Appreciation: Bishop SC Bailey, United House of Prayer leader

Bishop C.M. Bailey, leader of the United House of Prayer for All People, died Aug. 11 at age 73.

Bishop C.M. “Sweet Daddy” Bailey, leader of the United House of Prayer for All People for 15 years, died Aug. 11 at age 73.

Bishop Bailey was in his 56th year in ministry, and at the time of his death was in the Philadelphia area conducting the church’s 97th annual convocation.

Details of Bishop Bailey’s celebration of life are incomplete.

A native of Newport News, Virginia, Bishop Bailey was the fourth national leader of the non-denominational House of Prayer, where he oversaw 137 congregations in nearly 30 different states and Washington, D.C. He previously pastored in Charlotte as well as congregations in Augusta, Georgia, and Philadelphia.

As an apostle, Bishop Bailey oversaw congregations in a region that included Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. He was a member of the General Council, the church’s highest-ranking ecclesiastical body as well as its head judge and senior minister.

After the 2008 death of Bishop S.C. Madison, Bishop Bailey was elevated to acting chief executive officer until he was elected to the top leadership position with 91% of the vote.
Bailey launched the RETURN initiative that encouraged church members to embrace traditional core Christian moral values as role models to young people.

During his tenure, the House of prayer built housing communities across the U.S., including Bailey Village in Greensboro as well as a national voter registration initiative. He was also executive director of the McCullough Scholarship Fund, which awards need-based grants to college-bound students.

Bishop Bailey is survived by his wife of 52 years, and the First Lady of The United House of Prayer, W. G. Bailey; two daughters, Mickie Bailey and Claressa Parks; son, Kevin Bailey; mother, Dorothy Bailey; brothers Tarona Bailey and David Bailey; sister, Emma Gibbs; and grandchildren Faith and Landon Bailey.

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