The full text of Approved Legislation is available by clicking “Entire Text.” Revisions of the Constitutions and Bylaws of Components of the the AMEC will not be posted.

	Bill #	Title	Click button for complete Legislation text (PDF Files)
1.	DB-1	Same Sex Marriage
2.	DB-2	Article #23 Articles of Religion Allegiance of Civil Authority
3.	DB-3	Celebrating the Founding of the AME Church in Global Ministry
4.	IP-1	Article of Incorporation of AMEC, Inc., Property
5.	IP-2	Captive Insurance Incorporation
6.	CM-2	The Election of Trustees
7.	CM-3	Local Church Choir
8.	MN-1	Retired Ministers
9.	MN-2	Lay Ministry
10.	GBD-1	Global Development Council
11.	GBD-2	Field Representatives of the General Officers
12.	GBD-6	Revised Constitution and By Laws of the WMS
13.	GBD-7	AME WIM By Laws
14.	GBD-16	Connectional Music Department By Laws
15.	GBD-20	RAYAC Constitution and By Laws
16.	GBD-33	Sons of Allen Leadership
17.	GBD-34	Sons of Allen Preamble
18.	GBD-27	General Budget Enforcement
19.	GBD-36	Organization of the Health Commission on the Continent of Africa
20.	CC-1	District Conference Committee on Ministerial Orders
21.	CC-2	Redistricting Episcopal Districts
22.	CC-3	Annual Episcopal District Audit
23.	CC-4	General Conference Composition – Resizing
24.	CC-7	General Conference Legislation
25.	CC-12	General Conference Compositions
26.	JD-15	Revision of Policy on Sexual Misconduct
27.	JD-9	AMEC Retirement Annuity and Insurance Plan
28.	JD-10	AMEC Retirement Board
29.	JD-11	Retirement Board Membership
30.	JD-12	AME Department of Employee Security
31.	JD-17	Ministerial Annuities Plan

Under Rule #28, the General Secretary cast a unanimous ballot for the following unopposed candidates:

Secretary/Treasure of the Sunday School Union
Dr. Johnny Barbour

Executive Director of Global Witness and Ministry
Dr. George F. Flowers

Executive Director of the Department of Employee Security
Dr. Jerome Harris

Treasure/Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Richard Allen Lewis

Judicial Council, Lay Member
Dr. J.B. Flowers, Jr.

Judicial Council, Lay Alternate
Tania E. Wright

Judicial Council, Clergy Alternates
The Reverend Glenda F. Hodges
The Reverend Delman Howard

Director, Church Growth & Development

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Ballot 2	Remarks
6	Melvin Capers	129	50
7	La’Tanya Floyd	268		Withdrew after 1st ballot
8	Carl Hunter	563	628
9	James Wade	665	884	Declared elected

Secretary-Treasurer, Christian Education

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Ballot 2	Remarks
10	L. Anthony Gatewood	63	25
11	Darryl Ingram	641	754	Declared Elected
12	Earl Jefferson	600	548
13	Roosevelt Morris	244	154

Historiographer/Director of Research & Scholarship/Editor of AME Review

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Remarks
15	Adonis Booyse	226
16	Dennis Dickerson	1383	Declared Elected

Editor, Christian Recorder

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Ballot 2	Ballot 3	Remarks
18	Michael Carson	347	295	218
19	Amanda Johnson	183	73	31
20	Wilfred Lewis	116			Withdrew after 1st ballot
21	W. Jerome McClain	206	156		Withdrew after 2nd ballot
22	Carrie Nobles	325	367	399
23	Calvin Sydnor	412	640	873	Declared Elected

Judicial Council, Clergy (elect two)

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Remarks
25	James Golden	829
26	Vonciel Hill	835	Declared Elected
27	Leeomia Kelly	882	Declared Elected
28	E. Holmes Matthews	389

Bishops, Districts 1-13 (elect five)

