A native Baltimorean, Archbishop Naomi Cecilia DuRant was born on June 23, 1938, the daughter of Bishop Clem Williamson and the late Mother Ruth Martin. She received her early education in the Baltimore City Public School System and later obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Theology and Doctorate of Divinity. She furthered her studies at Morgan State University, under the tutelage of the late Dr. Herbert O. Edwards who served as Director of the Religious Studies Department. Archbishop DuRant was married to the late Deacon Albert DuRant, Sr. She is the mother of six adult children.

Through the guidance and nurturing of her grandmother, the late Mother Irene Montgomery, Archbishop DuRant noticed her calling to preach the Word of God at an early age. At the age of sixteen, God called her to proclaim the Word and in April 1967, she was ordained and founded Refuge Deliverance Holiness Church, Inc., which is now known as New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral, Inc. In the early 1970s after being obedient and found blameless, she was consecrated Bishop.

While serving as Co-Celebrant in an Episcopal consecration, Bishop DuRant received as from God, her new orders and anointing for the next level of ministry, the Archbishopric. The Lord immediately placed under her charge diocesans from metropolitans throughout the United States. In order to accomodate the new assignment, she would need the anointing for the task. The new territory and assignment would demand that she become an archbishop in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Archbishop has an unquenchable thirst for the knowledge of God and for the restoration of order within the church. This thirst enabled her to visit the early churches of England and Rome where she studied and acquired more knowledge to effectively serve the people of God. Knowledge has brought immeasurable meaning and order into her ministry. An attitude of giving God one’s best is not only limited to her, but also filters down from the pulpit door, as well. Because of her knowledge and God’s guidance, Archbishop’s cabinet has been inspired to correctly perform the sacraments and ordinances of the Church. Archbishop’s order and knowledge of the Church’s sacraments, ordinances, canon law, and rites, has broken many denominational lines and has captured the attention of churches everywhere because she believes that denominations have separated more people than racism. This has led to Archbishop crossing serving in the Interfaith Services at St. Ignatius every year where on New Year’s Eve, all races, nationalities, and religions come together and worship. It also has drawn non-members to her ministry to seek information and to become ordained and consecrated to the Holy Orders. She has also trained and commissioned Lay Ministers at a United Methodist Church.

In October of 2001, after the consecration of Bishop Edna Isaac, a phenomenal event took place. Archbishop Jeremiah Fowler with permission and authority from the World Wide Church of England, California and Louisiana, bestowed her with an elevation and title of “Her Eminence, The Most Reverend”, synonymous with Cardinal, recognizing her superiority and prominence in the gospel, which God had promoted in her. With any elevation there always comes a test. This test was of a different nature and one in a field that was unknown to Her Eminence, her health. Under the doctor’s care and orders, Archbishop DuRant was away from the church for over three months. Through this uncertainty at time, the Archbishop remained faithful to her office; her prayer, her praise, and the ministry unanimously brought her through. Why? Because she had unfinished business with God and His people.

Today, Archbishop DuRant continues to “Heed The Lord’s Words Through Obedience And Dedication” by pastoring the New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral; teaching at the New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral Academy & Bible Institute; serving as President of The Bishop’s Association, a support group for bishops; providing knowledge and information through her radio ministry on WBGR; and by backing up everything she does with scripture.

ARCHBISHOP DuRant Is

The cardinal’s hat is a symbol of Archbishop’s title of Her Eminence.

The twelve tassels represent the twelve apostles.

The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is taken from the story of Jesus' baptism, where the Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. The three-rayed nimbus around its head identifies the Spirit as a member of the Trinity.

The crosier is an ecclesiastical ornament which is conferred on bishops at their consecration and on mitred abbots at their investiture, and which is used by these prelates in performing certain solemn functions.

The nine-pointed star symbolizes the nine fruits of the Spirit listed in the Epistle to the Galatians. This star is sometimes shown with the Latin initials for each of the fruits (charitas, gaudium, pax, longanimitas, benignitas, bonitus, fides, mansuetudo and continentia) placed within the points.

Oil was used in the Old Testament as a sign of consecration to the Lord. It was symbolic of God's call and empowerment of persons for specific tasks. In a New Testament context, oil represents the Holy Spirit Who indwells believers and seals them in Christ.

A book most commonly represents the Word of God, the Bible. An open book represents truth or revelation. In the hands of an Apostle, a book represents the writings of the New Testament (Old Testament writings are usually represented by a scroll). A book is used in the emblems of many saints, among them John the Baptist, Stephen, Bartholomew, Matthias and Simon.

The mitre representa the consecration to the episcopacy.

The ewer and basin are used for cleansing, and so represent ritual purity. They call to mind two related biblical stories whose meanings are quite different. The first is Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet after the Last Supper. In this act He expressed the heart of servanthood that was to characterize His disciples. The second is that of Pontius Pilate washing his hands of Jesus and protesting innocence of His blood. Pilate missed the irony that Jesus died for the sins of everyone.

The sword has many symbolic uses. It is an emblem, often combined with scales, of the archangel Michael, the captain of the hosts of heaven. It may be used to represent the enmity of unbelievers toward Christians. A sword is the emblem of many saints and martyrs, such as St. Paul and others too numerous to name, who died by the sword.

The Patriarchal Cross: This is an ecclesiastical cross that is often seen carried by the patriarchs in works of art. The upper bar represents the inscription placed on the cross by Pilate. It was adopted by cardinals and archbishops as a hierarchical distinction.

The keys represent the authority of the church to forgive sin in Jesus' name. Two keys represent dual authority to open heaven to repentant sinners and to lock heaven to the unrepentant. When emblazoned on an upside-down cross, they form the coat-of-arms of St. Peter who, according to tradition, asked that his cross be mounted upside-down because he felt unworthy to be crucified like his Lord.

Grapes are symbolic of Holy Communion and of the blood shed by Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. Grapes are also symbolic of the fruitfulness of the Christian life.