The Community Times Dispatch

St. George, SC - Monday, September 21st to Friday, September 25th, the 7th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which encompasses the entire state of South Carolina, convened in Saint George for its 2009 South Carolina Annual Conference.

The week-long event was held at the Lovely Hill Conference Center at 5905 Jim Bilton Blvd. in St. George, SC with the Reverend Charles Watkins, pastor of Bethel AME Church at 5585 Memorial Drive in St. George, serving as host pastor of the conference.

Several contributing personalities to the quality of life for citizens within Colleton County also played significant roles in the organization’s annual conference. Reverend Evon Robinson currently serves as the president for the Sons of Allen, which is a type of spiritual mentoring initiative to transform boys into men. Cleveland Frazier of the White Hall District also serves as an officer with the Sons of Allen. The Sons of Allen ministered through music and song on Monday evening.

Reverend Leon Maxwell of Trinity AME Church in Round O ministered through preaching Monday night at the conference. His message was entitled, “Let My People Go.” Reverend Albertha Cook of St. John AME in Cottageville ministered through preaching Wednesday afternoon at the conference. Many other local personalities carried out various roles.

The South Carolina Conference of the AME Church is comprised of the Charleston, Edisto and Beaufort Districts. This 146th session makes it the oldest of six AME conferences within the state of South Carolina. With 28 churches in the Charleston District, 33 in the Edisto District and 28 in the Beaufort District, the South Carolina Conference contains nearly 25,000 AME members.

Thousands of AME leadership, clergy and laity from throughout the state attended this gathering during which a variety of conference committees addressed issues such as: The State of the Church and Country, Family Life, Christian Education, Temperance, Evangelism, Women’s and Youth Ministries, Social Action, and Prison and Hospital Ministries. The Annual Conference is where the entire AME Church comes together to assess what has been accomplished during the previous year, set goals for the upcoming year, and renew its soul in the Holy Spirit of God.