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Ballot 2	Ballot 3	Ballot 4	Ballot 5	Remarks
33	Linda Alford	33	7				Withdrew
34	James Arnell	190	260				Withdrew
35	Leroy Attles	177	197				Withdrew
36	Simon Bouie	32	17	5
37	Thomas Brown, Jr.	311	476	490	116		Withdrew
38	Sidney Bryant	111	85	40	6
39	George Champion, Sr.	142	55	44			Withdrew
40	Casey Childs, II	37	10	5			Withdrew
41	Horace Cooper, Sr.	1	3
43	James L. Davis	588	769				ELECTED
45	Sarah Frances Davis	390	609	716			ELECTED
46	Albert Dunn	6	2	4
47	Joseph Fadehan	1	4				Withdrew
48	John Gillison	78					Withdrew
49	Samuel Green, Sr.	480	674	878			ELECTED
50	Carolyn Guidry	549	776				ELECTED
51	Earl Harris	86	91				Withdrew
52	James Harris	59					Withdrew
54	Terrence Hensford	51					Withdrew
55	Kenneth Hill	186	134				Withdrew
56	Winton Hill, III	21					Withdrew
57	Larry Hinton	52					Withdrew
58	James Hooper	70					Withdrew
59	Reginald Jackson	307	551	596			Withdrew
60	Alvan Johnson, Jr.	77					Withdrew
61	Donald Jordan, Sr.	109					Withdrew
93	Robert J. King						Withdrew prior to 1st ballot
63	John Lambert	86					Withdrew
64	Jeffrey Leath	245	219				Withdrew
67	Julius McAllister, Sr.	350	611	711	669	683
68	Earl McCloud, Jr.	408	611	704	727	783	ELECTED
69	Dorsey McCullough	67	25				Withdrew
74	Frederick Murph	87					Withdrew
76	Willie Norful, Sr.	123	289	76			Withdrew
78	Allen Wayne Parrott	182					Withdrew
79	Frank Madison Reid, III	299					Withdrew
80	Wesley Reid	120					Withdrew
81	Leonard Santucci	1	4	4
94	Daniel Simmons	34					Withdrew
84	William Smith, Jr.	99					Withdrew
85	Ricky Spain	102					Withdrew
86	Jimmy Thompson	107					Withdrew
87	D. Albert Turk	35					Withdrew
88	George Tyler	97	51	16
89	Albert Tyson, III	135					Withdrew
90	Isaiah Waddy	86					Withdrew
91	John White	329	397				Withdrew
92	Trevor Woolridge	4					Withdrew

Bishops, Districts 14-19 (elect three)

#	Candidate	Ballot 1	Ballot 2	Ballot 3	Remarks
42	David Daniels, Jr.	622	706	1391	ELECTED
44	Louis Davis	125	77	180
53	Uklyn Hendrick	42	48		Withdrew
62	Paul Kawimbe	663	844		ELECTED
65	Jeremiah Lesshope				Withdrew before voting
66	Andrew Lewin	640	664		Withdrew
70	Phafane Mengoai	62			Withdrew
71	Wilfred Messiah	953			ELECTED
72	N. Jordan Mkwanazi	336	224		Withdrew
73	Mpho Moruakgomo	251	204		Withdrew
75	Theophilus Natter	29			Withdrew
77	Noah Nyamaropa	107			Withdrew
82	Magnus Scott	276	167		Withdrew
83	Tsele Setai	158			Withdrew

Summary of Ballot Results Election of Bishops

First Ballot:	Votes
Bishop Wilfred Messiah	953	120th Bishop
Second Ballot:
Bishop Paul Kawimbe	844	121st Bishop
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry	776	122nd Bishop
Bishop James L. Davis	769	123rd Bishop
Third Ballot:
Bishop David Daniels	1391	124th Bishop
Bishop Samuel Green	878	125th Bishop
Bishop Sarah Davis	716	126th Bishop
Fifth Ballot:
Bishop E. Earl McCloud	783	127th Bishop

The above represents a correction to the earlier (July 12, 2004) posting, that
complies with the Rules of the Election Commission and the record of the General
Secretary.

