How are Stewards confirmed in a Quarterly Conference ??

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2003

Answers

This is handled by the Presiding Elder at the first Quarterly Conference. So there might be slight variations from one Presiding Elder to the next. check page 69 of your 2000 Discipline.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2003

It is truly amazing how quickly we continue to come through with the 'pat' answers to questions of deep concern. Referring one to the discipline for an answer on church law is in fact a 'pat' answer. Maybe the question should be," Are ministers even required to follow the rules as stated in the Discipline. At our church in Tucson, AZ., the minister said from the pulpit that we are no longer required to follow this book. When this was brought to the attention of the persiding Elder and the Bishop, they too looked the other way. Our church official board is no longer made up of people who are elected, but those who are in fact hand picked by the minister himself.The AME church, like others churches in our land, are not holding the leaders accountable to their own rules of law. If this is going to be the new policies, should we not first change the rules? Leadership in the AME church is on the decline, in my opinion, and that decline is beginning at the top.I pray for the church daily and I wish people of the church would open their eyes

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2003

I feel you pain Brother Reed, the same goes for our church in St. Petersburg, Fl. Why have a book of Discipline if it's not going to be followed. The church has really gone to the world. I agree with you! AMEN!AMEN AND AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2003

Bro. Reed:

I find it disturbing that you think the answer was trivialized by quoting the Discipline.

A question was asked. It was answered.

That being said, it is time that:

1. The laity (AND CLERGY) bought a copy of the Discipline and read it cover to cover.


2. The laity took control of their churches back from the clergy.


3. The Bishops and Presiding Elders enforced the Discipline.

As to your situation: If your church is not operating in the manner prescribed in the Discipline, then YOU need to run it through the proper channels.

Where are the procedures? In the Discipline......

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

How are Stewards confirmed? Yes the Discipline has guidelines and rules to follow, but what I find interesting is that we as laity also are very complacent in even speaking up at a Quarterly Conference to voice our objections to persons who are nominated as Stewards. Stewards are responsible for overseeing the "Spiritual" needs of the church, yet, these same Stewards allows pastors to write letters to persons telling them that they are no longer welcome to participate in church organizations/events because they "dare" to call the Pastor and leadership into question about the way the church is being ran. It is about time that we look at the letter but most of all the Spirit of the law. Even the Bible states that if there is a disagrement between believers, they should call the elders together and to come to some understanding, and then if still no results, to go to the Pastor. But when the Stewards do not even question why the Pastor should write such a letter and refuse to spek to the member in question, There is a Problem. It is about time we do the "God Thing" as Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We are beyond the times when we are told to "read the Discipline" when many of our Leadership either do not have a Discipline or they follow it when it is convenient to them. There is a situation now at my church, that the Pastor told an AME member who has come from another AME church with a letter that she has to go through New Members class and the Stewards wonder why that lady is rethinking her membership in the AME Church.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

Joann Why are upset with the pastor for asking a New Member of that particular church to attend the "new members" class. So what, she brought a letter. That confirms her good standing in her former church. However some of our churches are better than others at following the Doc and Dis or they have methods which are better suited for their communities than the doc and dis. You need to step out of the book and check the realities of life my sister, let the pastor do his or her job and trust God to work out the details.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

To harold, First of all the church that the member was joinging was her home church for 10 years before relocating to another AME church and is now returning back to her home church. Also, the sister has been active in teh WMS,Lay and YPD. Thinking outside the box has nothing to do with doing the God and Right thing.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

I left my original family AME church with a letter after being there 41 years. I still took the new members class at my new AME Church to acquaint myself with my new church. It was a wonderful way of meeting other new members and asking questions. Sometimes, we should look for the opportunities in situations so that we may grow.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

Mary, that is nice, but unfortunately the new members class at my church is not designed to teach folks about what is going on at the church locally, God forbid. It is to teach new members about the AME Church, which is totally different from learning about the local church and it's organization.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

Same with my church; however, it gave new members the ability to ask questions about their local church, and the AME government. It was a wonderful experience. I was born and bred AME and attended the same church for those 41 years. It was a learning experience for me to learn what a new member experiences when joining an AME church. It truly makes you more sensitive to people. God bless.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

Rev. Harper: Glad to see your response. Talking to the clergy is a good thing. Conversation is always a good thing. My comment for you however is 'nice try'. I will make a few comments here because I can see that this topic is causing some conversation and I think it important to keep the discussion going. That being said,and for the record: 1)Over the last 2-3 years at our church, it was the Pastor who decided when or even if a quartly conference was even held. This, I believe is contradictory to the Discipline. 2)When a conference was held, it was the Pastor who decided how it was ran and what was heard. You know that first question,'are there any appeals', was not allowed by the Pastor. Therefore no appeals could be heard. The Elder allowed this to take place. 3)The Pastor decides who can even vote at the church. I could go on and on but that is not the point that I what to make.You see, several members at our church do in fact have disciplines. Procedure was follwed, believe me, all the way up the line to that ' Discipline procedure ' called The Conciliation Committee. You know which one I mean. It's in the Discipline. The procedure with all of the certified letters and all. Followed. The Biship set up a meeting time, the Pastor said he would not attend, the meeting was canceled.When a Pastor can say in open meetings,"I carry the church's checkbook in my back pocket", something is gravely wrong.When the doors to our churches are in fact not open to all, but only to those who the Pastor himself decides, something is wrong.Again, my point is this: The Discipline is fine, Rules are fine, but we also need accountabilty.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

Brother you are describing about six churches in our conference that thus type of behavior is allowed, as I stated before, It's as if the leaders do not care about the operation of the local church as long as they received their $$$$$$$$$. Remember God is in control and when He gets tired He will put a stop to all this nonsense.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2003

Oh my sis Joann, I do not mean to offend, but if I was a clergy person and the pastor of your church, I would want all the new members whether they have a letter or not to attend the new members class. I can see your friend bringing with her all of her baggage and trying to apply it to her new congregation. For example in my church we have a difficult time with a relocated AME who begins each statement with well at Allen AME Church we did it this way.....

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2003

Bro. Herald, no offense taken

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2003