Reflecting on the 2018 Atlanta AME Experience: How Much is Too Much?
By John Thomas III, Editor
On June 26-27, 2018, members of the Connectional AME Church gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, for the annual General Board and Council of Bishops meetings. This year was particularly eventful because no less than six separate component activities coincided with the General Board, wherein the Connectional Lay Organization, Connectional Women’s Missionary Society, the Department of Christian Education, and the Department of Research and Scholarship all held events. In addition, there were various breakfasts and worship services that encompassed the General Board and Council of Bishops’ schedules.
The purpose of this convergence was ostensibly to capitalize on a critical mass of AME members in a city with convenient transit options. While the memories of the Atlanta experience are freshly in our minds, we should ask ourselves, “What were the benefits to meeting in Atlanta? If the Connection consolidates meetings in the future, what should be done differently?”
According to the Treasurer/CFO’s office, there were no net savings to the Connectional Church by having all the meetings in the same place. Per Connectional policy, all Connectional meeting contracts must be reviewed and signed by the Treasurer/CFO.
Speaking informally with attendees of various age groups and locations, one benefit of having multiple meetings during the same week was a perceived savings on travel and hotel lodging. Persons who are still employed had diverging opinions with some benefiting from the single chunk of days taken, while others found it more difficult to take the extended length of time from work.
Many people from surrounding states came to Atlanta for one meeting, went back home to work for a few days, and then returned to participate in another meeting. Outside of senior AME Church leadership, very few persons stayed in Atlanta from June 23 (beginning of the Connectional Lay Meeting) until June 30 (the close of the Christian Education Congress). For international visitors, a week’s stay in the United States required additional logistical support and costs. Many members could ill-afford to stay the entire week and there was a noticeable drop in attendance for persons from these areas for events held after the General Board.
Several times during the week, I heard people comment, “This feels like a General Conference!” This analogy was not a positive perspective as persons went on to talk about frustrations with overlapping agendas and inconvenient locations. In addition, the feeling of being pulled in different places compounded over the week for persons who tried to attend the Christian Education and Research and Scholarship events. Furthermore, because of tight schedules and time management issues running over at one conference meant that you potentially missed something important that you could have attended but had to forgo at the other.
In the future, if the AME Church were to consolidate meetings, more synchronization is needed among the various functions. It is not enough to meet in the same city—or even under the same roof. The agendas of the various meetings should be shared and synchronized to ensure minimal overlap and inconvenience to all attendees. This allows members to know in advance what choices they will have to make regarding participating in the various activities. A move in this direction is the adoption by the General Board and the Council of Bishops of a new Connectional meeting policy mandating that all official Connectional meetings must register their dates with the Office of the General Secretary/CIO.
Moreover, within the meeting schedule, there need to be intentionally-placed periodic breaks for physical and mental refreshment. The General Board as currently structured is already too congested with breakfasts and auxiliary events. Going from plenary to worship service to workshops with scant time in between is physically taxing even for the most active member and does not allow time for full enjoyment of the experience. Financial and logistical assistance also needs to be made for persons visiting from outside of the United States to able to participate. We cannot plan a week of activities without looking at the effects on the entire Connection and not just American sensibilities.
The 2018 Atlanta AME Experience was a synergy of wonderful worship and edifying programming which showcased the best that African Methodism has to offer. With proper advance planning and being more intentional with our scheduling, the Connectional Church’s future events will be even more fulfilling and productive.