The eight days that the 47th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church met in Indianapolis, Indiana, went like a whirlwind, clearing previous records in every respect.

The Opening Service was filled with all of the pageantry that we have come to expect at such events. Youth from America and Africa danced as flags from every nation in the Connectional A. M. E. Church made their way to the dais. Bishop Henry Allen Belin, Jr., Presiding Bishop over South Carolina and 104th Bishop in order of Election, preached the opening sermon, “Can We Agree,” based upon II Corinthians 13.

From there things began to escalate.

Dr. Clement W. Fugh, incumbent General Secretary/CIO, reelected by acclamation.

Dr. Harold Mayberry, pastor of First A.M.E. Church, Oakland, CA, was elected Chairperson of the prestigious Episcopal Committee. This is the General Conference Committee that examines and assigns bishops.

• The first legislative action taken was a unanimous vote objecting to the performance, sanctioning or participation in same sex marriage.

• Eight bishops were retired:
  1. Bishop John Hurst Adams, 87th
  2. Bishop Frederick Hilborn Talbot, 90th
  3. Bishop Hamel Hartford Brookins, 91st
  4. Bishop Vinton Randolph Anderson, 92nd
  5. Bishop Frank Curtis Cummings, 95th
  6. Bishop Henry Allen Belin, Jr., 104th
  7. Bishop Vernon Randolph Byrd, 105th
  8. Bishop Zedekiah LaZett Grady, 111th

• New General Officers elected:

Dr. Daryl Ingram, Executive Director, Department of Christian Education, formerly Presiding Elder of the Greater Fort Worth District, Ft. Worth, TX.	Rev. James Wade, Executive Director, Department of Church Growth and Development, formerly pastor of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church, Evanston, IL.	Rev. Calvin Sydnor, Editor, A.M.E. Christian Recorder, Retired U.S. Army Col. And Assistant Professor of Ethics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA.

• Eight Bishops were elected, among this number were two women, and three persons from the Continent of Africa.

1. Bishop Wilfred Messiah, 120th (Bishop in succession) from the Republic of South Africa.	2. Bishop Paul J. Kawimbe, 121st, from Zambia, Central Africa.	3. Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, 122nd, formerly presiding elder, Los Angeles/Pasadena District, Southern California Conference.	4. Bishop James Lavert Davis, 123rd, formerly pastor of Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, Atlanta, GA.
5. Bishop David Daniels, 124th, Native of Liberia, West Africa, pastoring Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church, West Columbia, South Carolina.	6. Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., 125th, from St. Mark A.M.E. Church, Orlando, FL.	7. Bishop Sarah Frances Davis, 126th, from Bethel A.M.E. Church, San Antonio, TX	8. Bishop E. Earl McCloud, Jr., 127th, formerly pastor of First A.M.E. Church, Atlanta, GA.

• Senator John Kerry, Democratic Presidential candidate, addressed the General Conference.

 

• The General Budget was increased by 12.88% above the 2000-2004 level by the adoption of ‘Option 3.’ Provision for expenses relative to the creation of a new episcopal district - District 20 - and the funding of annuity accounts for newly elected bishops and general officers, raised the net increase of the 2004-2008 General Budget to 13.7% of the 2000-2004 level. Payments are to be made quarterly beginning with 25% by June 15; 50% by September 15; 75% by December 15; and payment in full (100%) by March 15 of each year.

• Closing Worship – Bishop John Hurst Adams, 87th Bishop, Senior Bishop retiring, and preached the Consecration Sermon: “Old Wine in New Skins: Reclaiming the Historical Greatness of the African Methodist Episcopal Church,” text, St. Matthew 9:17.

• Bishop Philip Robert Cousin, 96th Bishop in succession of election and presiding bishop of the 4th Episcopal District, became Senior Bishop.

