Our Church
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

From Bishop William P. DeVeaux
President, the Council of Bishops

To: My African Methodist Episcopal Family

Subject: Our Church Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

There is a pressing need to evaluate the role of the bishops, clergy and lay people in the life of the Church. This assessment is critical to our productive planning for the future of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In order to accomplish this rather daunting task, I solicit your input. Your words and wisdom regarding the Church will provide valuable data. Let’s work together over the next two months to gather information that will be compiled into a document that I will share throughout the Church. The process will be as follows:

1. I will begin with an introductory statement with the intention of stimulating your responses.

2. You will respond to me at Bishopdev@aol.com Note: The names of the persons sharing information will be kept in strict confidence.

3. I will reflect on the responses that are submitted.

4. I will organize and synthesize the gathered data.

5. Our combined research will result in the composite of concerns, considerations and recommendations that will appear on the Internet and in our AME publications.

A starting point for me came in my post General Conference musings. 

Several questions came to mind. 

• Was the General Conference held in the year 2000 materially different than those convened in the past? 
  
• What will be the legacy of the current group of leaders within African Methodism? 
  
• Did we ensure through effective mentoring and training that a new generation of church leaders is now in place? 
  
• Will the institution be better off when we leave than when we came? 
  
• What happened to the dreams and visions for change, growth and development that were so alive for my colleagues and me when were students? 
  
• More profoundly is the African Methodist Episcopal Church a more effectively and efficiently administered institution than it was when I as a young member and preacher sat on the "side-lines" demanding my time and my opportunity? 
  
• Is our church truly a global institution? 
  
• Are more souls being saved today and is church growth greater than in days past? 
  
• What is radically new and dynamically different about the Church today with the current clerical and lay leadership?

I have the privilege of being the president of the Bishops’ Council at the opening of a new millennium. Please join with me in making a positive step toward a more profound appreciation of our Zion.