African Methodist Episcopal Church

Mission Statement

To minister to the social, spiritual, and physical development of all people.

History

The Second Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is a significant part of the historical territory in this country.  Many of its congregations are more that a century old, thus a strong base of knowledge and experience is in place, to further the work of the church.  In this mid-Atlantic region covering two (2) states, one commonwealth republic and one territory, there is a sweet, sweet spirit and desire to “run on to see” what God has in store for the faithful.

The Second Episcopal District encompasses the jurisdictions of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and the District of Columbia.  The district is organized into 5 annual conferences – Baltimore, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, and Western North Carolina and 10 presiding elder districts.  Its 400 local congregation own real estate valued at $170 million and have a membership (as of 1999) of 150,000 persons.  Affiliated non-profits own and operate many other programs and services adding additional fiscal and qualitative value to the asset base of the Second Episcopal District.

It is to the witness of Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr., and Mrs. Connie Speights Richardson that we are lead in praise to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We invite you to become acquainted with God’s story, that has become our story – told with our lives and our work in this part of the vineyard.

Its current Episcopal leadership has dubbed it, “Second to None, and First for Christ”.  In that spirit we honor this mid Atlantic region for its vibrancy (the fastest growing area of the AME Church, both in numbers of new churches and increasing membership).

This Bishop calls the Second Episcopal District into community and holds out the promise that its pastors, members, and friends will leave recommitted to the notion, “That the AME Church must fully identify with the poor and the oppressed in their struggle for human dignity.  That this participation in human development is not optional, nor is it an addendum to an already crowded agenda.  It must be the very heart of the life and work of our Church.”

This is our heritage and destiny!  We are Saints Alive: “Reforming, Renewing, Restoring”.

The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church is 215 years old.  The African Methodist Episcopal Church was born at a time not wholly unlike this day of our travail.  The great urge and passion were theological and social; redemptive more than doctrinal.  The African Methodist Episcopal Church, has, for over two-hundred years, challenged and fought the enemies of justice, freedom, and for all people.  It has affirmed and defended primarily, of course, the rights of the Black and oppressed people to who it gave identity and opportunity, but its scope of concern and action was and is as limitless as the Christian religion, hence its motto: “God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Humankind one Family”.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church has a rich legacy –

• Its founding represents the first Civil Rights protest by persons of African descent in this country, The Free Africa Society in 1787.
• It owns the oldest parcel continuously owned by Blacks in this nation, Mother Bethel.
• It publishes the oldest newspaper, A.M.E. Christian Recorder, in continuous circulation by persons of African descent in the USA.
• It operates 6 historically Black schools in the USA, two theological seminaries, and schools in Liberia and South Africa.
• It owns a travel agency, a printing house, and publishes a scholarly journal and several magazines.
• Its international relief organization provides health relief in Haiti.  Affiliated 501 (c) (3) organizations carry out the missions of local congregations throughout this nation as community development corporations, schools, day care centers, senior day care centers, housing development corporations, after school programs, charter schools, retail centers, etc.

There are 20 Administrative Regions in the A.M.E. Church, including the Second Episcopal District.