Pastor: Harold Sims
Rev. Harold E. Sims Jr. is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Rev. Sims served in the Washington Annual Conference as the Senior Pastor of St. John AME Church in Hughesville, Maryland from 2019 to 2022. Rev. Sims also served as Youth Pastor & Director of Youth Ministries at First AME Church in Manassas, VA from 2017-2019. Rev. Sims is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and resides in Fairfax County, Virginia. Rev. Sims is married to Sis. Jackelyann Sims, and together they raised five children.
Rev. Sims has served as a Law Enforcement Professional in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the past 22 years. Rev. Sims is a member of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Fairfax County Democratic Committee, where he serves as a member of the Black Caucus, Labor Caucus and Mt. Vernon District Committee Co-Chair for Community Outreach. Rev. Sims is an advocate for public education and was 2023 Candidate for the Fairfax County School Board.
Rev. Sims is a product of both the Baltimore City, Maryland and Essex County, Virginia Public School Systems. Rev. Sims earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in both Criminal Justice Administration and Management from Kaplan University. Rev. Sims earned a Master of Divinity Degree and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry Degree from the Historic Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. Rev. Sims has also studied at Washington Bible College, Howard University School of Divinity and Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
In January of 2011, Rev. Sims accepted the call to the ministry to preach the gospel. In 2014 Rev. Sims received his License to Preach. In March of 2019, Rev. Sims was elected and ordained as an Itinerant Elder at the 69th Session of the Washington Annual Conference by Bishop James L. Davis. Rev. Sims believes that he was called not to be served, but to serve God’s people. One of his favorite scriptures is 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (NKJV).
