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Tuesday, December 16, 2025
The Christian Recorder - Introducing the Blessings from the 17th Episcopal District
By Supervisor Rev. Dr. Melinda Contreras-Byrd, 17th Episcopal District
Join me as I look back on August of last year–the exuberance of seeing the Rev. Vernon Byrd, Jr.’s name listed among the Bishops of the church! We were excited to be assigned to Africa. Afterwards, we were overjoyed to meet our district leaders. There were hugs all around. In a low voice, one person said, “You ain’t never been no place like this before!” Smiling, I assured them that I had been to several African countries. Yet, once more, they repeated those words. It wasn’t long before I realized that they were correct!
Bishop Byrd asked a question, and the room fell silent. Thinking he must not have been heard, he repeated it: “Where is the Episcopal residence in Zambia?” he innocently asked. Once more—dead silence. One brave soul dared to speak the unhappy answer to the question: “We do have one, Bishop… but it’s uninhabitable.”
We later learned that the Bishops before us had spent quite a bit of money to build what was once a beautiful residence. Unfortunately, at some point, the marauders of the night had taken the beautiful wood, piping, doors, etc., leaving the once-beautiful residence a shell of itself.
I searched the internet to learn about the district, and found that of the five countries to which we had been assigned, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo Brazzaville were listed among the most impoverished and underdeveloped in the world.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have been engaged in civil wars, and the DRC is presently attempting to recover from a civil war that is cited to have left some 3 million people without homes, clothing, food, and living in encampments, and traveling to Zambia took 29 hours. Nevertheless, God has been on the ground through the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Longtime friend and miracle worker in the DRC, AME Presiding Elder John Weaver was able to aid Bishop Byrd in getting food to those in the nearby encampment, although some other NGOs had been blocked from doing so.
Bishop Byrd’s recent visit found Rwanda to be beautiful, impeccably clean, and organized. Praise God for their incredible recovery and a shining example of a truth that few seem to understand. The truth is that when left alone and not ravaged for its riches or colonized by bigoted outsiders, Africa can rule itself quite well!
The Good News is that, due to Bishop Byrd’s visits to Rwanda and the DRC, I was introduced to women there and began the first AMEC WMS in both Rwanda and the DRC!
The well-organized WMS in Zambia was overjoyed to be able to include their other sisters in their planning and meeting. The women in both Rwanda and the DRC were excited and emotional, stating that they now felt a part of the AMEC.
Because of recent health struggles, I have been unable to travel for more than a day, which is the time it takes to get to the 17th District. But God has sent Zoom to “help a sistah out!” Despite technical and electrical issues and the lengthy time meetings take due to the need to translate everything into two languages, successful WMS programming has been achieved in Zambia, Rwanda, and the DRC.
All of our programs aim to increase spiritual enrichment and teach women marketable entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to provide for their families.
Rwanda
The Women’s Missionary Society of (WMS) Rwanda initiated “The Rabbit Project” in July 2025 as part of its economic empowerment and food security mission. The project aimed to provide vulnerable and low-income women with an accessible and sustainable means of income through rabbit farming. With the initial goal of teaching 30 women, financial assistance from the Revs. Drs. Ray and Gloria Hammond of Bethel AMEC Boston, and Dr. Iva Carruthers of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference, St. Matthew AMEC Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia-area WMS, we were able to graduate 89 women from the program.
We had:
A 95% survival rate of the rabbits.
Over 60% of the female rabbits gave birth, with litters ranging from 6 to 9 kits.
22 women reported already selling 2–4 rabbits each, earning between 10,000 and 25,000 RWF.
18 women reported improved household nutrition due to consuming rabbit meat.
The Democratic Republic of Congo
The program selected by this WMS was entitled “Empowering Women through Basket Weaving in Goma”, to teach 30 widows and war survivors the art of basket weaving as a financial resource. This 3-month program had the slogan "Sharing God's Love, Transforming Lives". Women aged 40-60 were targeted as the first participants. With financial help from the Rev. Charles Wilkins, the Rev. Regena Thomas, sister Grend Reid, and the Grant Chapel AMEC, New Jersey, we were able to increase the program, pay translators and teachers, and offer snacks to participants.
With the help of licensed Black psychologists and Christian/pastoral counselors from across the U.S. who have volunteered their time and talent, we are beginning the work of offering two six-week therapeutic groups for adults experiencing the effects of war trauma/PTSD.
Zambia
The Zambian AMEC district WMS continues to address the issue of poverty and
food insecurity, in varied ways:
Offering an outreach ministry supporting local hospitals with food and bedding.
Creating female entrepreneurs by teaching the marketable skills of tailoring and dressmaking. (Because of the benevolence of the Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Deforrest and Donna Soaries, two additional sewing machines were purchased).
A food program for orphans and vulnerable children
Assuming the responsibility to paint the orphanage as well!
I give thanks to those who supported these programs and to all the Supervisors who came before me.
We need your help to keep the programming going. Every little bit will help.
Your money will be used for:
Purchasing food for those living in critical levels of food insecurity
Paying modest stipends to translators and teachers
Purchasing additional sewing machines and other sewing materials
Purchasing one male and one female rabbit for each participant
Required medical exam and shots for each rabbit
Cages, food, and other necessities for rabbit care
The cost for travel to U.S. conferences (fees, room, and board for connectional WMS meetings) for one person is about $5,000! Sending a 17-lb. box via UPS to Zambia costs $1,500. (Other venues are similarly priced).
To support, please send checks made out to the "17th Episcopal District AMEC WMS" to
Supervisor Rev. Dr. Melinda Contreras-Byrd P.O. Box 181 Rocky Hill, New Jersey 08553.
The Christian Recorder is the official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the oldest continuously produced publication by persons of African descent.
Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Chair of the General Board Commission on Publications Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, President/Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union Dr. John Thomas III, Editor of The Christian Recorder
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