• Assignment of Bishops for 2004-2008

Assignment	Bishop	Number	Retirement Date
Ecumenical Officer	E. Earl McCloud, Jr	127th	2028
1st Episcopal Dist.	Richard Franklin Norris	116th	2016
2nd Episcopal Dist.	Adam Jefferson Richardson	115th	2024
3rd Episcopal Dist.	Robert Vaughn Webster	110th	2008
4th Episcopal Dist.	Philip Robert Cousin	96th	2008
5th Episcopal Dist.	John Richard Bryant	106th	2016
6th Episcopal Dist.	William Phillips DeVeaux	113th	2016
7th Episcopal Dist.	Preston Warren Williams, II	119th	2012
8th Episcopal Dist.	Cornal Garnett Henning, Sr.	112th	2012
9th Episcopal Dist.	Theodore Larry Kirkland	114th	2016
10th Episcopal Dist.	Gregory G. M. Ingram	118th	2020
11th Episcopal Dist.	McKinley Young	109th	2020
12th Episcopal Dist.	Richard Allen Chappelle, Sr.	108th	2008
13th Episcopal Dist.	Vashti Murphy McKenzie	117th	2020
14th Episcopal Dist.	David Rwhynica Daniels, Jr.	124th	2032
15th Episcopal Dist.	Samuel L. Green, Sr.	125th	2036
16th Episcopal Dist.	Carolyn Tyler Guidry	122nd	2012
17th Episcopal Dist.	Paul J. Kawimbe	121st	2036
18th Episcopal Dist.	Sarah Frances Davis	126th	2024
19th Episcopal Dist.	James Levert Davis	123rd	2028
20th Episcopal Dist.	Wilfred Messiah	120th	2028

COMING SOON

• Election Results
• Approved Legislation

In the spirit of Celebration, the Forty-Seventh Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church officially opened in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Indianapolis Convention Center and RCA Dome. As your Re-elected General Conference Secretary and Chief Information Officer, I will be presenting daily highlights and activities of the General Conference. Today’s report will highlight the Opening Worship Service.

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 (First Day)
Indianapolis, Indiana

OPENING
WORSHIP SERVICE
Worship Leader, Senior Bishop John Hurst Adams
Presiding Bishop of the 11th Episcopal District

 

---

THE
SERMON

104th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the AME Church
Presiding Bishop of the 7^th Episcopal District
Subject: "Can We Agree?"
Text: 2 Corinthians 13

He preached a powerful, anointed message. His reflection on fifty plus years in the ministry was a challenging achievement to be emulated. May he continue to walk in Grace.

---

 

The Transfer of the Medallion

In the worship service, the rotation of leadership of the Council of Bishops was acknowledged with a brief ceremony. The outgoing president, Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, came forward to pass the mantle of leadership to Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie. The effective date of her ascension was June 15, 2004, but the context gave us all an opportunity to witness the transfer.

When the morning of June 29, 2004, dawns, we–the spiritual sons and daughters of Richard and Sarah Allen–will begin arriving in Indianapolis. We will come by way of our cars, our vans, chartered buses, by air, by train–but we will come: the young, the old, the hierarchy of the church, the elected delegates and alternates, the observers and the visitors. We will come up from the South, African Methodism’s stronghold; from the North and East with their great urban cities; from the West where the Church stretches from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean; from Bermuda, the West Indies, and Mother Africa. We will come as we always have–every four years–with hope in hearts that this session of the General Conference will break new ground by correcting the ills that beset us and addressing those issues that threaten our survival as God’s relevant institution of today.

Many will gather, but many others will have answered the roll call. Among these latter, however, are those, I feel, whose spirits still hover over us, hoping that we will remember their love for and their contributions to African Methodism. So on their behalf–the departed giants of yesteryear–I would have your remember them.

On behalf of Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom who stirred the conscience of the Church at the February, 1928, Session of the Council of Bishops in Birmingham, Alabama, with his sermon “The Church of the Living God, Pillar and Ground of the Truth,” in which he dealt specifically with the problems of burdensome assessments.

On behalf of the Reverends Elmer Reid (brother of Bishop Frank Reid, Sr.), M. E. Jackson (former pastor of Bridge Street, Brooklyn), and Dr. G. L. Jackson of Tennessee who wrote and signed their names to the challenging statement leading up to the1928 General Conference entitled “Reformation or Revolution?”

