Bishop Hewett Richardson Sr.

Bishop Hewett Richardson, Sr. was the sixth of eleven children born to the late Deacon
Alf and Mother Mattie Richardson in Pelican, Louisiana. Raised in a COGIC home, he
was the first of his siblings to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost at the tender age of
six. After graduating from high school and relocating to Phoenix, Arizona, he married his
high school sweetheart, Ola Johnson. Bishop Richardson and his wife celebrated 56
years of marriage and were blessed with four sons, six grandchildren, and 3 great-
grandchildren.

After completing his primary and secondary schooling at the All Saints School in
Pelican, Louisiana, Bishop Richardson earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral
Theology from the Charles Harrison Mason Bible College in Houston, Texas. Afterward,
he received his Teacher’s Certification and served briefly on the faculty at the college. In
1993, he earned his Master of Ministry Degree from Union Baptist Bible College in
Houston.

Answering God’s call to preach, on June 3, 1963, he preached his first sermon in his
parent’s home. He received his minister’s license on March 14, 1965, in Phoenix,
Arizona. Following God’s prompting, Bishop Richardson and his family relocated to
Houston, where he founded the Emmanuel Church of God in Christ in October 1966. He
received his second minister’s license in Houston on March 23, 1967, and was ordained
as an Elder on July 13, 1969. One of his first major tasks as Pastor was relocating the
young congregation to a new location with better worship facilities. The Emmanuel
family soon moved from 4019 Bennington St. to 8813 Lockwood in the Houston/Trinity
Gardens Community.

During the 1970s, Bishop Richardson led the congregation through its first property
acquisition and the building of a new worship facility. Driven by a desire to maximize
opportunities for teaching God’s word, he guided the church in its next major
project—the construction of an education building and fellowship hall/cafeteria. This
new space was vital in expanding the church’s Christian education efforts, providing
classrooms for programs such as Sunday School, YPWW, Vacation Bible School, and
Children’s Church ministry. This period also saw significant growth in the church’s
membership and ministry.

Bishop Richardson accepted a special call to believe God for more souls to be added to
the kingdom and shared this vision with the congregation on December 7, 1980. God’s
directive was clear—to undertake a ten-year building project and complete it debt-free.
God proved faithful, despite the worst of economic times, and in 1990, exactly ten years
later, the congregation moved into their new worship facilities debt-free. Later, God
blessed Bishop Richardson and the Emmanuel family to purchase additional property
for parking and further expansion. In 2006, the church dedicated a new wing to
accommodate more conference rooms, classrooms, and space for the Children’s
Church ministry.

Bishop Richardson faithfully served as the founding Pastor of Emmanuel Church of God
in Christ for 56 years until his retirement in 2022. During the 1970’s through the early
2000’s, he held numerous positions within the Texas South Central Jurisdiction under
the leadership of the late Bishop C. H. Nelson and the late Bishop N. H. Henderson:
Member of the Ordination Board (1974–1992), District Superintendent for the Greater
Houston District (1975–1993), Chairman of the Board of Superintendents (1982–1993),
Field Superintendent (1993–2007), and member of the Executive Board of Directors
(1981–2007). For several years, he also served on the Board of Directors for the C.H.
Mason Bible College.

Later, he served as Chairman of the Texas Central East Fellowship (2007–2009).
During these formative 2 years, the TCE Fellowship continued to hold fellowship
services, organize its ministry auxiliaries and departmental structure, select leaders, and
lay the necessary initial groundwork, “showing faith and trust in God,” that they would
become a sanctioned COGIC jurisdiction. There were many tests and trials, but Bishop
Richardson, a man of peace, never encouraged the Pastors to seek ill-will toward their
former jurisdiction. They just wanted to be free to work together in love and peace and
to serve God with their whole hearts.

With the help of the Lord and the Godly leadership of Bishop Richardson, the new
jurisdiction made great first strides. During this phase, executive and department
leaders were officially installed, and other new leaders were appointed also. The
jurisdiction sought and received its 501c3 designation, established its initial By-laws,
administered and encouraged vital training, and celebrated official implementation of the
key departments and auxiliaries of the National Church.

After 8 years of faithful leadership (2 years as Chairman of the TCE Fellowship and 6
years as the first prelate of the TCM Jurisdiction), Bishop Richardson prayerfully
decided to announce his retirement as the Jurisdictional Prelate in 2015, due to health
issues and his deep desire to never hinder the work of the Lord.
In 2022, he retired as Pastor of the Emmanuel COGIC having served over 56 years as
its founder. In 2025, he celebrated over 62 years of ministry.

Bishop Richardson will be lovingly remembered as a man of unwavering faith, a
devoted servant of God, and a visionary leader deeply rooted in His Word. A humble
servant through whom God performed many miracles, signs, and wonders, he
exemplified true Christian leadership. As a pastor, he was always willing to roll up his
sleeves and work diligently to build God’s house. Above all, his love for God, his family,
and the saints was evident in every aspect of his life. He took seriously his calling as a
servant leader, guiding God’s people with integrity and compassion. By living according
to biblical family principles, he led by example, teaching others to live holy lives in
reverence to the holiness of God.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Bishop Richardson faced the sunset of his days on
earth and entered victoriously into his sweet rest, joining his precious Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, in eternity. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Ola Johnson
Richardson; parents, Deacon Alf, Sr. and Mother Mattie Richardson; brothers Leo, Elder
Alf Richardson, Jr. (Josie) and Pastor Amos Richardson (Linda); sisters Bernice, Mother
Joann Carrington (Robert) and First Lady Loston Taylor (Johnny); and son, Reginald
Richardson.

Those he leaves to cherish his loving memory are his sons, Superintendent Hewett
Richardson, Jr., Michael Richardson (Ten), and Daryl Richardson (Elizabeth); six
grandchildren – Michael II, Justin, Maya Paul (Dwayne), Bria Brown (Kerrick), Jordan,
Leah; 2 great-grandsons– Kai and Greyson; 1 great-granddaughter, Bella; one brother,
Administrative Assistant Jeremiah Richardson; three sisters, Triana Banks (Albert),
Azzie Mitchell, and First Lady Dorothy Rogers (Michael); and a host of nieces,
nephews, Godchildren, cousins and other family members; many friends and co-
laborers in the Gospel, his loving spiritual family, the Emmanuel Church of God in
Christ, and the Texas Central Metropolitan Ecclesiastic Jurisdiction.