ABOVE PHOTO: Mother Bethel AME Church. (Photo / H Michael Hammie)
Over 30,000 represent AME districts at 50th quadrennial session
of the General Conference and bicentennial
The African Methodist Episcopal Church launched the 50th quadrennial session of its General Conference and bicentennial celebration in Philadelphia last Wednesday, July 6. The event, which is expected to draw some 30,000 attendees, will culminate on Wednesday, July 13.
The General Conference, the major body of the AME Church meets every four years. This year’s event celebrates the church’s founding in Philadelphia 200 years ago. According to the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the attendees are expected to make a significant financial impact on the city and region.
The World Council of Churches estimates the membership of the AME Church at nearly 8 million, with just over 80,000 pastors, 21 bishops and 12,000 congregations. In addition to the church hierarchy—bishops, administrative leaders and pastors, attending will be denominational members, college presidents, deans, and chaplains in the U.S. armed forces. All are affiliated with one of the 20 AME Districts.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church is divided into 20 districts, spanning North America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America:
First District – Bermuda, Delaware, New England, New Jersey, New York, Western New York, and Philadelphia
Second District – Baltimore, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina and Western North Carolina
Third District – Ohio, Pittsburgh, North Ohio, South Ohio and West Virginia
Fourth District – Indiana, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Canada and a mission extension in India
Fifth District – California, Southern California, Desert Mountain, Midwest, Missouri, and Pacific Northwest
Sixth District – Georgia, Southwest Georgia, Atlanta-North, Macon, South Georgia and Augusta
Seventh District – Palmetto, South Carolina, Columbia, Piedmont, Northeast South Carolina and Central South Carolina
Eighth District – South Mississippi, North Mississippi, Central North Louisiana, and Louisiana
Ninth District – Alabama River Region, Southeast Alabama, Northeast Alabama, Southwest Alabama, Northwest Alabama
Tenth District – Texas, Southwest Texas, North Texas and Northwest Texas
Eleventh District – Florida, Central, South, West Coast, East, Bahamas
Twelfth District – Oklahoma, Arkansas, East Arkansas, and West Arkansas
Thirteenth District – Tennessee, East Tennessee, West Tennessee, Kentucky and West Kentucky
Fourteenth District – Liberia, Central Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo-Benin
Fifteenth District – Angola, Cape, Eastern Cape, Kalahari, Namibia, and Queenstown
Sixteenth District – Guyana/Suriname, Virgin Islands, European, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Winward Islands
Seventeenth District – Southeast Zambia, Southwest Zambia, Northeast Zambia, Northwest Zambia, Zambezi, Congo Brazzaville, Katanga, Kananga, Kinshasa, Mbuji-mayi, Rwanda, Burundi and Tshikapa
Eighteenth District – Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Swaziland
Nineteenth District – Orangia, Natal, M.M. Mokone Memorial Conference, East, West
Twentieth District – Malawi North, Malawi South, Malawi Central, Northeast Zimbabwe, Southwest Zimbabwe, Central Zimbabwe
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