Please share with us an update Annual Conferences if you have had it yet. What were some of the highlights, and did you feel info from the General Conference was reflected in annual conference meetings. Rev. Denise Rogers

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2000

Answers

The Texas Annual Conference doesn't occur until October 10. For the full Texas/10th District Schedule, see http://www.amec-10thdist.org/ conf_schedule.htm . For a list of current assignments int he Texas Conference, see http://www.ghg.net/jlpayne/shd.html .

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2000

Hello Rev. Rogers The First Episcopal District holds our Annual Conferences in the Spring. Check the 1st District website for the details. It has not been updated for 2001 yet but I believe that the New England Annual Conference is in April. I do know that it will be at Bethel AME Church in Springfield, Mass where Rev Donald Tucker is the Pastor.

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2000

Tconfereces in the Eighth Episcopal District (Mississippi and Louisiana) will begin on September 13, 2000 for the Mississippi Conference; September 20, for the Est Mississippi Conference; The other conferences will continue through October and November.

-- Anonymous, September 02, 2000

The confereces in the Eighth Episcopal District (Mississippi and Louisiana) will begin on September 13, 2000 for the Mississippi Conference; September 20, for the Est Mississippi Conference; The other conferences will continue through October and November.

-- Anonymous, September 02, 2000

The NE Texas Conference was completed last week. Nothing significant about the General Conference was reflected in the Literary Papers. Unfortunately, none of the delegates submitted written reports of what happened at the General Conference. The coverage by AME- today.com was the primary source of information available. Frankly, I'd like to see a requirement that each delegate submitt a written report to his/her Annual Conference for action by the conference. Blessings!

-- Anonymous, September 02, 2000

The NAMIBIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Millennium Session met at Bethel Memorial AME Church, Luderitz with Bishop G G M Ingram presiding. Very blessed 5 days we spent together (tesame). The Episcopal Address of our prelate emphasized "team" spirit (tesame in Afrikaans). And our episcopal theme for this quadrennium was revealed as "Called to make a difference". The Annual Sermon was delivered by the Rev. Andreas Biwa, Presiding Elder (member of the 2000 Episcopal Committee). Since I was asked to assist Rev. Dr. Wilfredt Messiah who had his car broken and stranded in the desert, I missed on the annual sermon. The sermons preached at this conference were very blessed and inspiring, and were delievered as follows: Rev. Andreas Biwa, PE - Annual Sermon Rev. Hendrik /Gariseb - Educational Sermon Rev. Paul Fredericks, PE - Emmaus Walk Rev. William A Balie, PE - Missionary Sermon Rev. Adam /Gariseb, PE - Memoirs Sermon Hundreds were touched by the sermons and many offered their lives to Jesus Christ. It was a time for witness and renewal, and the music was very outstanding. The conference lifted in prayers the following members who did not attend due to illness: Rev. E S Tjirimuje - superannuated preacher Rev. A Van der Westhuizen - superannuated preacher Rev. Michael Haman - active, but spouse in ICU at Windhoek hospital Rev. Dr. Hendrik Witbooi, PE and Administrative Assistant, also the Namibian Deputy Prime Minister who has undergone a bypass operation a month ago in South Africa.

We memorialised the lifes of the following deceased: * Mother Edith W Ming, former supervisor of the 15th Episcopal District, and * Rev. Albert E Koopman, Presiding Elder Emeritus

All the offerings almost doubled and all pastoral reports were 100%, and our lay delegates were given opportunities to give verbal testimony on what is happening at local levels. The reports of the different auxiliaries reflected growth, and the literary reports (including a report from the General Conference delagtion) was outstanding. One candidate (Rev. Jonas !Nakhom) was ordained an Itinerant Elder and the Rev. Andrew B Lewin delivered the Ordination Sermon from the theme: "You have asked for a difficult thing". The Youth concluded the week's hard work with a very dynamic Musical Extravaganza the Saturday evening.

