Eight new AME bishops include three Africans, two from Atlanta

<p>African Methodist Episcopal Church delegates elected eight new bishops Tuesday, including two from Atlanta and the first three "indigenous" bishops for Africa.</p><p>The Revs. Wilfred Messiah of South Africa, Paul J.M. Kawimbe of Zambia and David R. Daniels Jr., a native Liberian who currently pastors a West Columbia, S.C., congregation, each agreed to serve only in Africa, denomination spokesman Mike McKinney said.</p><p>The more than 1,900 delegates decided earlier during the quadrennial general conference to designate three of the eight bishop positions for Africans. It was the first time the denomination had approved so-called "indigenous" leadership for any of its districts on the continent.</p><p>"We will not be leaving them to themselves," said Bishop Richard Franklin Norms, who has led the church's western Africa district since his election four years ago. "We'll supply support for them."</p><p>The new bishops' knowledge of African culture and languages will help the denomination grow on the continent while also responding to its AIDS crisis, Norris said.</p><p>Only one other African has been elected an AME bishop. The Right Rev. Harold Ben Senatle of South Africa, elected in 1984, served in Africa by choice, although he could have been assigned to any of the denomination's 19 districts worldwide, McKinney said. Senatle retired in 2000.</p><p>Also elected early Tuesday were the Revs. Carolyn Tyler-Guidry of Los Angeles and Sarah Frances Davis of San Antonio. They join the Right Rev. Vashti Murphy McKenzie, elected four years ago, as the only female bishops in the 217-year history of the denomination.</p><p>Delegates also elected the Revs. James L. Davis and Earl McCloud Jr., both of Atlanta, and Sammy L. Green Sr. of Orlando, Fla.</p><p>The eight, chosen from a slate of 61 candidates that was winnowed over five ballots ending early Tuesday, will learn which districts they will lead on Wednesday, McKinney said.</p><p>In recent years, many newly elected bishops have spent the first four years of their tenures serving one of the five African districts. McKenzie, for example, has led a district comprised of the south African nations of Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland since her election four years ago.</p><p>The AME church is the largest U.S. body of black Methodists with more than 2 million members in this country. It has 3 million members worldwide.</p><p>Delegates passed over one of the host pastors for the convention. The Rev. John Lambert of Bethel AME Church in Indianapolis was eliminated from contention after the first ballot Monday night.</p>