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FIRST TIMERS LEARNING LAB

Faye Brown 5^th District Director of Lay Activities

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5th Episcopal District 68^th Annual Lay Convention�June 25-28, 2025�Phoenix Airport Hilton Hotel�Phoenix, AZ

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Bishop Francine A. Brookins Esq., Presiding Prelate�Rev. Miriam J. Burnett, MD, MPH, Episcopal Supervisor�Mr. Lamar Rose, Episcopal President�Ms. Faye Brown, Episcopal Director of Lay Activities�Ms. Dallas Richardson, Episcopal Young Adult Representative

AGENDA

Meet the District Lay Executive Board

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     PPresident:�Lamar D. Rose�(636) 206-9035 (C)

1st Vice President:�Wendell Callaway

2nd Vice President

Angela Bostick

3rd Vice President:

Vanessa Anderson

Recording Secretary�Jackie Payton

Asst. Recording Secretary�Brooke Hawkins

Corresponding Secretary:�Frances Settles

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Chaplain:�Jene’l Sconier

Treasurer:�Judith Bradley

Chaplain�Jene’l Sconier

Historiographer�Bill Dickens

Parliamentarian:�Monice Crawford

Director of Lay Activities:�Faye Brown

Director of Public Relations�Pamela Williams

Young Adult Representative�Dallas Richardson

Conference Presidents

Desert Mountain Conference

Joann Thompson

Missouri Conference

Brenda Simpson

Midwest Conference

Monice Crawford

Pacific Northwest Conference

Simeon Rhoden

Southern California Conference

Kathy Green

California Conference

Millie Davis

Day 1 Agenda �June 25-Wednesday�

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What happens- Let’s go through the Agenda

• Registration- All Delegates, Alternates, and Observers are accounted for by checking in at the registration desk. Delegates and Alternates receive their kits and must show they are credentialed by their Conference President. (credential form)
• Business Session- On the first day the business session normally starts with the seating of the delegation; The President going over the proposed agenda and the body of delegates voting on the acceptance of the agenda. Business items cover many things and will continue as various times throughout the 3 days of the convention. Some items that will be covered:
• Reading of the minutes from the previous convention (2024)
• Registration Report
• Credentials Report
• Rules
• Financial Reports
• Officer Reports
• Conference Presidents Reports
• Legislation

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Day 1 Continued

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• Elections-District Officers are elected every 4 years at the Annual Convention- this year is an election year. The election is held on the 1^st day of business. Only elected delegates and District Officers (Executive Board) are eligible to vote.
• Learning Labs- Their will normally be at least one learning lab on the 1^st day.
• Worship & Communion Service- Normally hosted by the host Conference along with a hospitality hour after the service.

Day 2-Thursday

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• Blue Table Talk-led by 1^st VP- Discussions on various topics
• More Business
• Young Adult Takeover- led by the Young Adult Representative and Committee- Learning Labs/Activities selected by District YAR to share with Delegation
• Evening Activity: President's Choice-Theme-Faith, Healing & Music

Day 3-Friday

• Devotion
• Faithful Friday-Evangelism Hour
• Business
• Evening Program- “Lay Awards”-Theme Wild Wild West

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Day 4-Saturday

• Devotion
• Closing Business Session
• Memorial
• Adjournment

The Lay Organization�

1. Mission Statement
1. The Lay Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is commissioned to teach, train and empower its members for lay ministry, global leadership and service following the tenets of Jesus Christ.
2. Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to organize and train the laity of the African Methodist Episcopal Church so that lay persons may maximally utilize their God given abilities and skills to improve and extend the kingdom, to create happiness, peace, and harmony among its members

