The General Conference adjourned the afternoon of August 28.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 52nd Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church met from August 21-28, 2024, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Over 15,000 delegates and observers attended as the church’s supreme governance body to review and change the denomination’s laws and policies, receive reports from its agencies, and elect denominational leadership.
Acting President of the Council of Bishops, Silvester S. Beaman, affirms, “The General Conference is a unique space. In many ways, it reveals the best of God and the humanness of God’s people. At times, because of human emotions, the environment can be tense. Nevertheless, the wonder and beauty of God prevails. The AME Church has emerged renewed to continue God’s work in the world.”
In addition to the business of the General Conference, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Vice President Kamala D. Harris sent video greetings. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D, Ohio-3) delivered in-person remarks as well.
Among the major events at the General Conference included the announcement of a $20 million settlement with the plaintiffs engaged in the lawsuit over the AME Church Legacy Retirement Plan. Legislation was also adopted to increase transparency and financial controls for the denomination’s departments. The AME Sexual Ethics Discernment Committee formed by the 2021 General Conference recommended repealing the denomination’s ban on same-sex marriage. The recommendation was not accepted; however, the committee was authorized to continue its work and report again at the next General Conference. The AME Church became the first Black religious institution to pass a resolution on record to support reparations for African Americans.
At the General Conference, new Bishops, General Officers (Department Executives), and members of the Judicial Council were elected. Six incumbent General Officers were retained. New persons elected to leadership in the AME Church include:
Bishops
The Right Reverend Erika D. Crawford, 143rd Elected & Consecrated Bishop (formerly pastor of Mt. Zion AME Church, Dover, Del.)
The Right Reverend Julius H. McAllister, Jr., 144th Elected & Consecrated Bishop (formerly pastor of Bethel AME Church, Tallahassee, Fla.)
The Right Reverend Henry A. Belin III, 145th Elected & Consecrated Bishop (formerly pastor of First-Bethel AME Church in New York, N.Y.)
The Right Reverend Vernon R. Byrd, Jr., 146th Elected & Consecrated Bishop (pastor of St. Matthew AME Church, Philadelphia, Penn.)
The Right Reverend Jeffery B. Cooper, Sr. 147th Elected & Consecrated Bishop (General Secretary/CIO)
The Right Reverend Gregory V. Eason, Sr. 148th Elected and Consecrated Bishop (Flipper Temple AME Church, Atlanta, Ga.)
General Officers
Rev. Tyronda H. Burgess General Secretary/Chief Information Officer
Rev. Brian Blackwell, Executive Director, Department of Retirement Services
Rev. Dr. Mark K. Tyler Executive Director, Department of Research and Scholarship
Judicial Council
Members
Dr. Derek Anderson
Attorney Starr Battle
Judge Sandra Champ
Rev. Eduardo Curry, Eq.
Rev. Jimmie Williams
Judge Tania Wright
Alternates
Rev. Dr. Angela Bess
Ms. LaTrellis Dent
Rev. Shawn Drains
Chaplain Lieutenant Netetia Walker, USN
These elections marked several significant milestones. Bishop Crawford’s election was the first time in history that a woman was elected first in seniority in a class of bishops. Rev. Burgess is the first woman to hold the General Secretary/CIO role. Bishops Belin, Byrd, and McAllister are sons of Bishops; the fathers of Bishops Belin and Byrd were elected at the 1984 General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Also of note, the Right Reverend Wilfred Jacobus Messiah of South Africa will be the new Senior Bishop of the AME Church. The Senior Bishop is the longest-serving active Bishop in the denomination. Elected in 2004, Bishop Messiah is the first person not born in the United States to ascend to this role.
“We have come and empowered ourselves for greater service. We are committed to allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work. We leave this place rejuvenated for the tasks that lie ahead. Those tasks include sharing and empowering each member of the AME Church and others in our communities, our nation, and the world for effective witness in an ever-changing environment,” stated General Conference Commission Chair Bishop James L. Davis, Jr.
The AME Church General Conference will next meet in July 2028 in Kansas City, Missouri
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Contact:
John Thomas III
African Methodist Episcopal Church
6156010450
[email protected]
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