Steven
A. Cousin was born in Danville, Virginia, April 22,1958. He is the
second of five sons born to Bishop and Mrs. Philip R. Cousin, the
Episcopal leadership team of the Fourth Episcopal District of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
All of his brothers are Pastors in the itinerant ministry of the A. M.
E. Church. His brother Philip is the Pastor of St. Joseph's A.M.E.
Church in Durham, North Carolina; David is the Pastor of Bridge Street
A.M.E. Church in Brooklyn, New York; Michael is the Pastor of Bethel
A.M.E. Church in Detroit, Michigan; and Joseph is the Pastor of Bethel
A.M.E. Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan..
He comes from a long line of preachers. His paternal grandfather,
Rev. Sylvester Alvin Cousin was the Presiding Elder of the West Miami
District until his passing. His paternal uncle, Rev. Cecil "Chip"
Murray, is the former Pastor of First A. M. E. Church in Los Angeles,
California. His paternal great uncle, the late Rev. Lee Andrew Cousin
served as a Chaplain in the United States Army and retired from active
duty with the rank of Full Colonel. Another paternal great uncle, Rev.
Leonard Bruce, was a Chaplain in the Air Force and served for many years
at Grant, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Elder Steve has a BA in Political Science from the University of Alabama
at Birmingham, and a Masters of Divinity from Turner Theological
Seminary, a component of the Interdenominational Theological Center,
Atlanta, Georgia. He is listed in the fourteenth edition of The National
Dean's List (1990-1991) for outstanding scholarship at the
Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a
recipient of the R. C. Briggs award in New Testament. This award is
granted to the graduating senior with the highest level of achievement
in the area of New Testament. He is a third generation Itinerant Elder
in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a third generation member of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a third generation Master Mason.
Elder Steve is also proficient in the development of websites.
Elder Steve answered the call to preach in 1976 at St. Joseph's A.M.E.
Church, Durham, North Carolina (the church where his father was
stationed). Immediately following graduation from Jordan High School, in
Durham, North Carolina, his father was elected and consecrated the 96th
Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church at the General
Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and assigned to the Ninth Episcopal
District, the State of Alabama.
Elder Steve's pastoral assignments have spanned more than thirty years
and several churches. As a Licentiate, Elder Steve served the following
churches: Streeter Chapel, Brighton, Alabama (six months) and St.
Matthew, East Thomas, Alabama (two years). As an Itinerant Deacon, Elder
Steve served St. Luke, Hueytown, Alabama (two years). As an
Itinerant Elder, Elder Steve served St. Paul, Adamsville, Alabama
(four years); Gaines Chapel, Anniston, Alabama (four years); the
Tuskegee Circuit, Tuskegee, Alabama (one week); St. Paul, Lanett,
Alabama (two years); Gaines Chapel, Phenix City, Alabama (two years);
Wayman Chapel, Union Springs, Alabama (twenty-three days); Gregg
Tabernacle, Kansas City, Missouri (two years); St. Paul, Wichita, Kansas
(four years); Ebenezer, Kansas City, Missouri (four years). At the 2004
Fifth District Planning Meeting, Bishop John Richard Bryant appointed
Elder Steve the Presiding Elder of the Kansas City District of the
Kansas/Nebraska Annual Conference.
Elder Steve stands on the vanguard of advanced electronic communication.
He is a self-taught webmaster. Elder Steve is proficient in the
development and implementation of online forms and documents.
He is married to Linda Childress-Cousin and they are the parents of
seven children and one grandson.