• III. Objectives
• To accomplish this purpose, the following objectives are adopted;
• To instill in the membership of the church a love for, and an appreciation of the history, traditions, principles and development of African Methodism by encouraging, motivating, and educating all lay persons
• To keep forever alive the sacred memory of Richard Allen, the illustrious founder of AMEC
• To advocate respect and loyalty at all times to constituted authority and leadership
• To encourage the laity to support the total program of the church in the local congregation, in the community, and throughout the Connection.
• To foster a systematic and regular study of the Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and information may be disseminated among the laity, and with the further purpose of encouraging lay members to participate more largely in the general functioning and supervision of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
• To foster, influence, and support all constructive and progressive legislation for the church that promotes the teachings of Jesus Christ.
• To encourage development, recognition, and utilization of the most appropriate operational practices and modern technology in conducting the activities of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

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• 8. To provide training in Christian stewardship, which causes lay members to recognize
• that the connotation of stewardship addresses more than giving money.
• 9. To increase the circulation of church periodicals.
• 10.To provide for the orderly and systematic training of lay persons, especially officers,
• in order that they might more effectively perform their service responsibilities.
• 11.To promote activities which will result in harmonious fellowship for lay persons
• throughout the Connection.
• 12. To help in the support of the AME educational institutions.
• 13.To give financial assistance to the Connectional Lay Empowerment Foundation
• (CLEF) in support of Connectional programs.
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Facts You Should Know about the Lay

• Who are members of the Lay?
1. All non-ordained members of the church.
• How is the Lay Organization governed?
• The local Lay Organization is governed by the Constitution and By-laws of the Connectional Lay Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The local church organization shall be amenable to the Quarterly Conference of said church and President of the local church Lay Organization is a member of the Official Board by virtue of the office.

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• Resources for Lay Members
• The Bible
• Current edition of the Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
• AME Church Hymnal
• Constitution and By-laws of the Lay Organization
• Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised
• Lay Study Guide

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The Officers of the Lay Organization�

• President
• First Vice President
• Second Vice President
• Third Vice President
• Recording Secretary
• Assistant Recording Secretary
• Corresponding Secretary
• Treasurer

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9. Financial Secretary

10. Parliamentarian

11. Chaplain

12. Historiographer

13. Director of Lay Activities

14. Director of Public Relations

15. Young Adult Representative (YAR)

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Lay Organization meetings their frequency and function�

Lay Organization meetings their frequency and function

Why belong to the Lay Organization? Why do we wear the Blue and White?�

In a Nutshell:

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• Study of the history, present and the planning for the future of

the church.

• Non clergy Evangelism.
• Development of leadership skills for use in the church and elsewhere.

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Lay Organization Logos

Official Lay Organization Logo

Connectional Thematic Logo

5^th District Thematic Logo

Brief History of the Lay Organization�

The "Organized Lay Movement" started at the General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1912, with Professor Charles H. Johnson of Wilberforce as the first president. It was known as the "Laymen's Missionary Movement." Professor Johnson traveled extensively through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, etc. He wrote pamphlets, Men at Work and Laymen's Missionary Movement. This organization was short lived and at the 1916 General Conference, not being satisfied with the progress of the Laymen's Missionary Movement, the Connectional Lay College was organized with Professor Carl V. Roman, a noted Greek Scholar at Fisk University, as president. This organization met only once in four years at the seat of the General Conference and only delegates to that Conference were members. With this ever-changing membership and no funds, etc., the Organization did not reach the local lay members that it needed to do so very much. Since Dr. Roman was not elected to the General Conference in 1920, the Lay College proceeded to elect a new president, Mr. Malone, the Poro College (aimed at educating the Black community of St. Louis, the college trained women as agents for Poro products and by 1926 claimed to have graduated some 75,000 agents located throughout the world, including the Caribbean. Mr. Malone was the husband of the famous Annie Turnbo Malone, the first black female millionaire of St. Louis, Mo., who served until 1924, when Dr. R.R. Williams of Tampa, Florida, was elected. Dr. Williams served as president until the General Conference in 1936, when Attorney Herbert L. Dudley was elected.

