Harold B. Dawson Jr.

1970 - 2019

Harold B. Dawson Jr.
PEORIA — Harold Breon Dawson Jr. was born August 5, 1970, to Harold Sr. and Mattie Pearl Dawson. On Sunday July 14, 2019, His Grace, Bishop Harold Dawson, passed away, departed this life and received his glorious promotion. He married the love of his life, Lori Tawana Guyton, May 30, 1997. Harold and Lori were blessed with three of God's precious gifts. First born, Harold Breon III, later welcoming Haven Bre'aire and then Harrington Blake. He was a devoted husband and loving father. His profound fatherly love was expressed as he with pride and joy pronounced blessings and spoke prophetic destiny over each of his children.
Bishop Dawson matriculated through Jackson State University, earning a Bachelor of Administration in Marketing. In pursuit of his goal as a lifelong learner, Bishop Dawson studied at Lincoln Christian Seminary in Lincoln IL. He attended the distinguished Harvard Divinity School for Leadership Institute in 2004. He graduated from Virginia Union University, Samuel DeWitt School of Theology where he earned and received his Master in Divinity Degree. Despite battling Cancer and Interstitial Lung disease, Bishop Dawson labored to continue his academic studies completing his master of Divinity with a 3.9 GPA; while continuing to serve as Senior Pastor of New Life Christian Church. Bishop Dawson planned to continue his educational pursuits having been accepted as a candidate for his PHD at Chicago Professional Schools of Psychology PHD Program in Organizational Leadership.
Bishop Harold B. Dawson Jr. was licensed and ordained as a minister of the gospel by his father Bishop Harold Dawson Sr. n 2001 he was installed as Pastor of New Hope International Ministries, where he served as senior pastor for 11 years. In July 2012, Bishop Dawson organized and founded New Life Christian Church (NLCC). Pastor Harold B. Dawson Jr. received Episcopal Consecration in the Lord's church as a Bishop on August 26, 2016, presided by Chief Consecrater, Bishop Demetrius J. Sinegal, Co-Consecraters Bishop Marvin Sapp, Bishop Larry Trotter and Archbishop Harris E. Clark. Further bringing his ministerial vision to reality, Bishop Dawson sought out and submitted to the ecclesiastical leadership of Archbishop William Hudson III and Pilgrim Assemblies International in June 2017. Bishop Dawson's gift of ministry has been heard across this country but also in South Africa and the Caribbean. As a member of the US delegation to Trinidad and Tobago, Bishop Dawson provided leadership and partnership in evangelism, preaching and leading workshops such as "Biblical Manhood in the Home, Church and Community." Along with a group of four Independent Peoria Churches for over 12 years, he continued missionary support and international fellowship in Trinidad, also assisted in sending missionaries to Colombia, South America.
In 2010 Bishop Dawson was appointed President of the Peoria Christian Leadership Council (PCLC), comprised of a collaboration of pastors addressing social, economic and political concerns in the African American Community. He also served as a Commissioner on the Board of the Wayne A. Downing Metropolitan Airport Authority. As a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity he sought "Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor," impacting countless lives spiritually, socially and economically.
Bishop Dawson was preceded in death by his mother, Evangelist Mattie Pearl Dawson, His father-in law and mentor, Pastor A.J. Guyton, grandmothers, Mother Maybelle Mitchell and Leila Mae Dawson. Bishop Dawson's amazing personality, charming smile and warm fatherly touch shall never fade into oblivion, but will forever be felt flowing through the life of his loving and devoted wife of 22 wonderful years, his 3 children, Harold III, Haven and Harrington, his father, Bishop Harold Dawson Sr. (Valerie) of Cumming, Ga., his 2 sisters, Sheirie Artese Dawson of Houston, Texas and Shannon Pleishette Dawson-Galloway (Stacy) of Atlanta, Ga, 1 brother Pastor Ahmad Jamal Dawson (Jewel) of Atlanta, Ga.; his beloved mother-in-law, Mother Lena M. Guyton, a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. His heartbeat, his Beloved New Life Christian Church Family, declare him to be approachable and charismatic, a hero, a champion, a warrior, a builder, a visionary, scholar and friend. Bishop Harold B. Dawson, Jr. was unquestionably one of a kind.
Life Celebration Services will be held:
Friday, July 26, 2019, at New Life Christian Church, 2018 W. Kellogg Ave., West Peoria, IL. Bishop Dawson will lie in state from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by Memorial Services from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 27, 2019, at the Church Of the Living God Temple 130, 2815 W. Lake Ave, Peoria, IL, Bishop Dawson will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. National Home-going Service will be at 11 a.m. Officiate, Bishop Demetrius J. Sinegal and Eulogist, Archbishop William Hudson III.
Bishop Dawson will await the Resurrection will in the Parkview Cemetery.
The Ministry of comfort is being provided by Perry's Twin City Mortuary of Champaign, Illinois.