This year marks my second year being A.M.E and I want to share some impressions from being the new kid;-) I want to begin by sharing something that happened to me the other day. I ran into an aqaintance who has just moved to my town. She use to be an United Methodist minister and I also use to be a United Methodist Minister. We got to talking about church and she asked who my Bishop was and I told her. She laughed and said "I bet you don't know what he looks like?" I said yes I do. She said I bet you never met him. And I said yes I have. Well the point being when we were United Methodists the running joke was that you didn't know what your Bishop looked like for you never had any interaction. You could never get to the Bishop even if you were clergy you were stopped at the District Superintendents door. This acquaintance also shared with me that she could not find a united methodist church in minneapolis to do her seminary internship and that it was a AMEC church that let her train there. From my perspective I see so many good things in my denomination that I never saw or heard of in my previous denomination. This is a great denomination and I am concerned that we have forgotten and or do not know how great it is. I live in a town that is 98 percent white and people who live here from other cities tell incredible stories of the work of the AME church in their town. Why is it we are not equally excited. What will it take to get us excited again. And before you tell me of some scandal all the denominations have some scandal. Scripture tells us that God will deal with the wicked. I have asked this question before but I feel compelled to ask it again "Do you see a future for our denomination?

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2003

Answers

The AME CHurch has a bright future and I don't think that it's a matter of getting excited, but the fact of not knowing what we've done or doing. I have been an AME since January 4th, 1994. I'm still young but I'm sure I can hold and conversation with PE's, and Bishops about this church because I made my it business to know the church I plan to serve til I die. At any rate I commend you for your love ,and desire to know about this "ark of zion." p.s. it will be of good use to not reffer your self as the "new kid on the block", once you join it's like you been here all alone. Gob Bless is my prayer.

-- Anonymous, January 22, 2003

Bro. Davis God bless you. And thank you for saying I am not the new kid on the block. But I am, but I am like you in that I am learning as much as I can. I was United Methodist for most of my life so the transition is so much easier. What I have done is to reach out to as many people as I can to get information. I have never been in a denomination or organization that has been as supportive as the A.M.E Congratulations of graduating this year. That is a major achievement and congratulations on being accepted to college. In another post you asked about scholarships. The best resource for scholarships will be your high school guidance counselor. So begin with him/her first. Next is to contact Allen University if you already know you have beed admitted their is a good chance that you did early admission . If that is the case you should receive your financial aid package. Your best bet for scholarship info is the internet and your local library. On the internet do a search under "college scholarships" and "african-american scholarships" also check with your parents to see if the company they work for has scholarships. Another source is your local church ask the wms and pastor if they can have a fundraiser for the students going to college.

-- Anonymous, January 22, 2003