Kirbyjon Caldwell
Encyclopedia
Kirbyjon H. Caldwell is the pastor of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church
, a 14,000-member megachurch
in Houston, Texas
, United States
. He was one of President George W. Bush
's most influential spiritual advisors.
, The Temptations
, and other celebrities. His mother was a high school guidance counselor. The family lived in the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood of Houston and Caldwell graduated from Kashmere High School
.
Caldwell went to college at Carleton College
, receiving his B.A.
in Economics
in 1975. He then attended the Wharton School of Business, receiving his M.B.A. in 1977.
Caldwell worked briefly as an investment banker at First Boston
in New York City
, before returning to Houston to take a job at the bond
firm of Hibbard, O'Conner, and Weeks.
Although he was very successful financially, Caldwell felt called to Christian ministry and subsequently attended the Perkins School of Theology
at Southern Methodist University
, receiving his masters
in Divinity in 1981. While completing his degree, Caldwell was appointed Associate Pastor at St. Mary's United Methodist Church in Houston.
He has been a director on the Continental Airlines
board of directors since May 1999.
Through a friend of his father's, Skipper Lee Frazier (who had managed various 1960s soul
acts including Archie Bell & the Drells
), Caldwell was able to get a show on public access television which let him reach a wide audience and build his flock. Soon, his sermons were attracting scores of people - mainly middle-class black families, but also including some celebrities: Evander Holyfield
, Warren Moon
, André Action Jackson
and Star Jones
during her time in law school.
One of the major themes of Caldwell's preaching has been the need for his congregation to follow Jesus Christ's lead by being actively involved in community service. Taking the lead, Caldwell has transformed the Windsor Village United Methodist Church into an all-purpose community help center. Nonprofit organizations organized by the church include: Patrice House, a shelter for abused children
; a tutoring program for schoolchildren; and a program that matches teens to mentors.
Windsor Village United Methodist Church had 7,000 members by 1994 and 11,000 by 1996.
To accommodate the size of the congregation, in 1993, the church purchased a former Kmart
in one of the most blighted parts of Houston and renovated it into the Power Center (a play on the retailing term "power center"). In addition to worship space, the Power Center includes a school, a medical clinic, satellite classrooms for a local community college, low-cost office space, a branch of the Texas Commerce Bank
(there were previously no banks in the entire neighborhood), as well as charities such as a Women, Infants, and Children nutrition
program, and an AIDS
outreach center. The mission of the Power Center is to create jobs in the low-income neighborhood and to teach members of the neighborhood how to create wealth. The Center's motto is from Isaiah
61.4: "They shall repair the ruined cities and restore what has long lain desolate."
Unlike many churches, no one sits on the stage during services, including Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell.
to approach him and ask him to write a book. This book, co-authored with Mark Seal
, was entitled The Gospel of Good Success: A Road Map to Spiritual, Emotional, and Financial Wholeness: it was published in 1999. The book sets forth Caldwell's ideas about economic empowerment and how to "handle success." The book became a bestseller
.
, saw an article about Caldwell in the Dallas Morning News and initiated contact between the two. Bush subsequently spoke at the grand opening of the Power Center in 1996. The two came to agree that partnership between religious organizations and the government could have positive social results.
Although Caldwell is himself a political independent
, in 2000, Bush asked Caldwell to introduce him at the 2000 Republican National Convention
.
Caldwell offered the official benediction at Bush's inauguration in 2001. This prayer engendered some controversy since Caldwell closed his prayer by saying he prayed in "the name that's above all other names, Jesus the Christ. Let all who agree say Amen", which some felt was religiously insensitive to non-Christians and inappropriate at a secular ceremony. (For example, Alan Dershowitz
wrote, "The plain message conveyed by the new administration is that George W. Bush's America is a Christian nation, and that non-Christians are welcome into the tent so long as they agree to accept their status as a tolerated minority rather than as full equal citizens.") Caldwell denies that he was proselytizing, saying that he always prayed in the name of Jesus.
Days after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Caldwell was invited by President Bush to speak at the memorial held at the National Cathedral
in Washington, D.C.. Later that day, Caldwell joined President Bush on his visit to Ground Zero
in New York City. Bush speaks of the trip in his book Decision Points
by saying "it was comforting to have a friend and a man of faith by my side."
