Reverend Otto D. Harris III, Ph.D.
Senior Pastor
The Reverend Otto D. Harris III, Ph.D., understands and accepts his call to be a steward and shepherd of souls and to lead disciples in making disciples of Jesus Christ.
He serves on the Metro District Committee on Ordained Ministry, the Western North Carolina Conference Committee on Episcopacy, the Board of Directors for Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center, the Board of Directors for Aldersgate Continuing Care Retirement Community, the Charlotte Area Board of the American Cancer Society, and the Board of Directors for the General Board of Church and Society. He also serves as the Elections Secretary for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. Reverend Dr. Harris served as the interim director of the Comprehensive Plan of Equity for the Western North Carolina Conference for The United Methodist Church and as one of the directors of the Western North Carolina Residency in Ordained Ministry (RIOM) process.
He is a recipient of the Chief's Award from the Greensboro Police Department, the Hood Theological Seminary Alumnae Award for Excellence in Pastoral Ministry, and the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Reverend Dr. Harris is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University, a Master of Divinity degree from Hood Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Studies with a concentration in Cultural Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has participated in the Royce and Jane Reynolds Leadership Academy for Evangelism and Discipleship as well as the Royce and Jane Reynolds Program in Church Leadership. Currently, Revererend Dr. Harris serves as an adjunct faculty member of pastoral theology and as the Director of United Methodist Studies at Hood Theological Seminary.
He is an ordained Elder in Full Connection to the Western North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Before his appointment at West Market Street UMC, he was also appointed the pastor of the St. Mary's UMC in Walnut Cove, NC in 2004, of the Union Memorial United Methodist Church in 2007, and of the St. Mark's United Methodist Church in 2015.
Reverend Dr. Harris is a devoted husband to his wife, Stephanie, and loving father to three children: Otto IV, Alanah, and Gabriel. He considers it a great privilege to be a servant in God’s kingdom and is comforted in knowing that his, “…help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)