About
our
Structure
The
African
Methodist
Episcopal
Church
is a
connectional
organization.
Each
local
church
is a
part of
the
larger
connection.
The
Bishops
are the
Chief
Officers
of the
Connectional
Organization.
They are
elected
for life
by a
majority
vote of
the
General
Conference
which
meets
every
four
years.
Bishops
are
bound by
the laws
of the
church
to
retire
following
their
75th
birthday.
Presiding
Elders
are the
assistants,
like
middle
management,
whom the
Bishops
appoint
to
supervise
the
preachers
in a
Presiding
Elder's
District.
A
Presiding
Elder
District
is one
portion
of an
Annual
Conference,
which in
turn is
one part
of the
Episcopal
District
over
which a
Bishop
presides.
In the
Presiding
Elder
District,
the
appointed
Presiding
Elder
meets
with the
local
churches,
that
comprise
the
District,
at least
once
every
three
months
for a
Quarterly
Conference.
The
Presiding
Elder
also
presides
over a
District
Conference
and a
Sunday
School
Convention
in his
or her
District.
At the
end of
an
Annual
Conference
year,
the
Presiding
Elder
reports
to the
Bishop
at the
Annual
Conference
and
makes
recommendations
for
pastoral
appointments.
Pastors
receive
a yearly
appointment
to a
charge
(church),
on the
recommendation
of the
Presiding
Elder
and with
the
approval
and
final
appointment
of the
Bishop.
The
pastor
is in
full
charge
of the
Church
and is
an
ex-official
member
of all
boards,
organizations
and
clubs of
that
Church.
1) The
General
Conference
The
General
Conference
is the
supreme
body of
the
African
Methodist
Episcopal
Church.
It is
composed
of the
Bishops,
as
ex-officio
presidents,
according
to the
rank of
election,
and an
equal
number
of
ministerial
and lay
delegates,
elected
by each
of the
Annual
Conferences
and the
lay
Electoral
Colleges
of the
Annual
Conferences.
Other
ex-officio
members
are: the
General
Officers,
College
Presidents,
Deans of
Theological
Seminaries;
Chaplains
in the
Regular
Armed
Forces
of the
U.S.A.
The
General
Conference
meets
quadrennialy
(every
four
years),
but may
have
extra
sessions
in
certain
emergencies.
2)
Council
of
Bishops
The
Council
of
Bishops
is the
Executive
Branch
of the
Connectional
Church.
It has
the
general
oversight
of the
Church
during
the
interim
between
General
Conferences.
The
Council
of
Bishops
shall
meet
annually
at such
time and
place as
the
majority
of the
Council
shall
determine
and also
at such
other
times as
may be
deemed
necessary
in the
discharging
its
responsibility
as the
Executive
Branch
of the
African
Methodist
Episcopal
Church.
The
Council
of
Bishops
shall
hold at
least
two
public
sessions
at each
annual
meeting.
At the
first,
complaints
and
petitions
against
a Bishop
shall be
heard,
at the
second,
the
decisions
of the
Council
shall be
made
public.
All
decisions
shall be
in
writing.
3) Board
of
Incorporators
The
Board of
Incorporators,
also
known as
the
General
Board of
Trustees,
has the
supervision,
in
trust,
of all
connectional
property
of the
Church
and is
vested
with
authority
to act
in
behalf
of the
Connectional
Church
wherever
necessary.
4) The
General
Board
The
General
Board is
in many
respects
the
administrative
body and
is
comprised
of
various
departmental
Commissions
made up
of the
respective
Secretary-Treasurer,
the
General
Secretary
of the
A.M.E,.
Church
the
General
Treasurer
and the
members
of the
various
Commissions
and one
Bishop
as
presiding
officer
with the
other
Bishops
associating.
5)
Judicial
Council
The
Judicial
Council
is the
highest
judicatory
body of
the
African
Methodist
Episcopal
Church.
It is an
appellate
court,
elected
by the
General
Conference
and is
amenable
to it. |