The Art of Networking

In 1964 the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AMEZ), and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) united to fight racial injustice.

Now, nearly 50 years later, these same three churches have formed a new collaboration to address today’s major social ills plaguing African American communities: high unemployment, poverty, low high school graduation rate, inadequate or inaccessible healthcare, and the high crime and incarceration rate among male African Americans. With a combined membership of more than 5 million, this “new church” coalition seeks to create and implement a nationwide effort to confront these issues.

This effort was launched early this month, when the coalition held the “Great Gathering” in Columbia, SC. One of the initiatives developed during this three-day event is the Male Investment Plan (MIP). The MIP’s central tool will be Saturday academies, located in the three partner churches on a rotating basis. “These workshops will teach life skills, career options, self-esteem, anger management and spiritual enhancement, study habits and financial literacy and other lessons. The plan also calls for mentors, the possible involvement of celebrities and other professionals and for relationships with organizations such as the Children’s Defense Fund and the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities.” 

The MIP will begin in May with 16 regional centers in Washington, D.C., where there are congregations from each church and several historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, to provide support and mentoring.

The coalition hopes to raise $10 million in seed money for this initiative. However, it will not ask any organization or government entity for these funds. Says the Right Rev. Warren Brown, senior bishop of the AME Zion Church, “We’re not asking you to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves…we’re through with that.” Instead, the three churches plan to ask their own members to each donate $10.

Because of the fruitful discussion and work completed during the “Great Gathering,” Bishop Brown is convinced this program would yield the desired results. “We are…united and committed….The world is going to feel the impact of what happens when Black Methodists get together.”

Read the full articles: Formation and Great Gathering

Filed under: churches, coaching, collaboration, mentoring on March 9th, 2010