On September 1,2001 Rev. Paris lifted up a concern he has in Texas. One of the responses was from Sis. Joyce in Chicago. One of the points that concerned me is that the Presiding Elders hold Pastors (interested in merging) responsible for the the General Assessment of that closing Church.I have loaned out the two disciplines I own and therefore cannot research this point. Can someone help me with the facts? We can change the situation in Chicago. Should we have to bear greater pain in the name of progress??

I would appreciate you feedback

God Bless You All

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

Answers

Hi Nalton:

This is what "one" and I do mean "one" presiding elder feels in this area. This is not the law. Other presiding elders in this area feel differently about merging churches. The problems is that I have never seen any reference to this subject in the discipline (I have checked). But one of the problems with the AME church and the discipline is that there are a lot of "unwritten" laws and there is little to no consistency in following the "written" law which is -- I believe-- The Discipline. Some districts/leaders follow the discipline to the letter-- other's follow the discipline when it is convenient for them to the follow it. It is a problem. Thanks, again, for raising the question!

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

It seems reasonable that when two churches merge that the new church is responsible for the assessment of both of the two previous churches until the conference rolls are updated the next quadrenium. Of course some places the conference roll is not updated properly but let's not start on that! :)

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

Brother Michale hit the nail right on the head! As a pastor who has been involved in the consolidation (merging) of congrgations. The obliagtions to the Presiding Elder, and to the Annual Conference are the responsibility of that group (body of believers) who had vision enough to stop over duplication and wasting resources.

In the East Tennessee Conference there have been many congregations that were once on a circuit who saw the need to be come staion charges and thus assumed the responsibility for doing so.

In my younger years of ministry, often the larger churches would assist the smaller charges with the obligations. As a child our pastor at St Paul AMEC, Columbia, Tn, the late Rev James Madison Grandberry, Jr., would travel to assist an elderly pastor with the raising of the Conference Claims.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001