On behalf of the courageous ministers who at the 1928 General Conference in Chicago were responsible for the resolution creating the “eight-year” law in order to protect the many ministers who had suffered because of the abuse of the appointive power of some bishops: the Reverends Joseph Gomez (author of the resolution and later the 67th bishop), D.O. Walker (later the 66th bishop), Henry Young Tooks (later the 56th bishop), E. A. Adams (later Secretary of Education), George A. Singleton (later Editor of the AME Review and Christian Recorder).

On behalf of the Brotherhood and their supporters on the Bench of Bishops who advocated and established for the first time at the 1956 General Conference a General Budget Fund, the General Board, and an Episcopal Fund.

On behalf of the former candidates for the bishopric committed to change who were not elected: The Reverends Charles Leander Hill; Archibald Carey; Ralph Jackson; Larry Odom; Fred Coleman, Jr.; Sylvester Cousin; Sam Davis, Lutrelle Long, et al.

On behalf of the floor leaders of the past who were willing to ask the hard questions and press for candid answers–A. Lewis Williams, Woody Hall, James Oxley, Ulysses Hughey, J. D. Williams, et al.

And on the behalf of Joseph C. McKinney, committed layperson par excellence, who is absent only because of illness—

Who will today write or speak for them? Who will advocate today for greater accountability to restore the confidence of our members?

We say very quickly, “We love our church.” We get emotional during a worship service; we sing, pray, preach, and shout and someone cries out, “Who said the Church is dying?” We reiterate, “We love thy Church, O God; we love the AME Church.” But sometimes this uncritical love is not enough!

Uncritical love is not enough when we see the Church through the narrow lenses of “What’s best for me?” rather than “What’s best for the Church of Jesus Christ?” Uncritical love is not enough when we pass an inadequate connectional budget: when we permit some district to be excessive and not properly audited; when we ignore our law concerning the payment of the budget; when the compensation of our bishops is unrealistic; when the benefits to retired ministers and their widows are minimal. Uncritical love is not enough when we fail to require strict accountability and checks and balances all over the Church. Uncritical love is simply not enough when we lack the courage to correct an outdated, outmoded “system” of doing the business of the Church. Uncritical love is just not enough when we remain silent while wrong prevails.

But tough love is enough. It will motivate us to think boldly and act decisively on a new way of conducting our business, which will restore confidence in our integrity to do the right thing, to be on the right side of history. Love is tough when advocates are willing to take risks because they have nothing to lose or because they are willing to pay whatever price to ensure the viability and credibility of African Methodism.

We do not lack for sermons, Episcopal addresses, brain trusts and talks by the Lobby Committee—all with the same, the very same, conclusion: “We have problems and issues. We are not doing the will of God, but we need to. It’s the system.”

Among those who have lifted up the problems that plague the AME Church are Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand in his sermon at the 1992 General Conference “The Work Is All Divine”; Bishop John Adams’ consecration sermon to the Class of 1992 and to all of us “When Is Enough Enough?” Bishop Frank Cummings’ presentation of the Episcopal Address at the 1996 General Conference with its insightful, relevant recommendations; Bishop Vinton R. Anderson’s convening of the “Brain Trust” in 1996 to address the serious problems of the Church; Bishop Phillip R. Cousin’s sermon at the 2000 General Conference “Reveille Time for the AME Church”; Bishop McKinley Young’s sermon “Seats or Service?” at the worship service at the 2001 Council of Bishops; Bishop A. J. Richardson’s sermon “Behind Enemy Lines” at St. Paul AME Church, Tampa, during the General Board meeting of 2002; and Bishop William P. DeVeaux’s sermon at the Worship Service of the 2002 Council of Bishops—“Fear Not!”

So on behalf of our departed giants and all of us who have tough love, let us make this 47th General Conference be about more than the election of bishops and the assigning of bishops, as important as both are, but let us prayerfully, thoughtfully, fearlessly, courageously commit ourselves to doing the right thing and being on the right side of history.