WICKER FOR BISHOP
THE VIEW

I must first give honor and thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the many blessings that He has bestowed on me personally and to the Antioch A.M.E. Church.  Under my leadership, the Antioch AME Church has continued to grow in size and in spirit.  Our focus remains on the development of future growth strategies that will enable us to obtain the goal of expanding our worship facilities, connecting the existing church campuses, and further developing our senior citizens facilities.  Our spiritual philosophy continues to focus on the seven ships of the church: Leadership, Membership, Stewardship, Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Relationship. 
As a Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, I would utilize the strategies that have proven successful in my pastorate to help build the church of Allen.  My view of ministry is based upon the seven ship model that has helped to mold me as a pastor into what is considered a Model of Marvelous Ministry.  What God has allowed me to do as a Pastor; I am prepared to do as Bishop.

Leadership

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor
1 Timothy 5:17

The Antioch Goal:  That we demonstrate God’s gifts as we nurture, teach and guide others in the development of spiritual relationships  and the increased knowledge of God’s Word.

As a pastor I have discovered and taught my congregation that there are two essential components of leadership: personal character and leadership capability.  God is interested in consecration and genuine commitment among the church’s leaders.  When Paul listed the qualifications for church leadership in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, almost all of the requirements focused on the person’s character, “he must be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, not greedy.”  Three character qualities should distinguish every leader in the church:  Purity, Sincerity and Humility. 
As a Bishop, I would endeavor to translate God’s message to clergy and lay alike that there must be the foundational piece of purity, sincerity, and humility in our lives and the life of the church.  We must nurture persons in and outside of the church; teach and serve others; guide others; and be a catalyst for accountability.  If we can accomplish goals with purity, sincerity, and humility, then God’s ability to move is enormous. 

Membership

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:28

The Antioch Goal:  We take ownership for c aring for each other as a family.

Membership is very important to the life of the church.  True membership must be determined and defined in order to build upon where God will continue to lead the African Methodist Episcopal Church. 
To  the apostle Paul, membership meant becoming a vital organ of a living body (Rom. 12:4-5).  A member is a person committed to the body of Christ and uses all the gifts God has blessed him/her with, to build up the Kingdom.  We, at Antioch A.M.E., believe church membership also means that we are incorporating God's family into our fellowship.  As a Bishop, I would concentrate my efforts to make sure that membership is fully defined and that everyone, clergy and lay, will have the opportunity to use their gifts to build the Episcopal district, conference, area, and local ministries.  Truly, every member has a ministry.

Stewardship

From everyone to who much is given, much will be required…
Luke 12:48

The Antioch Goal:  To demonstrate an “attitude of gratitude” and remember that God owns everything, and we are just grateful managers of our time, talents, testimony, and treatures.

In the Christian sense, a steward is the manager of the affairs of God on earth. God has made each of us a steward and has given us abilities and talents that are unique.  I am of the opinion that we should use these abilities and talents to serve our Creator. 

As African Methodists we serve God out of love and gratitude for these gifts, knowing that it’s not how much we have but what we do with what we have that is important.  As a Bishop in the church I would encourage persons to understand that life itself is a ministry of stewardship.  Furthermore, as Christians, we know that our lives are sacred trusts.  We are the stewards of our lives; God depends on us to use them to accomplish God’s purposes.  I would urge persons to be good stewards over their time, their health, their talents, the gospel, and their property.

STEWARDSHIP OF TIME.  When God gives us LIFE, we don’t know how much TIME we have.  But, whatever time we have is a GIFT FROM GOD, and we must use it WISELY in every activity throughout the day.  We must budget our hours so that we are able to GIVE OF OUR TIME to fulfill God’s plan for our lives.  We should never be too busy to do Christian ministry.

STEWARDSHIP of HEALTH of BODY and MIND.  God gives human beings superior minds—to be used to their fullest capacity in discovering God’s plan, in understanding self and others.  We were also given bodies in which to accomplish God’s work—bodies to be treated with respect (taken care of) not abused (harmed).   

STEWARDSHIP OF TALENTS.  God gives all people potential talents when they are born.  Each of us can share in God’s plan in one’s own way.  The bible tells us that if we use our talents wisely, we will be better able to use them and will develop others—but if we don’t, we may lose even those talents we do have.

STEWARDSHIP OF THE GOSPEL.  As Christian stewards, we have been given three ways to exercise our partnership with God: 
[1] TO RECEIVE THE GOSPEL.  We experience the Gospel as an act of faith in God.
[2]TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.  We bring God’s message into the world, that all who believe in God and have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior will have eternal life. 
[3]  TO REFLECT THE GOSPEL.  We show others by our daily living how we accept our responsibilities as Christians.

STEWARDSHIP OF PROPERTY.  We bring nothing into this world...and we take nothing out of it.  Everything that we have while we are here on earth comes as a GIFT FROM GOD…  In appreciation, we choose to share a portion of these gifts.  The stewardship of our property is an ongoing process of life and living. God is the owner, we are grateful managers

Worship

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
John 4:23

The Antioch Goal:  That our worship experience results in people feeling warm, wanted and welcome.

