By Rev. Renita Green, TCR Columnist
JUDICIAL COUNCIL
The Judicial Council of the AME Church made its report to the General Conference. There were 3 judges retiring from the council. The term of Reverend Francine Brookins came to an end and reelection was not sought.
There were three issues before the Judicial Council. Because one person was not present and the other had withdrawn from the AME Church, only the appeal of Rev. Clinton Brown was hear.
The General Conference heard the third matter of Rev. Clinton Brown, 6th District. Rev. Brown’s complaint was being moved from one church to another that was not equal or greater. He sought restoration to the former charge and compensation for lost wages. The Judicial Council found that because appointments are for one year, and Rev. Brown accepted the appointment to the lesser charge, and by the time he filed the complaint, the appointment had expired, there were no grounds to grant his request. Furthermore, it was stated that Rev. Brown attempted to sell the property without the support or consent of the congregation and had been recommended to counseling and professional mentoring.
When brought to the General Conference body for a vote, 985 votes to affirm Judicial Council report and 360 against affirming the vote. The matter received the necessary 2/3 votes and therefore, Rev. Clinton Brown’s appeal was denied.
AME Inc REPORT
AME Inc is set up to provide administrative oversight to the 501(c)(3) status of the AME Church, ensuring that the corporation meets Federal guidelines. The incorporation is made up of 9 members including 3 Bishops, 3 Elders, and 3 Laypersons as well as nonvoting members. The full report will be available on the AME GC2020 app.
One highlight of AME Inc’s report is the relationship of AME Inc with Morris Brown College. Relieving debt is one of the steps in seeking to reestablish accreditation status. To that end, AME Inc. forgave all of the debt that Morris Brown owed to the corporation in exchange for the establishment of $1.5 million in scholarships being established for students with AME Church.
Another highlight is that of the partnership with the AME Sunday School Union in the sale of their old building and the erection of a new home for the Sunday School Union. Out of this partnership, the AME Future Fund was established.
AME FUTURE FUND LLC ESTABLISHED TO LEAVE AN INHERITANCE TO THE NEXT GENERATION
The Future Fund was established to hold in trust surplus funds from the sale of the Sunday School Union building. The funds were to be allocated for the new building project and charitable purposes. To that end, the managers of the Future Fund made the decision to invest the residual funds into a trust to be held for a minimum of 7 years before it can be touched. The fund will then be used to ensure that the Church is poised for self-reliance, self-movement, and self-direction. The total amount invested was $3,675,000.00. A full report can be found on the AME GC2020 app.
EPISCOPAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS LOCATION OF BISHOP WILFRED MESSIAH AND THE RESTORATION OF POSITION TO BISHOP KAWIMBE
The Judicial Committee of the Episcopal Committee arrived to present its Quadrennial Report. There were three cases in the hands of the committee: (1) Bishop Reginald T. Jackson (2) Bishop Paul J Kawimbe (3) Bishop Wilfred Messiah
On the matter of Bishop Reginald Jackson, the complaint (not stated) was unfounded.
On the matter of Bishop Paul Kawimbe, the Judicial Committee, after much consideration of the Grievance Committee of the Council of Bishops it was, it was concluded that Bishop Paul J Kawimbe should be returned to active status.
On the matter of Bishop Wilfred Messiah, the Judicial Committee, after much consideration of the evidence before them, concluded that of all the many charges against him, there were three charges of maladministration which were most egregious: (1) Withholding of monies that were due to widows after a terrible accident killed their husbands (2) Choosing delegates based upon those who were able to pay $275 for registration (3) Removing duly elected delegates to the General Conference and replacing them with those who had not been elected. Consequently, the Judicial Committee found that the Rt. Reverend Wilfred Messiah guilty and recommended that he be located.
Bishop Messiah spoke in his own defense, refuting the charges. However, since this session is for business and not a trial, as stated by Chairperson Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath, the decision of the Judicial Committee was all that could be discussed, not the charges themselves.
There were several points of order called by members of the delegations in both Africa and the United States. However, the only discussion that could be entertained was that of procedural issues. To that point, out of the 13th Episcopal District, there was a motion and second to divide the report so as each Bishop could be voted on individually as opposed to voting on the combined report. This motion passed.
Motions were made individually to approve the following reports and recommendations:
On the matter of Bishop Reginald Jackson—motion carried.
On the matter of Bishop Paul Kawimbe—motion carried, Bishop Kawimbe will be restored to active service.
On the matter of Bishop Messiah—motion carried, Bishop Messiah will be located.
The question was raised of what “located” means in terms of becoming the Senior Bishop, retirement, and/or salary. The Episcopal Committee was sent back to define the meaning of located.
RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH Ad Hoc AME SEXUAL ETHICS DISCERNMENT COMMITTEE WAS ADOPTED
The Reverend Jennifer S. Leath, Ph.D. and the Reverend Stephen Green, undergirded by a host of collaborators that includes Mrs. Jackie Dupont-Walker, Chair of the AME Social Action Commission, offered a resolution to officially support a “discernment process to identify and promote holy, just, and clear positions for the Church concerning sexual orientation and gender identity” so that we will live out the mission of the AME Church. The full resolution will be posted on the AME GC2020 app.
The motion passed 985 to 371.
PRESIDENT BIDEN GIVES AN ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
President Joseph Robinett Biden addressed the 51st Session of the General Conference via satellite this morning. He exhibited great knowledge of our Zion, comparing the birth of the AME Church like that of the Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the start of our Nation.
He stated that he was very familiar with the church and was always an inspiration to him.
Highlights include:
- The church has always served socially, spiritually and physically.
- AME Churches have been houses of healing with food banks and vaccination centers
- Quoted Absalom Jones “to rise out of the dust and shape itself”
- The church has done that with equity, and is at the heart of vaccination efforts
President Biden further stated that the American Rescue Plan (ARP) works cutting back on child property, support of Black-owned businesses, and historic support of HBCUs. The ARP forgave 1:6 billion in HBCU debt and provided 6 billion in additional funding. He also signed into law Juneteenth as a Federal holiday.
Biden’s major thrust is to work to maintain the sacred right to vote for all and he looks forward to working with the AME Church.
Editor’s note: Due to the nature of rapid coverage, please check the official minutes of the General Conference for vote counts and motions.
