STRUCTURE OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 4

STRUCTURE OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 4 TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT Department of Christian Education CERTIFICATION PROGRAM The Rt. Rev. John R. Bryant, Presiding Bishop and Senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church The Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, Director of Christian Education The Rev. Ernest J. Garrison, Dean of Christian Education The Rev. Anita Marshall-School Superintendent The Rev. Walter R. Bauldrick, Host Presiding Elder, Milwaukee District The Rev. Theonita Bedford, Director of Christian Education, Milwaukee District Ernest J. Garrison, Facilitator

THE A. M. E. CHURCH STRUCTURE • LET’S REVIEW HOW THE CHURCH ESTABLISHES ITS STRUCTURE – The Connectional Church comes together every 4 year to elect Bishops, General Officers and vote on legislation of our church – Once a Bishop is elected, he/she will is consecrated to service for life. But can only preside over an Episcopal District until the General Conference preceding their 75 birthdate. – A Bishop is also assigned, by the Episcopal Committee to preside over an Episcopal District for the next quadrennial. The Bishop can be reassigned to that Episcopal District but only once. A Bishop can not serve an Episcopal District more than 8 years. – A Bishop is also appointed Chairperson of a General Office such as Christian Education, Missions, Annuities, etc.

THE A. M. E. CHURCH STRUCTURE • LET’S REVIEW HOW THE CHURCH ESTABLISHES ITS STRUCTURE – Also at the General Conference, the Church comes together to elect General Officers and vote on legislation of our church – The candidate for General Offices can be a layperson or clergy – The term of each general office is 4 -years and the person can be elected at each General Conference and can be re-elected until the General Conference preceding their 75 th birthdate.

OUR STRUCTURE • The African Methodist Episcopal Church is a connectional organization. Each local church is a part of the larger connection.

• The Bishops are the Chief Officers of the Connectional Organization. They are elected for life by a majority vote of the General Conference which meets every four years. Bishops are bound by the laws of the church to retire upon the General Conference preceding their 75 th birthday.

PRESIDING ELDER • Presiding Elders are the assistants, like middle management, whom the Bishops appoint to supervise the preachers in a Presiding Elder’s District. A Presiding Elder District is one portion of an Annual Conference, which in turn is one part of the Episcopal District over which a Bishop presides. In the Presiding Elder District, the appointed Presiding Elder meets with the local churches, that comprise the District, at least once every three months for a Quarterly Conference. The Presiding Elder also presides over a District Conference and a Sunday School Convention in his or her District. At the end of an Annual Conference year, the Presiding Elder reports to the Bishop at the Annual Conference and makes recommendations for pastoral appointments.

PASTOR • Pastors receive a yearly appointment to a charge (church), on the recommendation of the Presiding Elder and with the approval and final appointment of the Bishop. The pastor is in full charge of the Church and is an ex-official member of all boards, organizations and clubs of that Church.

STRUCTURE OF A. M. E. CHURCH General Conference Commission Board of Trustees GENERAL CONFERENCE Delegates from Episcopal Districts Judicial Council of Bishops Committees General Board Episcopal District Commissions Annual Conference Departments Presiding Elder District Local Church/Station

THE CONNECTIONAL CHURCH 1) THE GENERAL CONFERENCE The General Conference is the supreme body of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It is composed of the Bishops, as ex-officio presidents, according to the rank of election, and an equal number of ministerial and lay delegates, elected by each of the Annual Conferences and the Lay Electoral Colleges of the Annual Conferences. Other exofficio members are: the General Officers, College Presidents, Deans/Presidents of Theological Seminaries; Chaplains in the Regular Armed Forces of the U. S. A. The General Conference meets quadrennially (every four years), but may have extra sessions in certain emergencies.

THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS 2) COUNCIL OF BISHOPS The Council of Bishops is the Executive Branch of the Connectional Church. It has the general oversight of the Church during the interim of General Conferences. The Council of Bishops shall meet annually at such time and place as the majority of the Council shall determine and also at such other times as may be deemed necessary in the discharging its responsibility as the Executive Branch of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Council of Bishops shall hold at least two public sessions at each annual meeting. At the first, complaints and petitions against a Bishop shall be heard, at the second, the decisions of the Council shall be made public. All decisions shall be in writing.

GENERAL BOARD 3) BOARD OF INCORPORATORS The Board of Incorporators, also known as the General Board of Trustees, has the supervision, In Trust, of all Connectional property of the Church and is vested with authority to act in behalf of the Connectional Church wherever necessary.

GENERAL BOARD 4) THE GENERAL BOARD The General Board is in many respects the administrative body and is comprised of various departmental Commissions made up of the respective Executive-Director, the General Secretary of the AME Church, the Chief Financial Officer, the members of the various Commissions, and one Bishop as presiding officer with the other Bishops associating.

SUPREME COURT OF THE CHURCH 5) JUDICIAL COUNCIL The Judicial Council is the highest judicatory body of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It is an appellate court, elected by the General Conference, and is amenable to it.

STRUCTURE OF A. M. E. CHURCH GENERAL CONFERENCE Delegates from Episcopal Districts The Members of the General Board are the Bishops, General Officers and delegates (Clergy & Lay) from each Episcopal District. They are to serve for a quadrennial which is 4 years. They can be reelected until age 75. General Officers are elected to Head Ministries of the Church for a term of 4 years. GENERAL BOARD Bishops, General Officers Episcopal District Delegates General Officers can be reelected each quadrennial until age 75. BOARD OF BISHOP Bishops of the Church General Officers of the Church General Secretary Annuity & Investments Treasurer Christian Education Historiographer Church Growth &Development Sunday School Union Christian Recorder Missions & Global Witness

STRUCTURE OF A. M. E. CHURCH GENERAL CONFERENCE Delegates from Episcopal Districts Connectional Officers are elected by their respective Ministries at the seat of their respective Connectional Conventions or Convocations. GENERAL BOARD Bishops, General Officers Episcopal District Delegates Each connectional officer can not serve for more then two terms, or eight years. BOARD OF BISHOP Bishops of the Church Connectional Officers of the Church Women Missionary Society Women In Ministry Lay Organization Judicial Council Young. People Division Social Action Clergy Family Organization Presiding Elders Fellowship Church Educators

STRUCTURE OF 4 TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH BISHOP The Rev. John Richard Bryant Presiding Prelate The Rev. Dr. Cecilia W. Bryant Episcopal Supervisor EVANGELISM CHRISTIAN EDUCATION The Bishop will then appoint and assign Department Heads to the ministries of the District. YOUNG ADULT NETWORK LAY ORGANIZATION J. Fidal Young Madge White CLERGY FAMILY ORG. HEALTH COMMISSION WOMEN IN MINISTRY Anita Lemmons Vickie Mc. Cullough Rev. Debra Williams Rev. Jerry Hatter Rev. Reginald Blount WOMEN MISSIONARY SOCIETY Joyce Keys 4 TH DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR Jo Ann Hawkins White 4 th DISTRICT OFFICE SECRETARY Lajuna Edge

STRUCTURE OF 4 TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH BISHOP The Bishop is then authorized to appoint the Presiding Elders whose job is to oversee the business of the Conferences during the absence of the Bishop. The Rev. John Richard Bryant Presiding Prelate The Rev. Dr. Cecilia W. Bryant Episcopal Supervisor They become more/less an immediate supervisor or the pastors in the Conference They are required to meet quarterly with each church to report on the status and condition of each congregation and minister CANADIAN CONFERENCE CHICAGO Milwaukee District CHICAGO North District CHICAGO South District Tracey Thomas Walter R. Bauldrick Albert D. Tyson, III Thomas M. Hughes CHICAGO St. Paul Minneapolis Alphonse Reff, Sr. ILLINOIS North District ILLINOIS South District INDIANA North District Tyson Parks Gary Mc. Cants Ann Henning Byfield INDIANA South District Samuel L. Sumner MICHIGAN North District H. Michael Lemmons MICHIGAN South District Norman V. Osborne

