Final General Conference News Digest

CLOSING WORSHIP SERVICE AND CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS   Our Closing Worship service opened with the Doxology. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie led us in the Call to Worship followed by Bishop Stafford Wicker leading us in the great hymn of the church, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” The Call to Prayer came from Bishop Reginald T. Jackson. Bishop James L. Davis did the Call to Intercession. The MCAM Connectional Choir, soloist, Shirley Washington, sang “The King of Glory Jesus.” The scriptures- Acts 20:17-35 and John 21:15-17, were read respectively by Bishop Michael L. Mitchell and Bishop John C. Bryant. Bishop David R. Daniels introduced a beautiful musical selection, our Decalogue in song, from our African brothers and sisters. Bishop John F. White introduced our Senior Bishop, Adam J. Richardson, our preacher. The Connectional MCAM Choir sang the sermonic hymn.  Read More Here A Swift Transition: The Installation of General Officers and the Judicial Council Rev. Craig T. Robinson, Jr., 4th Episcopal District  “Time is filled with swift transition,” asserted hymn-writer Jennie Wilson. As the 51st Session of the AME General Conference prepared close on Saturday, July 10, the Church gathered to celebrate a transition of power and responsibility after the election of General Officers and new members of the Judicial Council. The brief Service of Installation had all the trappings of grandeur that one would expect during a General Conference. The newly elected General officers marched into the main auditorium in their robes to “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” Read More Here Was the cup half-full or half-empty? Or were you just pleased, there was a cup? By Rev. Sekoboto Joseph Tau, 15th Episcopal District “Time is filled with swift transition,” asserted hymn-writer Jennie Wilson. As the 51st Session of the AME General Conference prepared close on Saturday, July 10, the Church gathered to celebrate a transition of power and responsibility after the election of General Officers and new members of the Judicial Council. The brief Service of Installation had all the trappings of grandeur that one would expect during a General Conference. The newly elected General officers marched into the main auditorium in their robes to “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” Read More Here Connectional Christian Debutante-Masters Ceremony By Robbie Colson-Ramsey, Contributing Writer   Amid the chaos, worshipping virtually, revisions of church legislation, being off schedule, emergency recesses, and reports from the Episcopal Committee, we stop to witness the beauty of the Christians Debutante- Master Ceremony, young people from around the Connectional church virtually gather to make their introduction into Christian adulthood. Read More Here   Worldwide Witnesses Leave Virtual Space to Continue the Divine Work—Closing Business Session of the 51stSession of the General Conference By Rev. Dr. Maxine L. Thomas, TCR Columnist   As day-break dawns and lights the path through a tunnel darkened by a hostile pandemic for some 18 months, with tenacity, a sense of duty, great expectation, and unparalleled faith, we have come. The African Methodist Episcopal Church defied the odds of separation in real time as it was connected around the world as the Bishops, General Officers, Presiding Elders, Pastors, other Clergy, and faithful Lay encompassed and joined by delegations from Episcopal Districts 1 through 13 and 16 gathering in Orlando, Florida, were joined in virtual space and time by a grand assembly of delegates on the Continent of Africa comprising Episcopal Districts 14, 15, and 17-20 for the 51st Session of the General Conference of the AME Church. Read More Here After an Epic Week, the General Conference Comes to a Close Rev. Dr. Shakira Sanchez-Collins, Columnist   The last day of the 51st Session of the General Conference was fully packed with closing legislation, the election of General Officers, Judicial Council and Bishops, the Installation of General Officers, and the Consecration Service of the newly elected Bishops. During the morning business session, the Judicial Council sustained the recommendation of the Judicial Committee of the Episcopal Committee to locate Bishop Wilfred Messiah. As a result, the Episcopal Committee report recommended that there be one additional vacant spot bringing the total number of vacant spots for new bishops to four.  Read More Here General Conference Episcopal Assignments  General Officers Mr. Marcus Henderson, Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer of the Finance Department Rev. Dr. James Miller, Executive Director, Department of Retirement Services Rev. Dr. John Green, Executive Director, Global Witness and Ministry Rev. Dr. Marcellus A. Norris, Executive Director, Department of Church Growth and Development Judicial Council Rev. Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine, Judicial Council – Clergy Rev. Dr. O. Jerome Green, Judicial Council - Clergy Advocate Thabile Ngubeni, Judicial Council - Lay Bishops Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman, 139th Elected & Consecrated Bishop Rev. Dr. Marvin C. Zanders, II, 140th Elected & Consecrated Bishop Rev. Dr. Francine C. Brookins, 141st Elected & Consecrated Bishop Rev. Dr. Frederick A. Wright, Sr., 142nd Elected & Consecrated Bishop General Conference Episcopal Assignments  Episcopal Assignment Bishop Retirement Date First Julius H. McAllister, Sr. (129) 2024 Second James Levert Davis (123) 2028 Third E. Earl McCloud, Jr. (127) 2028 Fourth John F. White, Sr. (130) 2024 Fifth Clement W. Fugh (131) 2024 Sixth Reginald T. Jackson (132) 2028 Seventh Samuel Lawrence Green, Sr. (125) 2036 Eighth Stafford J. N. Wicker (137) 2036 Ninth Harry Lee Seawright (133) 2032 Tenth Adam J. Richardson, Jr. (115) 2024 Eleventh Frank Madison Reid III (138) 2024 Twelfth Michael Leon Mitchell (134) 2036 Thirteenth E. Anne Henning Byfield (136) 2024 Fourteenth Paul JM Kawimbe (121) 2036 Fifteenth Silvester S. Beaman (139) 2036 Sixteenth Marvin C. Zanders II (140) 2040 Seventeenth David R. Daniels, Jr. (124) 2032 Eighteenth Francine A. Brookins (141) 2048 Nineteenth Ronnie E. Brailsford, Sr. (136) 2032 Twentieth Frederick A. Wright , Sr. (142) 2032 Ecumenical and Urban Affairs Jeffrey Nathaniel Leath, Sr. (128) 2032 Located                              Wilfred J. Messiah (120)                 2028     Remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris Installation for General Officers and Judicial Council Closing Worship Service and Consecration of Bishops General Conference Recap #3 General Conference Recap #4 Connectional Church School

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