In 2003 President Bush visited the Power Center to commemorate its 10-year anniversary.
Caldwell again offered the official benediction at Bush's 2005 inauguration. When asked to offer the prayer again at Bush's second inauguration, Caldwell added the phrase "respective of all faiths, I submit this prayer in the Name of Jesus."
On May 10, 2008, Caldwell officiated the wedding of Jenna Bush
and Henry Hager in Crawford, Texas
.http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/jenna-bush-wedd.html
According to some reports, Bush and Caldwell speak regularly on the telephone for spiritual counseling and prayer.
Caldwell's work at the Power Center was one of the inspirations for President Bush's "faith based initiatives" and Caldwell was influential in Bush's decision to create the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
.
in the 2008 Democratic primary
and supported him against John McCain
in the general presidential election.
In August 2010, after the news media reported that 18 percent of Americans thought President Obama was a Muslim
, Caldwell contacted reporters and told them that he had known Obama for years and knew him to be a Christian who prays daily. He was quoted as describing news media reports questioning Obama's religion as “a 24-hour noise box committed to presenting the president in a false light.”
In the wake of 2005's Hurricane Katrina
, Houston became home to thousands of refugees from New Orleans, Louisiana
. As a result, Caldwell organized a massive food drive along with churches of other faiths in the Houston area, entitled Operation Compassion, to feed and pray for the hurricane refugees living in the George R. Brown Convention Center
and the Astrodome.
Caldwell, Pyramid Residential Community Corporation, and Ryland Homes established a Houston subdivision called Corinthian Pointe in the 2000s. Corinthian Pointe, located outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8 near Reliant Park
, is the largest residential subdivision in Houston that was developed by a non-profit group. Many of the houses in Corinthian Pointe were sold at below-market values.
The public elementary school in Corinthian Pointe, Jean Hines-Caldwell Elementary School, was named after Jean LaNell Hines-Caldwell, Kirbyjon Caldwell's mother.
, a Texas congressman. She died in a plane crash in Ethiopia
with Leland in 1989. Patrice House is named in memory of her.
His second wife is Suzette Turner, older sister of Debbye Turner
, who was Miss America 1990
. Together, they have three children named Turner, Nia, & Alexander. Pastor Suzette T. Caldwell also serves as Chairman of the Kingdom Builders' Prayer Institute.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, a 14,000-member megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was one of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's most influential spiritual advisors.
Background
Caldwell was born in 1953 in Houston. His father was a clothier who made suits for James BrownJames Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, and other celebrities. His mother was a high school guidance counselor. The family lived in the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood of Houston and Caldwell graduated from Kashmere High School
Kashmere High School
Kashmere High School is a secondary school in Houston, Texas that serves grades 9 through 12; it is a part of the Houston Independent School District.Kashmere contains the Conrad O. Johnson School of Fine Arts, a Houston ISD magnet school program....
.
Caldwell went to college at Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
, receiving his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1975. He then attended the Wharton School of Business, receiving his M.B.A. in 1977.
Caldwell worked briefly as an investment banker at First Boston
First Boston
First Boston Corporation was a New York-based, bulge bracket, investment bank, founded in 1932 and acquired by Credit Suisse in 1990. Together with its sister investment banks, it was referred to as CS First Boston after 1993 and part of Credit Suisse First Boston after 1996, the First Boston part...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, before returning to Houston to take a job at the bond
Bond market
The bond market is a financial market where participants can issue new debt, known as the primary market, or buy and sell debt securities, known as the Secondary market, usually in the form of bonds. The primary goal of the bond market is to provide a mechanism for long term funding of public and...
firm of Hibbard, O'Conner, and Weeks.
Although he was very successful financially, Caldwell felt called to Christian ministry and subsequently attended the Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology is one of Southern Methodist University's three original schools. The theology school was renamed in 1945 to honor benefactors Joe J...
at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, receiving his masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Divinity in 1981. While completing his degree, Caldwell was appointed Associate Pastor at St. Mary's United Methodist Church in Houston.
He has been a director on the Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
board of directors since May 1999.
Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church
Caldwell was appointed the Senior Pastor of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church in 1982. At the time the congregation had only 25 members.Through a friend of his father's, Skipper Lee Frazier (who had managed various 1960s soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
acts including Archie Bell & the Drells
Archie Bell & the Drells
Archie Bell & the Drells was a R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records...
), Caldwell was able to get a show on public access television which let him reach a wide audience and build his flock. Soon, his sermons were attracting scores of people - mainly middle-class black families, but also including some celebrities: Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
, Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
, André Action Jackson
André A. Jackson
André Action Diakité Jackson , , more commonly known by his African clan name "M’Zée Fula-Ngenge" , is a diamond industrialist and head of JFPI Corporation, Africa's largest holding company....
and Star Jones
Star Jones
Star Jones is an American lawyer, journalist, writer, and television personality. She is known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View...
during her time in law school.
One of the major themes of Caldwell's preaching has been the need for his congregation to follow Jesus Christ's lead by being actively involved in community service. Taking the lead, Caldwell has transformed the Windsor Village United Methodist Church into an all-purpose community help center. Nonprofit organizations organized by the church include: Patrice House, a shelter for abused children
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
; a tutoring program for schoolchildren; and a program that matches teens to mentors.
Windsor Village United Methodist Church had 7,000 members by 1994 and 11,000 by 1996.
To accommodate the size of the congregation, in 1993, the church purchased a former Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
in one of the most blighted parts of Houston and renovated it into the Power Center (a play on the retailing term "power center"). In addition to worship space, the Power Center includes a school, a medical clinic, satellite classrooms for a local community college, low-cost office space, a branch of the Texas Commerce Bank
Texas Commerce Bank
The Texas Commerce Bank was a Texas-based bank acquired by Chemical Banking Corporation of New York in May 1987...
(there were previously no banks in the entire neighborhood), as well as charities such as a Women, Infants, and Children nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
program, and an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
outreach center. The mission of the Power Center is to create jobs in the low-income neighborhood and to teach members of the neighborhood how to create wealth. The Center's motto is from Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
61.4: "They shall repair the ruined cities and restore what has long lain desolate."
Unlike many churches, no one sits on the stage during services, including Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell.
The Gospel of Good Success
In 1996, the Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story on Caldwell which prompted Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
to approach him and ask him to write a book. This book, co-authored with Mark Seal
Mark Seal
Mark Seal is an American journalist and author. Seal worked as a journalist in Texas before becoming a freelance magazine writer in 1984, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair since 2003, and has written and co-written about 15 books....
, was entitled The Gospel of Good Success: A Road Map to Spiritual, Emotional, and Financial Wholeness: it was published in 1999. The book sets forth Caldwell's ideas about economic empowerment and how to "handle success." The book became a bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
.
Relationship with George W. Bush
In 1996, George W. Bush, then the governor of TexasGovernor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
, saw an article about Caldwell in the Dallas Morning News and initiated contact between the two. Bush subsequently spoke at the grand opening of the Power Center in 1996. The two came to agree that partnership between religious organizations and the government could have positive social results.
Although Caldwell is himself a political independent
Independent (voter)
An independent voter, those who register as an unaffiliated voter in the United States, is a voter of a democratic country who does not align him- or herself with a political party...
, in 2000, Bush asked Caldwell to introduce him at the 2000 Republican National Convention
2000 Republican National Convention
The 2000 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 31 to August 3, 2000. The 2066 delegates assembled at the convention nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush as the Republican candidate for U.S....
.
Caldwell offered the official benediction at Bush's inauguration in 2001. This prayer engendered some controversy since Caldwell closed his prayer by saying he prayed in "the name that's above all other names, Jesus the Christ. Let all who agree say Amen", which some felt was religiously insensitive to non-Christians and inappropriate at a secular ceremony. (For example, Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
wrote, "The plain message conveyed by the new administration is that George W. Bush's America is a Christian nation, and that non-Christians are welcome into the tent so long as they agree to accept their status as a tolerated minority rather than as full equal citizens.") Caldwell denies that he was proselytizing, saying that he always prayed in the name of Jesus.
Days after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Caldwell was invited by President Bush to speak at the memorial held at the National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
in Washington, D.C.. Later that day, Caldwell joined President Bush on his visit to Ground Zero
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
in New York City. Bush speaks of the trip in his book Decision Points
Decision Points
Decision Points is a memoir by former U.S. President George W. Bush. It was released on November 9, 2010, and the release was accompanied by national television appearances and a national tour. The book surpassed sales of two million copies less than two months after its release.-Content:Bush's...
by saying "it was comforting to have a friend and a man of faith by my side."
