OKLAHOMA CITY – Bishop James D. Leggett will complete twelve years as general superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church on July 29 during the church’s 26th General Convention July 29 – August 1 in Greensboro, N.C.

“I am grateful to God for the privilege of serving the Pentecostal Holiness Church during an exciting period of growth and expansion,” said Leggett. “It has been a joy to represent the church in a number of organizations in the church world.”

Prior to serving as general superintendent, Leggett was the executive director of Evangelism USA for the denomination and a North Carolina conference superintendent.

Leggett was elected general superintendent at the 23rd General Conference in August 1997 in Kansas City. The delegates of the 2001 General Conference reelected him by acclamation. In 2005, the delegates of the 25th General Conference reelected him for a third term.

The church has experienced remarkable growth during Leggett’s tenure as Executive Director of Evangelism and as Presiding Bishop. Under his leadership, the IPHC established new conferences in New England and the Midwest with a third developing in the northern plains states. Church membership has shown record growth over the past decade and church planting has become a vital part of the church's mission. The IPHC now has churches in more than 100 nations and over 4.2 million adherents worldwide.

Leggett also serves as the chairman of the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF) and chairman of the 2010 Pentecostal World Conference to be held in Stockholm, Sweden. He has served as co-chairperson of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) and currently serves on the board of directors. He serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Evangelicals, serves on the Steering Committee and is president of the Evangelical/Pentecostal Family of Christian Churches Together (CCT), and is a member of Mission America and the American Society for Church Growth.

In September, Leggett will assume his new post as president of Holmes Bible College in Greenville, S.C., the oldest Pentecostal college in the United States. “We look forward with eager anticipation to the fall semester at Holmes Bible College when Bishop James Leggett becomes the sixth president,” said Dr. G. Earl Beatty, interim president of Holmes Bible College. “His leadership abilities have been documented in his current assignment and I feel certain he will do the same at Holmes.”

Leggett’s successor will be elected July 29 in Greensboro. An installment ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. July 31 in the Guildford Ballroom of the Joseph S Koury Convention Center. This event is open to the public. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Rev. Mike Gray, General Conference Coordinator, at (405) 787-7110 or mgray@iphc.org.