EPISCOPAL GREETING

Hallelujah 5th District! We greet you with gratitude and holy expectation as we stand at the threshold of a new conference year. We give thanks for the ways God used you to rise up and sing until systems shifted, attitudes aligned, and the power of the Holy Spirit changed our outlook and our atmosphere. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus and to take him at his word! It is our prayer that we will keep taking care of our mental health and keep on singing as we move forward. We must be honest about what we are facing—and we must not be afraid. There was a time when our District was home to more than 280 congregations. Today, we number 169, and that number continues to decline. Many of our churches face shrinking membership, aging infrastructure, strained resources, and an intergenerational bridge yet to be built. The conditions around us are worsening, and our pastors and congregations are often asked to do more, be more, and give more—while receiving less. Still, it is the power of God within us, our assignment, and our call that compels us to keep showing up and believing God. It is into this reality that the Holy One reminds us: the Mission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church—to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and environmental needs of all people through Christ’s liberating gospel—is still possible. Our future depends on reclaiming the spirit of the Free African Society: to seek and save the lost and serve the needy through preaching, feeding, clothing, housing, uplifting, employing, caring, and encouraging economic advancement. Mission Possible is more than a theme; it is our charge. We must look at what is in our hands and repurpose it for the present age. Through the use of social determinants of health and community asset mapping, we will reimagine and repurpose our church properties as centers of life, healing, and transformation. We will continue to serve those within our walls while reaching far beyond them. We believe every church sits on sacred ground with untapped potential. Within our buildings are stories of faith, resilience, and sacrifice. Our work is to revive those stories and align our spaces with the real needs of our communities. We will not shrink from this moment. We will rise—trusting that the God who has brought is this far by faith will lead us into what is next. With blessed assurance: the mission IS possible.

In faith,

Rt. Rev. Francine A. Brookins, Esq.
Presiding Bishop

Rev. Miriam J. Burnett, MD, MPH
Episcopal Supervisor of Missions