1st Episcopal District
Bishop Grady convenes 186th Philadelphia Annual Conference

Presiding Prelate Zedekiah Lazett Grady called  the 186th Philadelphia Annual Conference to order Wednesday morning at St. Matthew A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia.  

The Philadelphia Annual Conference is the Mother conference for African Methodism and this was Bishop Grady's first Philadelphia Annual Conference in the leadership role.  

Bishop Grady was assigned to the 1st  Episcopal District following the death of then Presiding Prelate Donald George Kenneth Ming. The Philadelphia Annual Conference is part of the First Episcopal District and includes, Mother Bethel, the birth church of the denomination.  

The Conference sermon was delivered with passion, fire and zeal by Rev. Ellis B. Louden, pastor of  Philadelphia's Jones Tabernacle.  

Rev. Louden carefully  created a Biblical blueprint for the revitalization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, saying we needed to rewind the "video" or DVD of our history and become re-energized by seeing where God has brought us from and then fast forward into the future.  

It was a Holy Ghost -filled presentation that inspired the capacity audience at St. Matthew.  

Joining Bishop Grady during the first day of the conference was fellow active Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, Presiding Prelate of the 14th Episcopal District; Bishop Vernon Randolph Byrd (located); Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand (retired) and Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols  retired.    

DAY 2