Church Formation Tips
Starting an African Methodist Church
We've collected some good advice that is written for those of you who plan on opening an African Methodist church. Read these tips before you open up shop.
We've collected a few pragmatic recommendations on how to go about starting an African Methodist church.
The AME Heritage
The African Methodist Episcopal Church (commonly called the AME) was the first religious denomination in the western world. With its origins stretching back to 1787, the predominantly African-American AME was founded in response to slavery, giving people of African ancestry a vehicle for exercising their Christian beliefs on American soil.
One of the distinctives of the AME is its unique blending of three separate streams. Although the church was not founded in Africa and is open to people of all races, it was established by people of African descent. Likewise, the church's history is rooted in the Methodist tradition and adheres to Methodist rules and systems. Finally, the church is Episcopal because it functions under an episcopal (rather than a congregational) governance structure that includes giving the title of "bishop" to denominational leaders.
Creating a Plan for an African Methodist Episcopal Church Plant
The decision to launch an AME church rests largely with the denominational hierarchy. Until you get approval to plant a new congregation, your new church is going nowhere fast. Along the path to approval, you will no doubt be asked to discuss the reasons why you believe a new AME church is necessary, the viability of a church plant and the resources that can be used to make your dream a reality -- all of the issues that are addressed in a church startup plan.
The process of creating a church startup plan is roughly comparable to writing a business plan. The idea is to examine the church plant from every possible angle, starting with the congregation's mission and leading up to a realistic launch strategy.
As an AME church plant, you may have access to denominational resources that are designed to facilitate the development of new churches in your area. To get started, we recommend that you contact denominational leaders in your local district for more information.
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