I have just returned from a two day visit in the Palmetto State, SC. I had an opportunity to visit Mt. Zion AMEC of Florence, SC. Since I serve as Church School Superintendent in my local church, I make it a point when I travel across the US to visit and participate in AME Church Schools. Many thanks to Pastor McAllister and the Mt. Zion family for their gracious hospitality. I know we have members of this BB who reside in the 7th District. Hope to see some of you when I'm in Charleston, SC. QED

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

Answers

As a member of the Seventh District, i am glad you enjoyed our hospitality. You are right, Rev. McAlister is a fine gentlemen and pastors one of the finest churches in SC.

Might I suggest some Charleston area churches to attend, especially since I am a product of the Palmetto Conference. For good preaching, attend Ebenezer AME Church on Nassau Street. Dr. Young is a powerful preacher and is the acting president of Allen University. For a church that can be "high church" one minute and "low church" the next and do both well, attend Morris Brown, SC's largest AME church, located on Morris Street. Rev. Joseph Darby, too, is a good preacher. To get a glimpse of Charleston African Methodism from its cradle, attend "Mother" Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street. Dr. Wm. Smith is a good preacher. Greater St. Luke Church on Gordon Street, just hosted the Palmetto Annual Conference and just recently finished a renovation project, and also has a good choir. Rev. L. T. Baker serves as the able pastor. To visit when the SC Conference (and the AME Church in the South) formally organized, go to Mt. Zion AME Church on Glebe Street. Rev. Eddie Gaston is the pastor. I can go on and on, because Charleston has so many AME Churches and each makes a fine contribution to the connection. It is one of a few cities in the connection that has two annual conferences (The Palmetto and SC Annual Conferences) and four presiding elder districts (Mt. Pleasant and Kingstree in the Palmetto & Edisto and Charleston in the SC). Hope you get the "Charleston Clap" down before you get there, too. ENJOY your Lowcountry worship experience. Ain't nothing like it no where else . . .

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

Since this post deals with AME churches in South Carolina. I wanted to get a recommendation from you as to a church to attend this weekend. I will be vacationing in Hilton Head and even on vacation, we do not take a vacation from the Lord..we always try to find a local AME church to worship with. We are from Atlanta, Ga and my spouse is a itinerant deacon.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

The Hilton Head area has 2 AME Churches: Queen Chapel in Hilton Head proper and Campbell Chapel right outside Hilton Head in Bluffton. Just for some historical AME data, Hilton Head is the site where the boat carrying AME preachers from the North landed at and from here AME Churches were established in the South from 1865. Soon thereafter, Bishop Daniel A. Payne convened the SC Annual Conference, comprised then of states in the Deep South: SC, NC, GA, FL, and AL. It is no surprise today that the AME churches in the South great outnumber those anywhere else in the continental USA, and the aforementioned states with the exception of NC each comprise a single AME Episcopal District.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

Thank you for the information, we will certainly visit one of these churches this Sunday. Also the historical background is very interesting and informative. God Bless!

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001