Bishop Joel Harley Lyles, Jr., a third-generation Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) member, is the son of Joel Harley Lyles, Sr., and Mother Gladys Johnson Lyles. He is the proud grandson of Deacon Ulysses and Mother Minnie Johnson, pioneers of the Church Of God In Christ in Maryland. Bishop Lyles was born, raised, and educated in Baltimore, Maryland. A graduate of Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Religion, Bishop Lyles' professional career includes 50 years of administrative, supervisory, marketing, and managerial experience.
From September 1987 to the present, Bishop Lyles has served as Senior Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Ministries. The church he organized with seven foundational members in an inner-city storefront now sits on a 4.5-acre campus on the Baltimore City/Baltimore County border. Educational, social, and economic ministries are operated from the 11,000 sq. ft. edifice/office complex.
In addition to his pastoral duties, Bishop Lyles has served the Church Of God In Christ in numerous capacities on the district, jurisdictional,
and national levels, including Secretary of the Northeastern District, Jurisdictional Secretary, and Chief of Staff – Greater Maryland First
Jurisdiction; National Adjutant Overseer, Assistant Coordinator/Secretary of the Constitutional Convention, Assistant General Secretary
for Administration, and AIM 2003 Local Committee Chairman – Church Of God In Christ, Inc., to name a few.
During the National Celebration of Life for the Elder A. Z. Hall, Jr. (General Secretary 2000-2007), as an elder, Bishop Lyles
was appointed by Presiding Bishop G. E. Patterson and the General Board to succeed Elder Hall and serve as the Interim
General Secretary. In April 2007, elected by the General Assembly, he succeeded Elder Hall and became the ninth
General Secretary of the Church Of God In Christ. In December 2007, after the death of Bishop David Washington
Spann, Sr., Elder Lyles was selected to succeed Bishop Spann as prelate of Greater Maryland First.
Bishop Lyles has distinguished himself as an astute administrator, adept organizer, and dedicated churchman.
With a keen awareness of eternal values, Bishop Lyles is always mindful of his calling. He remains
uncompromisingly faithful to the preaching of the gospel and the foundational principles of the Church Of
God In Christ.
His wife of thirty-one years, Supervisor Vell Melissa Hayes Lyles, Ed.D., co-labors with him in ministry.
They are the proud parents of a daughter, Ashley Deborah Melissa Lyles.
2007: Eliminated Onsite Lines
Revitalized registration process and eliminated extended lines at onsite registration.
2010: Digitalization Initiative
Initiated a project to bridge the digital divide by digitizing records in the Office of the General Secretary.
2012: Personalized Certificates & Licensing Requirements
The General Assembly passed a resolution to issue personalized certificates and licenses with background checks and sexual misconduct course requirements.
Designed the ARC system to facilitate the implementation of General Assembly mandates, providing transparency between the denomination and constituents.
2013: ARC System Deployment
Launched the ARC system for the Office of the General Secretary, enabling unique IDs for each constituent and streamlining General Assembly prerequisites.
Introduced identification cards with personalized pictures for credential holders.
2014: Digital Master Roster
Launched the Digital Master Roster process, allowing for digital certificate ordering.
2015: Digital Church and Member Transfers
Implemented digital church and member transfers in the system, in compliance with constitutional requirements.
2020: Pandemic Response & Virtual General Assembly
Leveraged the existing digital infrastructure to maintain organizational functionality during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enabled the General Board to conduct polling and validate church and pastor information electronically.
Supported the General Assembly in holding a fully virtual session, including the first-ever virtual election with over 7,000 delegates participating a record high.
2021: Hybrid General Assembly
Implemented a hybrid model for the General Assembly, combining virtual and in-person participation, resulting in increased global engagement.
2024: The Digital Card
Launched the Digital Credential Holder Card during the April Call Meeting of 2024. 15,000 delegates received their digital card immediately after the digital submission of their jurisdictional F1 and F2 form.
