Harold (aka Hal) is the first born of two surviving children to the late Dr. Nancy H. Bennett, and to his father, Harold Bennett, Sr. of Baltimore, MD.

Rev. Bennett has earned several different degrees throughout his lifetime: An Associates Degree in Computer Science from Prince George’s Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree from Morgan State University, (Chemistry), and a Master of Education Degree from Georgia State University, (Counseling and Psychological Services), a Master of Theology Degree from Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and, received a Doctoral degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, P.A. (DMin). Rev. Bennett is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is a retired member of the U.S. Army Reserves, COL/06. He is also retired from the federal government where he was previously employed by the Central Intelligence Agency as a Senior Security Intelligence Officer. (Needless to say, he has been around the world a few times and has been involved in several fighting conflicts).

He is married to Etta B. Holloway of Bowie, MD and he has three children (Traci West, H.J. Lee Bennett III, and Camron Bennett) through a former marriage. He has three grandchildren by Traci: Shane, Syera, and Savoy.

He currently serves as the Pastor, at Dulatown Presbyterian Church, Lenoir, NC and is a member of the Western Presbytery of North Caroline (WPNC). He serves on the General Council, and on the Presbytery Mission Committee as Committee Chair. Additionally, he is a member of the African American Advisory Forum for the Presbytery. He was a Commissioner at the 223rd General Assembly and serves on the WPNC Mission Committee (Leadership Team for the Malawi and Costa Rica Partnership), Small- Church Membership Forum, and Cluster E Minister Alliance for Hickory, Lenoir and Morganton Region.

In the community of Lenoir, he has become an active participant in local politics (city of Lenoir), NAACP, and a member of the Lenoir Ministerial Coalition. He is a former member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Maryland. He served Trinity as a Youth and Adult Sunday School Teacher, a Trustee, a Deacon, a Ruling Elder and Assistant Teaching Elder; Minister of the Word and Sacrament (2008-2012). He served at the Lakeland Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Maryland, as an Interim Teaching Elder (2010), Minister of the Word and Sacrament.

He served at the Presbytery of Baltimore; on the Permanent Judicial Commission, Presbytery of Baltimore Investment and Financial Committee and a former Trustee, former Chair of the Presbytery Nominating Committee, served on the Presbytery Personnel Committee, Vision Committee and Presbytery Council; and at Presbytery Mid-Atlantic Synod, as a former Vice-Chair of the Trustee Committee.

Rev. Bennett recognizes the importance of remaining active in his community as evidenced by his lifetime memberships with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the NAACP.