General AME Church 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 upon the General Conference nearest 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.
The Connectional Church & Annual Conference
The Annual Conference decides each year which churches are assigned to the Pastors. Rock Creek AME Church is in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, which is one of 5 Annual Conferences in the 2nd Episcopal District.
District Leadership
The Bishop: Our Annual Conference is supervised by the Bishop of the 2nd Episcopal District, Bishop Harry Lee Seawright. The district includes Baltimore, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, and Western North Carolina.
7610 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 302A, Forestville, MD 20747
Phone: (202) 842-3788 | Fax: (202) 289-1942
Website: https://www.ame2.com | Email: bishophls133@gmail.com
The Presiding Elder: The Western North Carolina Annual Conference is broken down into 2 District Conferences of churches. Each District Conference is supervised by a Presiding Elder. Rock Creek AME Church is in the Eastern District Conference and is managed by Presiding Elder A. Qismat Alim. Our church reports to Elder Alim every quarter of the year.
5704 W. Market Street #19270, Greensboro, NC 27419
Website: www.eastern2.com | Email: presidingelder@eastern2.com
Inside the Local AME Church Leadership
The Official Board and Leadership includes the Pastor (non-voting chairperson), AME Recognized Local Preachers (honorary members), Exhorters, All Church Stewards and Trustees, Each assigned Class Leader, President of the Women's Missionary Society, President of the Young People's Division (YPD), President of the Lay Organization, President of the Sons of Allen, Director of Christian Education, and Sunday School Superintendent.
Key Offices
- The Class Leader: Appointed by the Pastor annually to meet with members of the class once a week, to inquire how each soul prospers, and to visit their members from time to time. They watch over new members with special care and recommend those who are eligible at the end of ninety (90 days) for full membership. They report to the Official Board: a) those who are sick, b) those who walk disorderly and will not be reproved, c) the amount of money collected for the support of the Gospel, paying the same to the stewards.
- Church Stewards: Nominated annually by the Pastor and confirmed or rejected by the Elder at Quarterly Conference (Not fewer than 3 and no more than 19 appointed by local church). To be qualified for this office, one must be of solid piety, know, and love the Word of God, the African Methodist Episcopal Church doctrine, and The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He or she must be fruitful and of good natural or acquired ability to transact the spiritual and temporal business of the church.
- Church Trustees: Nominated by the Pastor and elected by the members of the church by secret ballot (Not fewer than 3 and no more than 19). Duties are to manage all the temporal concerns of the church not otherwise provided for. They shall guard, for the connection, all real estate, churches, parsonages, schools, and any other property obtained by the church. They shall make improvements upon the property or real estate when authorized to do so by a majority of the legal members of the church.
Ministries and Auxiliaries
- Women's Missionary Society: Formed for the purposes of fostering missionary activities by the local church, area, and conference.
- Young People's and Children's Division (YPD): Formed for the purposes of implementing a missionary program on the local church level Bible and AME Discipline study, service projects in the community, and workshops in Christian social relations and family life that deal with such topics as drug and alcohol abuse, personal development, teenage sexuality, communication and morals.
- Lay Organization: Formed for the purposes of instilling in its membership a love and appreciation for the history, traditions, and principles of African Methodism; advocating respect for and loyalty to constituted authority; encouraging the support of the total program of the local church; fostering systematic and regular study of the AME Discipline and parliamentary procedure.
- The Sons of Allen: Formed for the purpose of encouraging men to become involved in helping other men find Christ in their lives.
- Christian Education (Church School/Sunday School): The Christian Education Department includes the Church School and administration of other educational elements including AME publications and Vacation Bible School. The mission of the Sunday School is to teach, train and nurture adults, young adults, college students, teenagers, and children in God's Word, preparing them for Christian service by emphasizing Christian principles. The Church School Superintendent is nominated by the Pastor and confirmed by the Elder at Quarterly Conference.
- Stewardesses: Main functions are to assist the stewards in duties relative to the rituals of baptism and the Lord's Supper by providing the implements and elements of the Holy Communion and Holy Baptism. Nominated by the Pastor and confirmed or rejected by the stewards.
- Board of Ushers: Doorkeepers of the House of God.
- Pastor Aid Society: Attending to the needs of our Shepherd.