I have been reading the information on this discussion board regarding the 17th Episcopal District. I'm not sure why the Bishop and district have been targeted, but I'm sure its not to the Glory of God. Sometime we forget that there is constituted authority in the AME Church. I'm sure if we were to poll the membership of the church every district would be found in fault of not living out the true doctrine of the "Church" ---Go ye therefore....-- It is my prayer that this discussion board be used to the glory and majesty of Christ and anything written and share here should represent the positive of the AME Church. Many will visit this site and the witness of this site currently would discourage new believers or those that have heard so many positive things about the rich legacy of Richard and Sarah Allen, from joining our ranks. I don't know anyone agenda, but I belive we should in everything we do, say and think ask the question "How is Christ edified in my actions"

The 17th Episcopal District is represented by Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi; currently the DRC is joining the district. The AJC reports are available on the AME Church Official Website for everyone review. www.ame-church.com.

If we allow individuals to determine who will serve as pastor of our congregations; we are no longer adhering to the doctrine and discipline of the AME Church. If individuals choose to follow individuals who do not follow the AMEC Policy there should be no ill feelings of the church, but they are no longer affiliated with the AME Church; and they have made the choice.

Here is another article regarding Zambia and the Judge is very clear on his ruling and position regarding this matter.

Edith Mutale’s stay discharged By Times Reporter THE Lusaka High Court has discharged the stay of execution granted to African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) Reverend Edith Mutale in the matter involving a leadership wrangle in the church.

Judge Anthony Nyangulu in his order yesterday said there were no grounds to vary or alter his judgment of May 3 as requested by Rev Mutale who is AMEC Ebenezer pastor-in-charge.

Rev Mutale had obtained a stay of execution to seek clarification on the judgment after Judge Nyangulu’s earlier ruling that the two parties should go and reconcile outside court.

This is in a matter in which AMEC had expelled reverends Josephat Siyomunji, Edith Mutale and 49 others for being against the church doctrine.

The court, in its May 3, judgment ruled that the church should reconcile and further restrained the Rev Edith Mutale committee from interferring with the AMEC operations.

In his order upon review to clarify hid judgment, Judge Nyangulu advised the AMEC members to reconcile and live in peace.

The judge said the wrangles in the church were worrying and urged the church to live as one.

Judge Nyangulu said he, however, agreed with Rev Mutale’s cry for a local bishop for the church and that it was a genuine call.

But he said the court was not asked to make a decision on how to elect a bishop in Zambia because the doctrine did not state that.

He advised Rev Mutale to float a candidate and campaign for the person of her choice in the forthcoming AMEC July 2004 elections if she and her supporters wanted a local bishop.

The judge reiterated that the court wanted to promote and preserve peace in the church and advised Rev Mutale to desist from bringing confusion in the church.

Judge Nyangulu offered Rev Mutale a chair and some water after she complained that she was unwell with her blood pressure very high.

“We do not want accidents in court. You are not feeling well because of the wrangles in your church. I am warning you to stop the wrangles because God is punishing you for that,” the Judge said.

“If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

Sorry to say that you can’t stand the heat but I am not asking you to get out, carry it and meet it to show perseverance like Jesus did,” he said.

Asked about her outburst on television, Rev Mutale said she acted out of emotion after she was provoked by the other faction in the church.

He said if he was a member of the AMEC he would have rebuked her privately because it was sad for a person of Rev Mutale’s status to tell the other faction to go to hell.

He said institutions like the State, the judiciary and the church had their own sacred elements and that the church came first because the judiciary had to administer its elements basing on Biblical guidelines.

He said after retiring as a judge he was going to cross over from Church of God to AMEC and stand as a bishop and would win.

Later in an interview, Rev Michael Gondwe said the AMEC was willing to reconcile as long as laid down procedures found in AMEC discipline and doctrine were followed.

Rev Gondwe explained that it was not the tradition of AMEC to appoint a bishop but that these were elected. He said Zambia was just one of the eight countries that formed the AMEC’s 17th District and could not appoint a local bishop in an American founded church.

Meanwhile, a Lusaka magistrate court yesterday deferred to May 27 the ruling in which suspended Zambia Investment Centre (ZIC) director general Jacob Lushinga is charged with abuse of authority.

The ruling was deferred following the delay by Lushinga’s defence lawyers to file in their written submissions on time.

Principal resident magistrate Jones Chinyama said he could not prepare the ruling because he was not sure if the lawyers from the Anti-Corruption Commission had received the defence submissions which were filed May 11.

Lushinga was accused of having awarded a contract to print promotional materials to DC Saatch & Saatch without following tender procedures.

The materials were allegedly used by the ZIC to promote Zambia when Lushinga travelled with President Mwanawasa to India early this year.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2004

Answers

Larry Ozan

Thanks for your post. I wis to add that from the time of the ruling alluded to above, alot of developments have happened with the AMEC apperaing prominently on the print and electronic media carrying the following headlines :

1. AMEC's Rev Mutale group expelled 2. When a pastor tells you to "go to hell.." 3. The day the brethren fought

Zambia Episcopal Conference,the mother mody of the Roman Catholic Church through her General Secretary Father Ignatious Mwebe in respnding to the wrangles said that it was wrong for the church to take the matter to the court of law and appealed to the leadership to find a lasting solution that could bring the two factions together.

On the other hand, the Christian Coucil of Churches (CCZ)has set 24 May 2004 as the day when the two factions will be brought into one place for reconciliation. The AMEC is an affiliate of the CCZ. The General Secretary in his letters to both factions said, inspite of the expulsion of Rev Mutale and 85 others from the AMEC,there was an urgent need to bring the factions together as expulsion was not a lasting solution to the problems facing the church in Zambia.

On Sunday May 16,2004, Rev Mutale led faction went ahead and had their church service in the new Ebenezer Catherdral while Rev Paul Kawimbe's faction held theirs in the old Ebenezer Church building.The bulding are 100 metres apart.Rev Mutale was advised not to attend the church service. My appeal to all AMEC at global level is that you continue to pray for the peace ( of our Jerusalem ) to prevail.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2004

Thank you for your reply - Are the articles which you speak of available softcopy. I am a student studying religion and I am very interested in the American religious culture in other countries including Africa.

The more information the firmer the resolution.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2004