Regional Presbyter

Bishop Dr. Carswell & First Lady Alfreda Leonard

Bishop Dr. Leonard is a native of the Virgin Islands. He was converted at fifteen and became a Church of God of Prophecy member. He was called into the preaching ministry at the age of eighteen.

Bishop Dr. Leonard enlisted in the United States Army after completing high school and served on active duty for twenty-two years. He received numerous awards for exemplary performance and distinguished service during his military career. He was assigned to many Army bases throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

He completed an associate's degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology from George Washington University and was involved in many cutting-edge technological advances in that field. He is a Cum Laude graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is a Cum Laude graduate of Webster University with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. In 2005 he completed the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree at the Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has been recognized for his academic accomplishments by being named among the Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges and has been inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society. Bishop Dr. Leonard was selected to present an academic paper at the Society of Pentecostal Studies meeting in March 2010. He graduated with his Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Regent University in Virginia Beach on Saturday, May 6, 2023. 

Bishop Dr. Leonard served as Assistant to the Pastor at the Monument of Faith Church of God of Prophecy in Durham, North Carolina, for four years. In 2005 He was appointed to serve as Pastor of the River of Life Church of God of Prophecy in Siler City, North Carolina. He served as Pastor at the River of Life for five years. In 2013, he was appointed Senior Pastor of the State Street Community Church COGOP, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has served as the Leadership Development Coordinator for the Churches of God of Prophecy in North Carolina. He has also served under international appointment as a Biblical Doctrine and Polity Committee member and on the Tomlinson Center Advisory Board.

During the International Assembly appointments in July 2020, Bishop Dr. Leonard was appointed Regional Presbyter for the Northeast Caribbean Region, overseeing the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao), the British Virgin Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. His appointment became effective on September 1, 2020.

Bishop Dr. Leonard has been married for 40 years to First Lady Alfreda Leonard (née Eddings), and they have one daughter, Breanna Nicole. He enjoys sports, reading, writing, and traveling — but most of all, preaching and teaching the word of God!