Questions, concerns over pastor's divorce

The Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant is the pastor of Empowerment Temple, which has a congregation of more than 10,000. (Sun photo by Algerina Perna / November 12, 2006)

Controversy surrounding the divorce case of the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant - the flashy, influential pastor of the Empowerment Temple - will likely be addressed at the annual conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church next month.

Bishop Adam J. Richardson Jr., who presides over the Second Episcopal District, which includes Maryland, said that although he was not aware of any formal complaints about Bryant's pending divorce and his wife's allegation of adultery, Richardson planned to broach the topic at the conference in Baltimore.

"There will be some questions that I ask," Richardson said in a recent interview. "Simply the same questions that we have with every pastor that deal with the character of pastors and whether or not anything official has come to the secretary of the conference about the moral or religious character of a pastor."

Bryant is a high-profile, politically connected pastor with a congregation that counts more than 10,000 members and a business acumen that has resulted in book deals, inspirational text messages and plans for a clothing line.

He and his wife of 5 1/2 years, Gizelle, both filed for divorce last month.

Gizelle Bryant declined to comment about the divorce through her attorney. Jamal-Harrison Bryant declined an interview request through his church's representative.

Richardson said this week that he and other leaders in the AME church have prayed for Bryant, "with the hope that things can be resolved."

"In the meantime," he added, "it's still a matter before the annual conference of which he is a member."

The divorce has been the talk of churchgoers and blogs, both local and national, with some expressing disappointment and shock that the pastor did not immediately address it at church.

The pastor told congregants at services in January that he was having family problems, the spokesman said.

"He did take it upon himself to say it's a personal matter, it's a heavy matter. There are issues he and his wife are trying to work out right now," said Nicole Kirby, a spokeswoman for Bryant.

Others say it's not their concern.

"I'm saddened maybe, but not disappointed," said Lolita Samuels, 37, of the divorce.

Samuels said she has attended the church for nearly five years and views the pastor as a role model. "Whatever happens, he'll rise above it," she said. "From my standpoint, it's none of my business. He's still an excellent pastor and a wonderful leader."

Bryant and his wife, a former model, are known for their flashy lifestyle, which includes a Bentley and a multimillion-dollar Canton waterfront property. Their lifestyle has attracted criticism from those who say the church is more about his business enterprises and building wealth than religion. Her original divorce complaint stated that he earned more than $350,000 a year.

He is seeking a "limited divorce," while his wife has requested an "absolute divorce," according to papers filed in Baltimore Circuit Court.

A limited divorce is a voluntary legal separation required in Maryland for a year before most absolute divorces.

Absolute divorces, however, are allowed immediately under certain circumstances, such as adultery and cruelty.

In Gizelle Bryant's filing last month, she accuses her husband of adultery, cruel treatment and "excessively vicious conduct" that caused "reasonable apprehension of bodily suffering so as to render cohabitation unsafe."

In court papers, she says her husband's "persistent pattern of conduct was so cruel as to render" her "incapable of properly discharging her marital duties."

Related topic galleries: Christianity, Family, Court Administration, Anglican, Prosecution, Mark Clark, Divorce

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