Talbert W. Swan II

Talbert Wesley Swan II (born April 24, 1965) is an American religious leader.

He is a prelate in the Church of God in Christ serving as the bishop of the Vermont Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the United States.

Swan is the fifth leader of the Jurisdiction and oversees COGIC congregations in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York.

Swan serves the Church of God in Christ as Assistant General Secretary and Director of Social Justice Ministry.

Swan is also the National Chaplain of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. and the host of a radio talk show, The Spoken Word.

Swan has faced criticism including accusations of being a "rabble-rouser", who supports Black nationalism and having made racist, homophobic, and antisemitic comments.

Others have credited him with helping to improve racial problems in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Talbert Swan was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and is the son of Fred Allen Swan, Sr. and DeLois Fason Swan.

He attended Van Sickle Junior High School and Classical High School in Springfield, and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Western New England University and an Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies from Charter Oak State College, before attending the Hartford Seminary where he earned a Master of Arts in Theology.

Swan earned graduate certificates in Faith Based Community and Economic Development from Harvard Divinity School and attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Divinity in Urban Ministry.

Swan was ordained as an Elder by Bishop Louis C. Young on August 15, 1991.

Swan served as youth minister at the Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ before founding the Solid Rock Church of God in Christ in 1994.

The call was made July 2, 1996, the day Swan was hosting a service to raise funds to assist southern churches that had been burned.

After confirming that the racist call was made by Bradley, Springfield Deputy Chief of Police Daniel Spellacy apologized to Swan, his congregation, and the African American community, and Mayor Michael Albano vowed that the city would not tolerate such racist acts.

Mayor Albano said that the call to Swan "borders on crisis" and announced the formation of a community coalition to deal with racial tensions.

Responding to the dismissal of assault charges against white police officer, Jeffrey Asher, who was caught on video kicking a handcuffed Roy Parker in the head, Swan organized a rally attracting hundreds, that was held across from Springfield City Hall.

Citing the reluctance of those in leadership to condemn Asher's actions because of Parker's prior criminal history, Swan condemned the silence of elected officials and clergy.

Swan has served the Church of God in Christ in the Office of the General Secretary since 2001.

During that time he served as: Special Assistant to the General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary for Statistics, and currently as the Assistant General Secretary/Administration.

Swan also serves the denomination as Clerk of the General Board.

He previously served as Associate White House Liaison, and Senior Advisor to Presiding Bishop Charles Edward Blake, Sr.

In January 2009, the Solid Rock and Spring of Hope Churches merged and Swan was installed as pastor on May 31, 2009.

Defeating his rival by a three-to-one margin in the 2011 election for president of the Greater Springfield NAACP, Swan's election reportedly created anticipation of a resurgence of social activism in the region.

The Valley Advocate noted that this led to a revitalization of the organization and its voice on critical community issues.

Swan outlined the priorities of the branch as taking a renewed focus on education, health, economic empowerment, political action and social justice advocacy.

Swan, a longtime advocate for police reform, first came to national attention in the wake of receiving a harassing telephone call from Joseph Bradley, a Springfield, MA police officer.

Bradley made the call from the Public Safety office of Western New England University and mocked the burning of black churches in the south.

On April 3, 2014, Swan was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Greater Massachusetts Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by Charles Edward Blake, Sr., Presiding bishop, and the General Board of the Church of God in Christ.

His appointment was ratified by the General Assembly and he was consecrated bishop on November 9, 2014 during the 107th Annual Holy Convocation.

On June 6, 2016, Blake named Swan the third bishop of the Nova Scotia Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.

Swan oversaw all member churches in the Nova Scotia province as well as congregations in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.

He officially received his episcopal assignment during the 109th Annual Holy Convocation on November 13, 2016.

He served in that post until January 2022.

In January 2022, Swan was appointed prelate of the Greater Vermont Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by Presiding Bishop John Drew Sheard Sr. Swan succeeded Bishop Loran Mann, who passed away in May 2021.

Bishop Mann also served as a member of the denomination's General Board, the Executive Branch of government.

As prelate, Swan oversees member churches in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York.

Swan is the President of the Greater Springfield NAACP.

In 2022 he was reelected to his seventh 2 year.

He has advocated for police reform, voting rights, and community responsibility.