This story of legacy and power reflects Bishop Walter Harvey’s life mission: to live full and leave empty.
Early Life & Calling Born in Milwaukee’s most disadvantaged zip code—plagued by incarceration, poverty, and unemployment—Bishop Harvey could have been another statistic. Instead, through his mother’s prayers and God’s power, his life was transformed and set apart for leadership and service.
Ministry Leadership Bishop Harvey served 28 years as Senior Pastor of Parklawn Assembly of God (now Embassy Center MKE), where he led a healthy leadership succession in 2020. Under his guidance, Parklawn became known for its community impact, launching a Christian school, seminary, urban ministers training center, economic development corporation, commercial kitchen, bookstore, recording studio, and café—viewing the entire city as its congregation and campus as a community asset.
He is the Chief Apostle and Presiding Bishop of the Outpouring Ministry Network and founder of the Milwaukee Declaration Pastors Group, uniting churches around racial reconciliation, school partnerships, community engagement, and economic development.
Broader Influence A respected speaker across the U.S. and abroad, Bishop Harvey has shared platforms with Promise Keepers, No Regrets Men’s Conference, and many denominational gatherings. He is admired for his integrity, practical yet powerful preaching, and kingdom-centered leadership.
He served as Board President of the National Black Fellowship (NBF) of the Assemblies of God until December 2024 and continues to serve as apostolic leader of Embassy Center MKE.
Marketplace & Community Impact Bishop Harvey is the Founder and Executive Director of PRISM Economic Development Corporation (EDC), launched in 2017 and incorporated in 2023. PRISM’s mission is to disrupt poverty, generate community wealth, and affirm human dignity.
Through PRISM, he established UpStart Kitchen in 2020, an incubator for food entrepreneurs that also served 1,000 meals weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, UpStart has launched six businesses into their own commercial spaces and continues to support 17 licensed food entrepreneurs. Both the Mayor of Milwaukee and Governor of Wisconsin have recognized its success.
PRISM’s newest initiative, The King’s Table, prepares medically tailored meals for low-income residents with dietary restrictions—further advancing health equity in Milwaukee.
Movements & Vision He is also President of the WI+H Movement, a disciple-making and community transformation initiative that uses business as a tool of justice. Its mission is to bring the Gospel to life by addressing community pain points with both proclamation and action.
Education & Media Bishop Harvey is a graduate of Marquette University, an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, a published author, and former producer/host of Milwaukee PBS’s Emmy award–winning show Black Nouveau.
Family He has been married to Judy for 40 years and is the proud father of Nicholas and grandfather of Autumn and Gianni.
