John Wesley United Methodist Church

As a contemplative pastor, visionary, and administrator, Rev. Dr. Daniel T. Hembree has served the church for over 30 years. He is currently the Senior Pastor of the Historic John Wesley United Methodist Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He has also served the conference in the following appointments beginning with St. Matthew UMC and Emmanuel UMC-East Camden Charge (Hartsville District) in 2014, Bluff Road UMC in Columbia, SC (Columbia District) from 2014 to 2019, and St. Mark UMC in Sumter, SC (Hartsville District) from 2019-2021. In addition to these pastoral appointments, Rev. Hembree served as the Claflin University Chaplain from 2007-2012.

Dr. Hembree began as a youth minister at Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, MI. Afterward, while enrolled in seminary, he served as a ministerial intern at Bethany Baptist Church, Evanston, IL, and Grace Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon, NY. Upon graduating from seminary, Dr. Hembree
began serving as the Assistant to the Pastor in Ministry Development at Greater Christ Baptist Church, Detroit, MI. When he returned to school to pursue doctoral studies, he began serving as the Assistant Pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Evanston, IL, a position he held for two years.

Dr. Hembree studied at Morehouse College before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Anthropology. He continued his theological education at Union Theological Seminary in New York and graduated from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, earning the Master of Divinity degree in Pastoral Care, Counseling, and Theology. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Northwestern University in Religious and Theological Studies. He has also earned graduate certificates from the Program of African Studies and the Preparing Future Faculty Program at Northwestern University.

In addition to serving as Senior Pastor of John Wesley UMC, Dr. Hembree is a part-time Assistant Professor in Pastoral Care, Counseling, and Theology at Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary at Allen University and was the program director for the university’s Environmental Justice Program. He served for nine years as Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and the Director of the Center for the Theological Exploration of Vocation at Claflin University. He also served as the Interim Director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience and Adjunct Instructor of Pastoral Care at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Adjunct Lecturer in Religion at Northwestern University. Dr. Hembree has served as a faculty member and Dean of the Youth Theological Initiative at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

As a health advocate for the community, Dr. Hembree was licensed and served as an
HIV/AIDS/STD Counselor for the Evanston, IL Department of Health and Human Services for nine years. He is also an active member in several social, academic, and civic organizations, including the Society for the Study of Black Religion; the American Academy of Religion; The Society for Pastoral Theology, The American Psychological Association; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.; Phi Delta Kappa International; and the Prince Hall Masons (32 nd degree).

He is married to Dr. Amenti Sujai. Dr. Sujai serves as Associate Professor of Church History at
Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary and is Pastor of St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Taylors, SC. Together they are the proud parents of five children and six grandchildren.

Dr. Hembree enjoys spending quality time with family, traveling, and collecting rare jazz albums and African art. He is an avid reader of spiritual, religious, and historical books, and has been a student of the martial arts for 35 years.