An Annuity Controversy Did Not Begin in the Last Decade or Two By Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath
 I was a youth clergy member of the General Board 1980-1984. In that quadrennium, a crusade for a better annuity/pension system found voice in the late Rev. Dr. Henry A. Hildebrand. The complaint was crystal clear: we need a system that affords participants the opportunity to direct at least a portion of their investment, and we need to invest with companies that pay higher interest. Wherever money is involved, there are trust issues. When the Church moved from a “pension” system to an “annuity” system, participants received statements reflecting deposits, fees, and balances. We “believed” the money was “ours” being held and invested by the church. We did not think the Church could decide to give us less than what we contributed plus interest.
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A Love Letter to Our Clergy-Servants, Forgive Us! From the Heart of Lay Persons
By Sis. Cynthia Gordon-Floyd, Contributing Writer and Sis. Penny Oliver
We acknowledge our silence as we sat with you in Nashville, Tennessee, in December 2021 as you listened to the Department of Retirement Services report that 66% of your retirement savings was gone. We sat with you in disbelief. We sat in silence.We acknowledge our silence. We acknowledge our silence, as we have asked you to constantly be attentive to our needs, pain, and struggles. Yet, whenyou needed us to be attentive to your needs, your pain, and your struggles, we sat by quietly and followed behind those who led us to this egregious loss.
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AME Farm and Garden Initiative: Growing Together to Strengthen Community Through Local Food Systems
By Jennifer Oliver, Ph. D.
 The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical importance of robust local food systems for resilience, sustainability, and community well-being. In 2021, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church International Health Commission launched the AME Farm and Garden Initiative in response to rising food insecurity at both local and national levels. This initiative aims to connect, catalog, and provide resources to AME Churches and associated institutions interested in establishing or maintaining gardens or farms. Read More Here |
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The SHIFT Leadership Program Celebrates 3 Years Impacting Pastoral Well-being
In this fast-paced and demanding world of pastoral ministry, clergy well-being is paramount. The pressures of leadership, the emotional toll of caring for others, and the challenges of balancing personal and professional responsibilities can all take a toll on those called to serve in pastoral roles. Recognizing the need for support and growth in this area, the SHIFT program, funded by the Lilly Endowment, began in 2020 as a transformative initiative to focus on enhancing pastoral well-being through self-awareness. Read More Here |
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Street Marker Unveiled to Honor the late Rev. Dr. E. E. Coates, Pastor Emeritus of Wesley AME Church in Houston
 With unanimous approval by the Houston City Council, an honorary street marker bearing the name of the Rev. E. E. Coates was unveiled on May 13, 2024, in a very moving ceremony presented by Wesley and the City of Houston. Wesley’s pastoral team, the Rev. John White, II and the Rev. Maria Mallory White, and Houston’s Mayor John Whitmire greeted the throng of well-wishers gathered to witness this momentous occasion. The marker is located at the intersection of Emancipation Avenue and Webster Street in Third Ward, where the historic Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Church that the Rev. Coates pastored has stood for more than a century.
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Guilty 34 Times: Will We Be Guilty, Too?
By Reverend Monica C. Jones, Ph. D.
 I was sitting in my living room when I heard the first count of the verdict: Guilty. The second count: Guilty. As I listened to counts 3-34, hearing “Guilty” on each one, I screamed, “Praise God!” I felt enormous relief, thinking that, finally, we see accountability. Then I realized this was not the end for us; it was simply the beginning of the next stage. A guilty verdict does not a victory win. We have to fight all the harder as anger, hate, and revenge will be the order of the day for those who embrace corruption and greed. Instead of the incidents of violence curbing, we may very well see an escalation. What can we do? We can respond with a definitive call to action: Let’s not be guilty of complacency. |
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April Edition of The Christian Recorder |
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 | | Watch this broadcast on June 11 at 6PM EST |
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2024 General Board and Council of Bishops Meeting By TCR Staff
 From June 23-26, 2024, the members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church gathered for the annual General Board and Council of Bishops Meeting at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The Investiture Worship Service for Bishop Frank M. Reid III as the President of the Council of Bishops was held on the evening of June 23. Retired Senior Bishop John R. Bryant preached a provocative message, “Go Back and Get Him” from Acts 2:36-41. Read More Here |
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Prayer For Our Quadrennial Conference
August 21-28, 2024, will be a historic time for the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Historic because this will be our first quadrennial, post-pandemic, where we can breathe a physical and spiritual breath of fresh air. As we reflect on the constraints of 2021, we prayerfully expect to experience a move of God like never before freely.
We are asking all members of our Zion to join us in prayer. Your prayers, alongside those of Bishop Sarah Frances Davis Covenant Keepers and Intercessors, are crucial for a spirit-filled General Conference, for decently conducted business, and for God’s will to be fulfilled in all our efforts. We will have onsite prayer available to all who desire special intercession. The prayer room will be open and staffed by intercessors during all the hours of the Conference. Please pray effectually and fervently for the team and the conference.
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The Ascension, the Heavenly Places, and the Call to Work
By Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. —Mark 16:19-20
May is known for Mother’s Day, May Day, graduations, and springtime blooms. Sometimes the Christian calendar also brings the annual celebration of the birth of the Church in May: Pentecost. All these beautiful occasions invite us to new life, hope, and possibilities, as does Easter. This year both Asension Sunday and Pentecost happen during this month of May for many Christians. But Ascension Sunday often does not get as much attention as the holy days of Easter and Pentecost—but still, this day is important.
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