A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church 2020 Annual Conference 1 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church African Methodist Episcopal Church Fifth Episcopal District A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church African Methodist Episcopal Church Fifth Episcopal District 2020 Annual Conference Booklet 2020 – 2024 Quadrennial Theme: Think Big!!! Scripture: Isaiah 54:1-10 MSG St. Luke 12:22-32 MSG Bishop Clement W. Fugh Presiding Bishop Mrs. Alexia B. Fugh Supervisor 1 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church Fifth Episcopal District Offices: 4519 Admiralty Way Suite 205 Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Office: 310-577-8530 FAX: 310-577-8540 512 8th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 Office: 615-744-6244 FAX: 615-744-6243 Mrs. Marcia Fugh Joseph, Office Manager 2 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church BISHOP CLEMENT W. FUGH Presiding Bishop, Fifth Episcopal District 3 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church MRS. ALEXIA BUTLER FUGH Supervisor, Fifth Episcopal District 4 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church Episcopal Greeting Greetings All, “Man’s reach must exceed his grasp. Or what is a heaven for?” (From “Andrea del Sarto,” by Robert Browning) The fresco by Michelangelo titled, The Creation of Adam, that serves as the cover for the program booklet of the 2020 Series of Annual Conferences of the Fifth Episcopal District, depicts Adam, newly created, reposed upon the Earth, weak, barely able to raise his hand to receive the touch by the of hand of God, the source of life and vitality. Without that touch Adam remains one with the dust from which he was molded, but with that touch Adam becomes a living soul! Humanity, represented in Adam, desires a touch by the finger of God, and thereby rises from the mundane to the high calling of our destiny. According to Robert Browning, it is that illusive touch just beyond our reach that keeps us striving. The Fifth Episcopal District theme for the 2020-2024 Quadrennial is THINK BIG! The scriptures that serve as the foundation of our work are found in Isaiah 54: 1 – 10 (MSG), and St Luke 12:22-32 (MSG). Immediately after assuring the Elect of God of their peace, their redemption and their salvation through the suffering and death of the Messiah (Isaiah 53: 5), the Prophet recites a litany of gracious promises that the Lord has in store for them. “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth! You’re ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women.” God says so! “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! THINK BIG! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep! You are going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You are going to take over whole nations, you are going to resettle abandoned cities.” (Isaiah 54: 1-3 MSG) And to those for whom these promises seem fanciful in light of their mediocre existence, the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St Luke admonishes, “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way God works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how God works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re My dearest friends. The Father wants to give you the very Kingdom itself.” (St Luke 12: 29-32 MSG) So, this Quadrennial, with heaven in view, and the hand of God beckoning us onward and upward, lifting when we are too weary or too weak, THINK BIG! If you have set your sights on a goal that you feel is attainable, given your gifts and grace and resources – you don’t need any help – then the course on which you have set is NOT of God! “A man’s (a woman’s) reach must exceed his (her) grasp. Or what is a heaven for?” Join me on this journey this Quadrennial as we reach for the stars! Not just for the stars, but for the heavens above and beyond, in so doing, perchance, we might touch the hand of God! Clement W. Fugh Presiding Bishop 5 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church Scripture References Scripture Reference: Isaiah 54: 1 - 10 MSG; St. Luke 12: 22 – 32 MSG Isaiah 54: 1 - 10 MSG 1 “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth! You’re ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women.” God says so! 2 “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. 3 You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. 4 Don’t be afraid - you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back - you’re not going to come up short. You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory. 5 For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. 6 You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and God welcomed you back, Like a woman married young and then left,” says your God. 7 Your Redeemer God says: “I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I’m bringing you back. 8 In an outburst of anger, I turned my back on you - but only for a moment. It’s with lasting love that I’m tenderly caring for you. 9 “This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth. I’m promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. 10 For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won’t walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.” The God who has compassion on you says so. 6 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church St. Luke 12: 29 – 32 MSG 22 He continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. 23 There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. 24 Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. 25 “Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? 26 If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? 27 Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance - but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 28 If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 29 “What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. 30 People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 31 Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. 32 Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. 7 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church THEME SONG: The Impossible Dream To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow To run where the brave dare not go To right the unrightable wrong To love pure and chaste from afar To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star This is my quest, to follow that star No matter how hopeless, no matter how far To fight for the right Without question or pause To be willing to march Into hell for a heavenly cause And I know if I’ll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart will lay peaceful and calm When I’m laid to my rest And the world will be better for this That one man scorned and covered with scars Still strove with his last ounce of courage To fight the unbeatable foe To reach the unreachable star Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Joe Darion / Mitchell Leigh The Impossible Dream lyrics © The Bicycle Music Company, Helena Music Company 8 A Holy Nation | African Methodist Episcopal Church Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church DISTRICT NAME ORDER McKinley Young* 109 11 Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr. 115 10 Vashti Murphy McKenzie 117 1 Gregory Gerald McKinley Ingram 118 17 Wilfred Jacobus Messiah 120 Paul Jones Mulenga Kawimbe 121 2 James Levert Davis 123 15 David Rwhynica Daniels Jr.