These are the working notes from the committee on New Initiatives:

Introduction:

In view of an increasing technologoical society and the proliferation of information through diverse and dynamic systems we feel certain that the church must respond to the challenge of creating informational management systems for our Zion.

This system will provide an effective, efficient and economical way of transmitting the same information worldwide thus making us truly a Connectional Church.

In acccordance with Matthew 28:19 in order for us to go into all the church and preach the gospel we make the following recommendations:

Technology

It is proposed that the African Methodist Episcopal Church shall initiate and establish an information Management system to be called "FAS-2" (Free African Society) for the 21st Century (pronounced as Phase Two).

FAS-2 shall be established within two years from the end of the General Conference, July 2000. This information technology would include but not be limited to the following:

• Interactive websites for each Episcopal Disctrict

• At least one site for interactive video teleconferencing for each Episcopal District

• The A.M.E. Church will identify a common software for use in each Annual Conference and all Connectional offices.

• A standardized reporting format will be established for statistical data.

In the future this technology has the potential to save the African Methodist Episcopal Church significant dollars by hosting some meetings in secure chat rooms and delivering multi-media products.

This is the wording of the recommendation on centralized management which the Working Group on Restructuring and Reorganization is presenting the Category of New Leadership Initiatives.

New Leadership Initiatives Managment

The African Methodist Episcopal Church shall initiate the centralized management of development missions and grant writing. Establishing a chief executive/administrative/coordinating officer to provide centralized administrative leadership. Consolidating all connectional department officers in Washington D.C. and or Nashville Tennessee. With the offices of Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer and Chief Administrative Officer all being housed in the same location.

Committe Members

Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Rev. John Ragin (Convenor), Rev. Raymond Bryant, Rev. Herman O. Kelly, Ms. Toni Minors, Mr. Jeffrey Turner, Jr. (Respondent), Ms. Thomas, Rev. Gillard S. Glover, Rev. Bouie, Rev. Vivan Castain, Ms. Elmer Green.