Bringing pleasure to God is synonymous with “worship.”  The Bible says, “The Lord is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love.”  Anything we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship.  Anthropologists have noted that worship is a universal urge, hard-wired by God into the very fiber of the human being—an inbuilt need to connect with God.  Worship is as natural as eating or breathing.  If we fail to worship God, we always find a substitute, even if it ends with ourselves. 

As a Bishop, I would encourage persons, both lay and ministerial, to be true worshipers of  Jesus the Christ.  God made us with this desire because He desires worshipers! We may think of church services with singing, praying and listening to a sermon as worship.  Worship can include these elements, but worship is far more than these expressions.  Worship is a lifestyle.  Worship has nothing to do with the style or volume or speed of music.    If it is offered to God in spirit and truth, it is accepted as an act of worship.  The church should move people to feel warm, wanted and welcomed as they are lead to worship.

Discipleship

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

The Antioch Goal:  That we invite and welcome others to join in sharing the Great Commission, and as a result of our ministries churches and communities grow.

As a pastor, I have continually challenged the congregation to understand the elements of Discipleship.  The three main elements of discipleship are:
(1)  Relationships and Mentoring
(2)  Teaching and 
(3)  Service

Relationships:  We are called to build a network of relationships so we can build one another up in the faith through friendship and mentoring! Most people are intimidated by discipleship out of ignorance, fear, unawareness, or just not wanting to be moved out of their “comfort zone.” The term, discipleship, has been viewed as something only for the spiritually mature, or just for certain people, such as Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders. What is needed is Barnabus and Paul, or, Paul and Timothy, where the elder, more experienced Christian takes the inexperienced Christian and helps him or her to become a better, deeper, more effective Christian for God’s glory. Keep in mind that Paul was highly educated and an experienced leader, and although Barnabus may have not been educated formally as Paul was, or at Paul’s level in the world, Barnabus was Paul’s superior in the experience and knowledge of God’s  Word. Friendship, knowledge, experience combined into mentoring, and the quality of the relationship are the keys for this spiritual growth to have happened.  However, it is very important that we make disciples in Christ’s image, not ours!   

Teaching:  The other main principle in discipleship is teaching. We are called, as a church  African Methodist, to teach one another--not only the youth in Sunday school, but also all Christians at all ages and levels--how to live the Christian life. The new Christian, (and all Christians for that matter) need sound instructions on how to live the Christian life. We do not learn by magic or osmosis. Although the Spirit will lead, it is still our responsibility to learn and grow, and then to teach others! In most churches, there are some opportunities to be in Bible studies, and even teach. The focus must be to teach the basics first--how to study the Bible, how to pray, how to worship, how to be a Christian family, how to find God’s will. Then, the deeper expressions into the faith can be explored,  with accountability.

Service:  We are all called to put our faith into practice! We now take the relationships, mentoring, and learning, and carry it out in our daily life. This is often expressed in service projects and missions, but that is only a small, necessary aspect of service. Service is how we live our lives and model Christ’s character on a daily basis to those around us! When in ministry, we need to realize, it is not what I do, but whom I can equip. As we practice by sharing what we have learned to others, we will also be built up in the service to God. 

As a Bishop, I would challenge church leaders to understand these three main elements  of Discipleship.   

Fellowship

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24

The Antioch Goal:  That we create an atmosphere where people feel there is always a spiritual party going on.

Fellowship helps us face life’s problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians.  Christians need fellowship to grow.  We do not grow in isolation from others; we develop in the context of fellowship.  We find this over and over again in the New Testament. Hebrews 10:24,25 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us encourage one another.” God intends for us to grow up in a family.  Fellowship is the “glue” that keeps people connected to church.  As a Bishop, I would assure the faith community that meetings will be handled with extreme intentionality, where persons are given the opportunity to grow and develop their relationships.

Relationship

Reaching One More For Christ!

Our relationships with others are a GIFT FROM GOD and a measure of our stewardship for GOD.  As a church, we have done well at  providing Christian education for our children, living and growing together as a family.  We are showing our fellow workers the example of Christian behavior and supportive caring.  The AME church is built on relationships.  As we continue to be in relationship with one another, let us also be cognizant of the fact that we must build relationships to reach one more for Christ.  We fall short, if we do not continue to minister to the needs of the broken hearted and those in despair.  We are a reconciling and liberating people through our relationship with Jesus the Christ. 

I sincerely believe that I am qualified to be an Episcopal leader.  I value the people and appreciate the church for all it can and will do in the lives of the people. From humble beginnings in the small town of Greensburg, LA to the hallowed halls of Wilberforce University and those of Turner Theological Seminary, I have prepared himself to be of greater service in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. I find comfort in knowing that I feel called to assist God in the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

“The choice is as clear as black and white”