STRUCTURE OF 4 TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH PRESIDING ELDER DISTRICT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION EVANGELISM YOUNG ADULT NETWORK The Bishop will then appoint and assign Department Heads to the ministries of the District. LAY ORGANIZATION Optional WOMEN MISSIONARY SOCIETY Optional CLERGY FAMILY ORG. Optional HEALTH COMMISSION WOMEN IN MINISTRY

STRUCTURE OF THE LOCAL A. M. E. CHURCH PASTOR The Official Board is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the church as directed by the pastor. The Official Board shall be composed of all the Class Leaders, Exhorters, Deaconess. Stewardess, Trustees, Stewardesses and Presidents of all organizations including the Lay Organization (Pg. 83, Paragraph B. ) OFFICAL BOARD Exhorters Class Leader Deaconess Stewards Trustees Stewardess Presidents of all organizations * Local Preachers are honorary members STEWARD BOARD CLASS LEADERS WOMEN MISSIONARY 1 st SOCIETY CHRISTIAN EDUCATION YOUNG PEOPLE DIVISION LAY ORGANIZATION TRUSTEE BOARD USHER BOARD SUNDAY SCHOOL MUSIC

STRUCTURE OF THE LOCAL A. M. E. CHURCH QUARTERY CONFERENCE Presiding Elder PASTOR STEWARD BOARD STEWARDSHIP & FINANCE MEMBERSHIP EVANGELISM CHRISTIAN EDUCATION SOCIAL ACTION HEALTH STEWARDESS BOARD MISSIONS & WELFARE PUBLIC RELATIONS PRAISE & WORSHIP

STRUCTURE OF TRUSTEE BOARD Chairperson Pastor Board of Trustees BUILDING GROUNDS KITCHEN TRANSPORTATION SANCTUARY OTHER

THE COMMISSION STRUCTURE OF LOCAL CHURCH There may be constituted in each local church the following commission, whose respective duties are hereinafter defined: (1) The Commission on Membership and Evangelism (2) The Commission on Christian Education (3) The Commission on Missions and Welfare (4) The Commission on Stewardship & Finance (5) The Commission on Public Relations (6) The Commission on Christian Social Actions (7) The Commission on Health Page 74 -80, “Optional Local Church Organization Commission in the Local Church The 2012 Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

THE COMMISSION STRUCTURE OF LOCAL A. M. E. CHURCH • The pastor shall be the chairperson of the Commission on Stewardship and Finance and the ex-officio chairperson on the other commissions. The chairperson of each commission shall be a steward and therefore a member of the Official Board and Quarterly Conference to which he or she is amenable, with the exception of the Commission on Missions and Welfare, whose chairperson may be either a steward or a trustee. They shall make monthly reports to the Official Board and also quarterly reports to the Quarterly Conference. The members shall be elected by the church conference, except that of the Commission on Christian Education. Page 74, “Optional Local Church Organization Commission in the Local Church The 2012 Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

COMMISSION STRUCTURE OF LOCAL A. M. E. CHURCH • Each commission shall be composed of no fewer than three nor more than seven members who are in good and regular standing in the A. M. E. Church and eighteen years of age or over. This rule may not apply in the case of mission charges, and does not apply to the Commission on Stewardship and Finance, which shall be composed of an equal number of stewards and trustees plus Official Board members-at-large. The total number of persons on this commission shall not be fewer than three (3) nor more than nine (9). Each commission shall cooperate with the Connectional and Annual Conference Commissions. Page 74, “Optional Local Church Organization Commission in the Local Church The 2012 Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church