By Angelena Spears, Columnist
In a somewhat tight race, the Rev. Dr. Harold R. Mayberry of California held on to his position as chair of the AME Episcopacy Committee — a position he has held since 2004. In the election on Wednesday, August 21, Dr. Mayberry received 892 votes, and his contender, the Rev. William V. Lamar, IV, pastor of historic Metropolitan AME Church, Washington D.C., received 756.
The election to determine the head of the committee was one of the first acts of business of the eight-day conference hosted in Columbus, Ohio, which drew delegates from across 39 countries and five continents.
The episcopal committee is considered one of the most powerful committees in the denomination because it plays a pivotal role in determining to which districts the bishops are assigned. This year, six bishops will retire due to the mandatory retirement age of 75. Thirty candidates are seeking the office of bishop.
Immediately after the election, Dr. Mayberry, who also serves as the presiding elder for the Bay-Valley District in California, thanked everyone for their support and said he was especially grateful to his distr the Fifth Episcopal District.
He said, “I have done my best and am confident with the help of God, I will do it once again. The work we are about to do requires prayer,” he added. He then asked his bishop, the Right Rev. Bishop Clement Fugh, to offer prayer for the committee.
Congratulations to Dr. Maybury. Being in a position for so long makes the luggages too wieghtier for retirement.