Lay History continued

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Attorney Dudley remained president until he retired in 1959 and Mr. J.D. Williams of Kansas City, Missouri was elected. Because the eight- year term law had not been instated, Mr. J.D. Williams served until the 19th Biennial Session in 1985 which was held in Nashville, Tennessee. Subsequently, at that time, Dr. Katheryn Brown became the first female president of the Connectional Lay Organization. �In 1993, at the 23rd Biennial Session in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. James L. Williams became the eighth president of the Connectional Lay Organization. At the 27th Biennial Session, Mr. Arthur D. Brown of Columbus, Ohio was elected and in 2003 at the 28th Biennial Session Mr. Jesse L. Burns, Jr., of Gainesville, Florida was appointed President due to the untimely death of President Brown. In 2005 at the 29th Biennial Session in Houston, Texas, Jesse L. Burns, Jr., Gainesville, Florida, was elevated as the 10th elected President and in 2009 at the 31st Biennial Session in Little, Rock Arkansas, Dr. Willie C. Glover, Columbus, Ohio, was elected as the 11th President of the Connectional Lay Organization. At the 32^nd Biennial, the 2^nd female was elected as the 12^th President, Mrs. Valerie Bell of the 2^nd Episcopal District. However once again an untimely death occurred and cut Sis Bell’s presidency short and she was unable to complete her term. Some of the outstanding laymen who did much to pave the way for the present organization were Dr. C.V. Roman; Ira T. Bryant, Publisher of Church Literature; William H. Shackelfort; Professor Henry Davidson; The Honorable George W. Malone; Professor Monroe Works; John Merrit; John R. Hawkins, and many others. ��

Lay History continued

It was discovered early in the history of the Lay College that an organization that met only every four years, and composed of a constantly changing membership or personnel, could not do a good job of mobilizing the laity for effective service in the church, and so the laymen in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1946, abolished the old Lay College which met every four years at the seat of the General Conference with a constantly changing membership, and organized the Connectional Lay Organization on Episcopal District levels down through the Conferences to the local units and churches. It meets biennially and has a permanent membership that reaches down to the grass root level of the laity. It has held biennial meetings in 1949 in Chicago; 1951 in St. Louis; 1953 in Tulsa; 1955 in Philadelphia; 1957 in Oakland California (UPDATE) There are those who think that the organized lay movement just recently came into existence when the General Conference of 1948 passed a law giving laymen the right to organize in the local church and make the lay organization a part of the organic law of African Methodism. This, you will see, is merely the culmination of a long and gigantic struggle which had been waged by a large number of courageous laymen over the years. It is noteworthy to observe that some of the most significant, progressive and constructive legislation enacted by the various General Conferences of our church has taken place since the laymen have acquired equal representation. This has not been just by accident or mere coincidence. It has been true because the influence, prestige and voting strength of the laity have been thrown behind very constructive and worthwhile movements in the church. �

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Lay History continued

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In 1928, legislation giving laymen equal representation in the General Conference was enacted by the General Conference which met at Chicago, Illinois. Up to that time, lay representation was confined to three (3) laymen from each Annual Conference. In 1932, at the General Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, laymen were granted the right to serve on the Episcopal Committee. However, Bishop Flipper ruled at the succeeding General Conference in 1936 in New York City that the right to serve on the Episcopal Committee by the laity was an act passed by the General Conference of 1932 and applied only to that General Conference, so that in 1936 we had to renew the fight previously made in Cleveland to establish the right of laymen to serve permanently in equal numbers on the Episcopal Committee. The General Conference of 1936 definitely and permanently established the right of laymen to serve in equal numbers on the Episcopal Committee. In 1940, in Detroit, Michigan, legislation gave the laymen equal representation in the Annual Conference. In 1944, the laymen sough t equal representation on all Departmental Boards. The most significant achievement at the 1944 General Conference was the weight and influence thrown by the Lay Organization behind the legislation which created a Pension Department in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

 �Episcopal Districts of the African Methodist Church�

Questions?? Comments??

• References
• Professor R.J. Gardner of Cleveland, Ohio. History and Official Guide of the Lay Movement.
• The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

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• Mr. Thomas Davis
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• 1^st Episcopal District Lay Organization