By Joan Phillips-Bennett, 16th Episcopal District YPD Director
The members of the 16th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), under the leadership of Bishop Marvin C. Zanders II and Supervisor Winifred H. Zanders, gathered at Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny, Jamaica, on May 26, 2022, and May 27, 2022, for their District’s Annual Planning Meeting. Chapel of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church hosted the District’s first face-to-face gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic. It was two powerful days packed with teachings, business, and worship sessions that empowered all those who attended to return to their respective conferences and communities to strengthen their teams and ministries.
Business as Usual
The meeting garnered more than 200 persons in attendance, which included members of the Connection, such as the President of the AME Church Council of Bishops and the Presiding Prelate of the 13th Episcopal District, Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield; the Executive Director of The Department of Global Witness and Ministry of the AMEC; the Rev. Dr. John F. Green; Pastor of St. James AME Church in Newark, New Jersey; the Rev. Dr. Ronald L. Slaughter Sr.; Pastor of St. Luke AME Church in Harlem, New York, the Rev. Stephen E. Green; and the President of Payne Theological Seminary, Dr. Michael Joseph Williams.
The business sessions and teachings focused on topics such as leadership, synergy, ministry, and the District’s specific components, discussing budgets and various obligations. The Academy of Training and Service (ACTS) teachings were encouraging and informative. The Rev. Dr. Slaughter gave strategic methods geared towards making ministry relevant during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of knowing what type of leader you are for the specific members in your ministry. The Rev. Stephen Green gave a dynamic lesson on the Road to Reparations: Reclaiming Our Identity and tackled some views on how persons of colour view themselves as opposed to misconceptions of the broader society.
Bishop Zanders introduced an education fund affirming the suggestion of the Jamaica Annual Conference members regarding persons who needed assistance to get the necessary qualifications to apply to tertiary institutions in the Caribbean. The members of the District and the Connection welcomed the idea. As a result, the District raised USD 12,000 at the Planning Meeting. Bishop Zanders will appoint the District’s Education Fund Committee, and the committee will oversee student selection and scholarship allocations based on student needs.
Missionaries on the Move
As customary, the Women’s Missionary Society of the AMEC dedicated a few hours to giving back to persons within the community. Sister Regina Mclean Prince, the Episcopal President of the Women’s Missionary Society (WMS), led the outreach. The Episcopal Supervisor of Missions, Sister Winifred Zanders, WMS District Worship Leader, Sis. Liz Debourg, District YPD Director, Sister Joan Phillips-Bennett, District YPD’s 1st Vice President, Brother Ahejey Mattis, and WMS Conference Presidents from the 16th Episcopal District traveled to Barrett Town’s SOS Children’s Village and Barrett Town Primary School to donate food items and school supplies and interact with the children.
Serving God With Determined Faith
The ordination and commissioning service was a very unique and highly anticipated moment as the guest preacher, Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield (who was also the previous Bishop of the 16th Episcopal District), was unable to conduct an ordination and commissioning service as a result of the no-movement stipulation which occurred during the Worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic.
Bishop Zanders made pastoral appointments in the District and two Presiding Elder appointments in the Jamaica Annual Conference: the Rev. Florance McElroy to the Blue Mountain District and the Rev. Shawin Reynolds to the Pedro Plains District.
Bishop Zanders gave the final word to the District, instructing that God calls people to work and build His Kingdom; therefore, God guides and guards us from the adversary.