On Sunday morning the Closing Worship Service was shifted from the church to the German Hall, and the attendance did not disappoint as more than 300 people gathered from far and near to hear their bishop's 1st Conference Commissioning Sermon, and also to see who is appointed to their churches! Bishop Ingram fed and carried the responding masses on the theme "stretch out" taken from Mark 3:1-5. The people stood on their feet and their amen's and hallelujah's also inspired the preacher who stripped of himself and was carried away by the Holy Spirit. Certification: Dean - Board of Examiners - Rev. A E Biwa Ass Dean - Board of Examiners - Rev. D Schmidt Christian Education Director - Rev. W S Hanse Church School Supt. - Sister V Isaack ACE Fellowship President - Brother J A Gertze RAYC President - Brother G R Biwa WMS President - Mrs. K E /Goagoseb YPD Director - Ms H J Josob YPD President - Brother P E Hanse

Appointments were as follows: 1. Windhoek District: Rev. William A Balie, PE (retained) Ebenezer AME Church - Rev. A E Biwa (transfer) Purity AME Church - Rev. W S Hanse (transfer) St. Andrews AME Church - Rev. D Schmidt (transfer) HBS Metropolitan AME Church - Rev. C Katuamba (retained) St. Johns AME Church - Rev. W A Balie, PE Richard Allen AME Church - Vacant St. Bartholomew AME Church - Rev. H Isaak Mt. Nebo AME Church - Rev. J V Helu M Young AME Church - Rev. C Katuamba

2. Hoachanas District - Rev. A /Gariseb, PE (transfer) Immanuel AME Church - Rev. P S M Kooper Hoachanast Oos AME Church - Rev. J Rooinasie D Dausab AME Church - Rev. E Goeieman Bethel AME Church - Rev. J !Nakhom Shiloh AME Church - Rev. J !Nakhom

3. Gibeon District - Rev. H /Gariseb (new, acting for Dr. H Witbooi) St. James AME Church - Rev. H Schmidt St. Mark's AME Church - Rev. W M Hanse St. Peter's AME Church - Rev. A /Gariseb, PE Bethesda AME Church - Vacant Moriah AME Church - Rev. J J Schmidt

4. Keetmanshoop District - Rev. A Biwa, PE (retained) Z T Trinity AME Church - Rev. H /Gariseb St. Nicholas AME Church - Rev. C P Hill A E Koopman AME Church - Vacant Robinson AME Church - Vacant Ebenezer AME Church - Thomas AME Church - Vacant

5. Luderitz District - Rev. Paul Fredericks (transfer) Bethel Memorial AME Church - Rev. N J Simon Zion AME Church - Rev. N J Simon C Fredericks AME church - Rev. P Fredericks Kosis AME Church - Vacant Elim AME Church - Rev. H D Kahoy Kutenhoas AME Church - Rev. M Haman

My Personal Comments: The Namibia Annual Conference has about 6 deacons and elders in local relations, doing an outstanding job at places under very harsh conditions. These men and women are side- stepped during appointments because our rules apparently forbids them to receive an appointment from the hand of the Presiding Bishop, yet they are required of to report to the Presiding Bishop at conference. Many of the churches categorised as vacant are being pastored by ministers in local relations. Can someone tell me which rule(s) in the AME Discipline clearly and explicitly forbids them to receive an appointment from the bishop. I am not talking about ministerial staff settings in the USA where you have enough ministers, but I am talking about ministers doing missionary work under severe and harsh conditions in Africa and who do this not for financial gain (for no minister in Namibia earns salaries and we are not part of any connectional AMWE benefits), but they do this because they love the Lord and love the church of Richard Allen.

The Millennium Session of the Namibia Annual Conference Trustees and the bishop blessed many individuals and churches with financial assistance. Truly, the Church is moving on. The bishop pronounced the benediction after an 5 hour closing service, met with 2 committees and many more people before returning to the Episcopal Residence in Cape Town, South Africa by car a distance of about 1300 kilometres. I think he only arrived the next morning having travelled throughout the night, and now has a unique story to testify. We thank the pastor and people of bethel Memorial AME Church for the truly Namibian hospitality, for having left no stone unturned for our convenience.

The 2001 Session of the Namibia Annual Conference is to be hosted by the PURITY AME CHURCH in the Namibian capital, Windhoek and we are inviting all AME's all accross the connection to come and experience the Namibian AME Spirit. God bless you.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Rev. Hanse thank you for sending such an outstanding account of your annual conference. I wish I could have been there to witness the joy! It is inspiring to hear of missionaries taking on the roles of pastors and people traveling such great distances to Annual conference. The Nambia Conference is on fire for the lord. Praise God!! Rev. Denise Rogers, Bozeman, Montana USA

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

What if we published the minutes of each annual conference?

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Rev. Paris I love your idea about publishing the minutes of each annual conference. How do we do that? It certainly would give us a feel of what is happening around the connection. Thanks for the suggestion! Rev. Denise Rogers

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000