THE CHURCH HAS LISTENED
By Rev. Gaborone Lesito, 19th District TCR Field Representative
The day that the Church has been waiting for had finally arrived. The Bishops of the Church came to the 19th Episcopal District to ensure that the 1816 legacy and brand AME is kept intact.
The President of the Bishop’s Council, Bishop Clement W Fugh, Senior Bishop McKinley Young and Bishop James LeVert Davis were warmly received on Friday 28th July by Bishop Paul JM Kawimbe, Prelate of the 19th Episcopal District, Supervisor Dr. LM Kawimbe, and the Presiding Elders’ Council.
On Saturday morning 29th July, the Bishops arrived at the HB Senatle Centre, the administrative headquarters of the District met with the leadership of the Concerned Pastors (Lekgotla) and the Lay people prior to the open meeting. Having handled preliminary concerns the meeting moved to the Anna Senatle Chapel which is situated on the ground floor of the HB Senatle Centre.
The meeting started at 13:23 SAST in the signature AME way with Bishop JL Davis leading devotions. Bishop PJM Kawimbe welcomed the slightly more than one hundred attendants in the meeting. Pastors, WMS and YPD, Lay Organisation, Sons of Allen, RAYAC, District Pastors, and members of the Lekgotla were each given six minutes to make their presentations.
With all components having made their presentations, the Bishops closed the meeting with encouraging words of unity and guarding the AME church name which was left as a legacy by our illustrious founders. The plea was to ensure that the Judicial processes of the church to run their course. The Bishops appealed to members of the 19th District to wait for the Annual Conferences to sit for all answers to questions raised to be answered. Separate meetings with the various constituent groups continued into the afternoon.
Among the top of the list of concerns were alleged maladministration, Financial mismanagement, Pension (Provident) Fund, Suspension of Pastors.