In 2003 President Bush visited the Power Center to commemorate its 10-year anniversary.
Caldwell again offered the official benediction at Bush's 2005 inauguration. When asked to offer the prayer again at Bush's second inauguration, Caldwell added the phrase "respective of all faiths, I submit this prayer in the Name of Jesus."
On May 10, 2008, Caldwell officiated the wedding of Jenna Bush
Jenna Bush
Jenna Welch Bush Hager , is the younger of the sororal twin daughters of the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, and a granddaughter of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush. She and her sister, Barbara, were the first twin children of a U.S. President...
and Henry Hager in Crawford, Texas
Crawford, Texas
Crawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
.http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/jenna-bush-wedd.html
According to some reports, Bush and Caldwell speak regularly on the telephone for spiritual counseling and prayer.
Caldwell's work at the Power Center was one of the inspirations for President Bush's "faith based initiatives" and Caldwell was influential in Bush's decision to create the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, formerly the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is an office within the White House Office that is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.-Under George W. Bush:OFBCI was...
.
Relationship with Barack Obama
Caldwell endorsed Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the 2008 Democratic primary
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
and supported him against John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in the general presidential election.
In August 2010, after the news media reported that 18 percent of Americans thought President Obama was a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Caldwell contacted reporters and told them that he had known Obama for years and knew him to be a Christian who prays daily. He was quoted as describing news media reports questioning Obama's religion as “a 24-hour noise box committed to presenting the president in a false light.”
Second book and recent work
Caldwell published his second book, Entrepreneurial Faith: Launching Bold Initiatives to Expand God's Kingdom, in 2004.In the wake of 2005's Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Houston became home to thousands of refugees from New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. As a result, Caldwell organized a massive food drive along with churches of other faiths in the Houston area, entitled Operation Compassion, to feed and pray for the hurricane refugees living in the George R. Brown Convention Center
George R. Brown Convention Center
The George R. Brown Convention Center opened on September 26, 1987 on the east side of Downtown Houston, Texas, United States.The center was named for the prominent Houstonian George R. Brown, an entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist. Brown’s Texas Eastern Corporation donated six of the 11...
and the Astrodome.
Corinthian Pointe
- Main article: Corinthian Pointe, Houston, TexasCorinthian Pointe, Houston, TexasCorinthian Pointe is a large planned affordable subdivision located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is a part of the larger master planned community Pointe 2.3.4.Corinthian Pointe is located outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8 near Reliant Park...
Caldwell, Pyramid Residential Community Corporation, and Ryland Homes established a Houston subdivision called Corinthian Pointe in the 2000s. Corinthian Pointe, located outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8 near Reliant Park
Reliant Park
Reliant Park is a complex in Houston, Texas, USA, named after the energy company Reliant Energy. It is located on Kirby Drive at the 610 Loop...
, is the largest residential subdivision in Houston that was developed by a non-profit group. Many of the houses in Corinthian Pointe were sold at below-market values.
The public elementary school in Corinthian Pointe, Jean Hines-Caldwell Elementary School, was named after Jean LaNell Hines-Caldwell, Kirbyjon Caldwell's mother.
Personal
Caldwell's first wife was Patrice Johnson, who had served as chief of staff for Mickey LelandMickey Leland
George Thomas "Mickey" Leland was an anti-poverty activist who later became a congressman from the Texas 18th District and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus...
, a Texas congressman. She died in a plane crash in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
with Leland in 1989. Patrice House is named in memory of her.
His second wife is Suzette Turner, older sister of Debbye Turner
Debbye Turner
Debbye Turner-Bell is an American veterinarian, talk show host, former beauty queen and winner of the 1990 Miss America pageant....
, who was Miss America 1990
Miss America 1990
Miss America 1990, the 69th Miss America, pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 16, 1989 and was televised by the NBC Network.- Results :*Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner...
. Together, they have three children named Turner, Nia, & Alexander. Pastor Suzette T. Caldwell also serves as Chairman of the Kingdom Builders' Prayer Institute.