicago Theological Seminary; Crusade Scholar at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary; Urban Affairs Fellow at Northwestern University; William Wilberforce Scholar at Hull University in England where he studied with British psychologist Dr. A.D.B. Clarke; Merrill Fellow at Harvard University Divinity School; and awarded a Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship by the Institute of International Education for study at the University of Ghana.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and citations including the prestigious Circuit Rider Award from the United Methodist Church in 1993; the Harry A. Denman award for Evangelism in 1996; Congressional Citations from Congressman Sander Levin and Congressman John Conyers in 1996; and the “David L. White” Laity Award, National Black Methodists for Church Renewal in 1999. In 2000, Dr. Stewart was honored with the Carlyle Fielding Stewart, III Endowed Scholarship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr., Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2002, Dr. Stewart received the “Drum Major for Justice Award,” from the East West Districts of the Detroit Conference of the United Methodist Church; the “Martin Luther King, Jr., Humanitarian Award,” from Drew University; and the “Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award” from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. A tireless pastor who has dedicated his life to serving others, Dr. Stewart was recognized in 2012 as “Pastor of the Year” by the Metropolitan Christian Council of Detroit and Windsor.
Dr. Stewart is the co-founder of the Detroit Black United Methodist Youth Scholarship Committee which has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships to black United Methodist youths in the Detroit area; founder of the National African American Youth Leadership Institute; Citizens Against Violence; Southfield Education Action Committee (SEAC) which worked with Southfield Schools; and is a co-founder of the African American Political Coalition which facilitates African American political representation in the City of Southfield. The Carlyle Stewart Foundation has awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to outstanding students and leaders in the Detroit metropolitan area.
In 2014, Dr. Stewart was selected as a distinguished clergy honoree in “Men of the Decade” by Native Detroiter Magazine. In 2017, he became a participant with the Council On Foreign Relations Religion and Foreign Policy Conference and was awarded the Martin Luther King Peace Citation on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the City of Southfield, Michigan, January, 2017. In 2018, he received a Congressional Citation from Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for outstanding community service and servant leadership.
Dr. Stewart served as a member of the Michigan Leadership Conference in 1986, the Board of Trustees of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary from 2003 to 2010. In 2008, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed him a Commissioner on the Appellate Defender’s Commission which provides legal representation for indigent clients where he served until 2014. He also served on the Development Committee at Ashland Theological Seminary and served on many boards and agencies throughout his ministerial career. He was also a mentor in the Doctor of Ministry Program at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Dr. Stewart has authored over thirteen books and published over one hundred-seventy articles in journals and newspapers. Many of his most recent articles can be found at www.carlylestewart.com.
After 31 years of faithful service as the Senior Pastor of Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, Michigan, Dr. Stewart took retirement in 2014. Under his leadership, Hope grew from a church of 150 to over 4,000 members within two decades, established over 80 ministries, and had nearly 100 clergy leaders trained to either pastor their own churches or serve in other areas of ministry. Hope also received the prestigious “Church Growth Award” from the United Methodist Church Detroit Conference ten consecutive years during his tenure, with the congregation moving to its present 16 acre location and contributing millions of dollars to support the needs of the growing community with parking lot expansion and the construction of state of the art Family Life, Education and Administrative Centers.
Upon learning that Dr. Stewart was taking early retirement from Hope United Methodist Church, but not from ministry in the Detroit Metropolitan Area, the founders of Empowerment (aka the Pathfinders) recruited him to serve as their guest speaker. On July 6, 2014, former members of Hope United Methodist Church, and others, opened the doors of a new faith community in Southfield, Michigan called The Empowerment Church.
In January 2015, the Pathfinders asked Dr. Stewart to officially join the church as their Spiritual Leader. What began with 270 new members on July 6, 2014 has since grown under his spiritual guidance and leadership to an interdenominational church for all people with over 1,100 members. He is a caring pastor and faithful servant of the Lord who loves serving the people of God and believes in letting his light shine for Christ. His personal mission statement is “Show people God’s way and stay out of God’s way.”
Dr. Stewart has also served as a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserves.
He the father of three children, adopted many ministry mentees as his spiritual children, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a Free Mason, and belongs to numerous academic honor societies and civic organizations dedicated to the spiritual, educational and social empowerment and uplift of black people and all people everywhere.
Dr. Stewart is a writer, scholar, teacher, preacher, kingdom builder, an advocate for peace and justice, and a spiritual counselor, guide and adviser.
12/09/19
