Bishop Harold J. Benjamin, builder of faith & churches

Bishop Harold James Benjamin, who held leadership positions in the Church of God in Christ denomination and traveled widely, including to Africa to spread the word, died Sept. 6 of complications of a stroke. He was 71 and lived in Mount Airy.

He was named presiding bishop of the church's newly formed Penn State Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction six years ago, and formerly was auxiliary bishop of the Southeast Pennsylvania district.

He was founding pastor of the Cathedral Church of God in Christ, at 57th and Market streets, and was former pastor of Pennsylvania Deliverance Center, at 59th Street and Lancaster Avenue.

Benjamin was born in Valdosta, Ga., to Doris Benjamin and Herbert Lee. The family moved to Washington, D.C., and he graduated from Cardoza High School.

He graduated from Zion Bible College, in Massachusetts, in 1960. He was named head of the Evangelistic Department of the Deliverance Evangelistic Center, where he helped establish 100 churches, his family said.

In 1963, he came to Philadelphia where he married missionary Alyce F. Palmer, who joined him in his church work. In 1964, he founded and pastored the Pennsylvania Deliverance Center.

He organized the Aid to Working Mothers Program and the Kiddie Kollege Day Care Center, of which he served as executive director. In 1975, he was elected secretary-treasurer of the Black National Religious Broadcasters. He made trips to Ghana to work with churches there.

Among his awards over the years, he was honored by the Chapel of the Four Chaplains for his church and community work.

Besides his wife, he is survived by seven sisters, Doris Cruel, Shirley Hill, Reaksia Banks, Paula Jenkins, Diane Jenkins, Barbara Walker and Elaine McNeil, and a brother, Huston Jenkins Jr. He was predeceased by a daughter, Doris Lynette Benjamin, and a sister, Mary L. Jenkins.

Services: 7 tonight at True Gospel Church of God in Christ, 1606 Mifflin St. Friends may call at 5 p.m. A second service will be held at noon tomorrow at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, Stenton and Ogontz avenues. Friends may call at 9 a.m. Burial in Chelten Hills Cemetery, Washington Lane and Woolston Avenue.