Ten years ago, at the bicentennial gathering of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the now Dr. John Thomas III stepped into the role of the 21st editor of The Christian Recorder as the youngest general officer to hold this office and on the bench, and the publication has not been the same since. Over the next several days, TCR will celebrate this milestone with videos and testimonials from those who have walked alongside him in media and in the life of the AME Church. Before those stories begin to roll out, it is worth remembering who John is, what he ran on, and what he has stood for across this decade of leadership.

The 2026 General Board Meeting of the African Methodist Episcopal Church came to a close Wednesday, June 24, 2026, with a worship service that celebrated God’s faithfulness, reflected the rich diversity of the Connection, and reminded those gathered that, while the business of the Church may conclude, its mission continues.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church’s 2026 General Board Meeting convened June 22-24, 2026 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida, opening with pre-general board activities and seminary breakfasts before moving into a full slate of worship, business, and commission work. The gathering’s spiritual high point came with the investiture of Bishop Marvin C. Zanders II, a celebration marked by powerful worship and testimonies to a ministry shaped by his hometown roots in Orlando. Plenary sessions carried a more sobering tone, as the Board confronted serious financial strain, while debating the future of in-person General Board meetings amid rising costs. Even so, commissions across the Connection pressed forward with new initiatives, from global health partnerships and disaster response planning to expanded seminary collaborations and voter education efforts tied to the church’s Freedom Summer campaign. The meeting closed in worship, a fitting reminder that even as the business of the Church concluded, its mission continues.

Even before the service began, an atmosphere of expectation settled over the room. Recorded anthems of praise played softly throughout the sanctuary as worshippers exchanged greetings and embraced longtime friends before taking their seats for this historic evening. Purple and blue lighting illuminated the stage while church leaders, elected officials, family members, and supporters gathered to witness a milestone in the life of a Bishop whose journey has remained deeply connected to the city of Orlando.