John Edward Madison was born in the rural of Crittenden County - Crawfordsville , Arkansas . He graduated high school in West Memphis , Arkansas . He received an under-graduate degree of Bachelor of Arts, with a major in history in 1972 from the University of Memphis , formally, Memphis State University after two years of study at Owen College-Memphis Tennessee as a short stay in the United States Army. In 1975, Madison returned to Memphis

Reverend Madison now serves as Presiding Elder of the South Memphis District where he was appointed by Bishop Vernon R. Byrd in 1991 and later reappointed in 1997 by Bishop Hamel Hartford Brookins, after a three year hiatus to pastor and relocate New Tyler AME Church . He answered his call to the ministry in 1978 at St. James AME Church- Memphis, Tennessee . He was ordained a deacon and appointed pastor of Palestine AME Church-Memphis in 1981. In April of 1985, after four years and after extensive renovations to the edifice and some membership growth at Palestine , he was sent to pastor and rebuild St. Mark AME Chuch-Munford, Tennessee which had been destroyed by fire. By November of 1985, the rebuilding was completed and Bishop C.E. Thomas transferred Reverend Madison to the Tennessee Annual Conference and assigned him to pastor St. Paul AME Church , a co-mother church of the 13th Episcopal District. After six months as pastor of St. Paul , he commenced the construction of a new edifice which was completed about June, 1997. In November, 1997 the next assignment of Reverend Madison was to pastor Mt. Zion-Memphis where he serves until his appointment to the Presiding Eldership by Bishop Byrd.

Additionally, Reverend Madison worked as an accountant from 1975 through 2000 co-owned and managed child care centers from 1993 until 2002.

Currently, he has the distinction of being the senior Presiding Elder of the 13th Episcopal District.