THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (3/31/05)

Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor


1. THE SEVENTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2005 - 2006 SCHEDULE OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES AND OTHER EPISCOPAL DISTRICT MEETINGS:

Theme: “Empowered To Serve”

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS
April 24-28, 2005
Northern Technical College
The Rev. Ida Simukwai, Host Pastor
The Rev. L. Chola, Host Presiding Elder

NORTH EAST ZAMBIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
August 4-7, 2005
Bonner Chapel AME Church - Mbala
The Rev. C. Silupya, Host Pastor
The Rev. C Silupya, Host Presiding Elder

NORTH WEST ZAMBIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
August 11-14, 2005
Nchelenge AME Church - Nchelenge
The Rev. P. Mwila, Host Pastor
The Rev. J. M. Chiwele, Host Presiding Elder

SOUTH EAST ZAMBIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
August 25-28, 2005
Bethel AME Church - Chipata
The Rev. C. Saizamba, Host Pastor
The Rev. LD Zulu, Host Presiding Elder


ZAMBEZI ANNUAL CONFERENCE
September 8-11, 2005
Allen Temple AME Church - Solwezi
The Rev. D. Sakwai, Host Pastor
The Rev. D. Kapepa, Host Presiding Elder

SOUTH WEST ZAMBIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
September 15-18, 2005
Bright Chapel AME Church - Kitwe,
The Rev. A. Mulapwa, Host Pastor
The Rev. HC Alimasi, Host Presiding Elder

DISTRICT PLANNING MEETING
December 15-17, 2005
Quinn Chapel
The Rev. W. Walima, Host Pastor
The Rev. M.P.P. Mwenya Host Presiding Elder

KINSHASA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
February 20-23, 2006
Les saints de Dieu AME Church
The Rev. Caleb Ilunga, Host Pastor
The Rev. Andre Mputu: Host Presiding Elder

CONGO BRAZZAVILLE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
February 24-26, 2006
Katubwe AME Church
The Rev. M. Kande: Host Pastor
The Rev. B. N. Floribert: Host Presiding Elder

TSHIKAPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
February 28-2, March 2006
Berrees AME Church
The Rev. M. Gamaliel, Host Pastor
The Rev. H. Mudipanu, Host Presiding Elder

KANANGA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 4-6, 2206
Christ Notre Paix
The Rev. DM. Kasonga Host Pastor
The Rev. G. Muana Host Presiding Elder

MBUJI-MAYI ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 9-11, 2006
Source Du Saut, Host AME Church
The Rev. K. Sombolayi, Host Pastor
The Rev. O Lutumba, Host Presiding Elder

KATANGA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 13-15, 2006
Sinai AME Church
The Rev. M. Waseya, Host Pastor
The Rev. T. Kafand, Host Presiding Elder

RURUNDI ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 23-25, 2006
Bujumbura AME Church
The Rev. Charlotte Nindorera, Host Pastor; the Rev. Marc Nzikobari,
Host presiding Elder

RWANDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 27-29, 2006
Caramel AME Church
The Rev. M. J. De Dieu, Host Pastor
The Rev. F. Uwamahoro, Host Presiding Elder

2. UPDATED SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FATHER OF DR. PAM DEVEAUX:

A memorial service will be held for Mr. Jesse Morris, 98 year old father of Dr. Pam DeVeaux, and father-in-law of Bishop William P. DeVeaux, on Friday, April 1, 2005, at 11 a.m. at:

People's Independent Church of Christ
5856 West Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90043
(323) 296-5776 Phone
(323) 296-3371

Fax Flowers may be sent to the church for the service. Donations will be given to Mr. Morris' church.

Condolences may be sent to:
People's Independent Church of Christ
5856 West Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90043
(323) 296-5776 Phone
(323) 296-3371 Fax

Pastor William A. Naylor

or expressions may be sent to:
Bishop William P. & Dr. Pam DeVeaux
402 Oak Brook Ct.
Smyrna, GA 30082

or to:

6th Episcopal District AME Church
2900 Chamblee-Tucker Road
Building 3
Atlanta, GA 30341-4156

770-220-1770 - Phone
770-220-9996 – FAX

3. THE HOMEGOING SERVICE FOR THE NIECE OF THE REVEREND KEITH OGDEN WILL BE ON MONDAY @ 11:00 AM:

The cause of death was a misdiagnose blood clot in her foot!

First Baptist Church of Mandarin
3990 Loretto Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32223
ph: (904) 268-2422
fax: (904) 268-5321

Please be in prayer for my brother and sister-in-law, Alfred and Shirley Ogden, my niece (Taneita) passed away on last evening, she was 31.

Alfred and Shiley Ogden
8768 Falcon Trace Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32222

Keith A. Ogden, Pastor
135 Hill Street
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 254-4646 Office
(828) 350-8025 Direct Line
(828) 242-8357 Mobilehttp://www.hillstreetbaptistchurch.org/


4. MAINLINE PROTESTANT CHURCHES NO LONGER DOMINATE NCC YEARBOOK'S LIST OF TOP 25 U.S. RELIGIOUS BODIES:

March 30, New York -- Pentecostal and historic African American churches are increasingly visible on the U.S. religious landscape and mainline Protestants no longer dominate a list of the 25 largest American churches, reports the National Council of Churches' 2005 "Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches."

Three of the largest 25 churches in the U.S. are Pentecostal and six are African American, the yearbook reports.

The list includes the rapidly growing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church in America, Jehovah's Witnesses, and -largest of all - the Roman Catholic Church.

"The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches" is edited by the Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, NCC Deputy General Secretary for Research and Planning, and published by Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn.

Included in the $50 cost of the print edition is a year's subscription to the "Yearbook Online," featuring regularly updated searchable data, accessible from any computer with Web access.

Now in its 73rd year of publication, the "2005 Yearbook" may be ordered online at http://www.blogger.com/www.electronicchurch.org. The yearbook also may be ordered through local bookstores or from Cokesbury, which is offering a 10 percent discount.

The Catholic Church remains the largest faith group in the U.S. with 67,259,768 members and a growth rate last year of 1.28 percent. The second largest denomination in the U.S. is still the Southern Baptist Convention with 16,439,603 members and a growth rate of 1.18 percent. The United Methodist Church is third largest with a reported membership of 8,251,175 and a growth rate of .002 percent.

The Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints, with a reported membership of 5,503,192, rose from the fifth to the fourth largest church in the U.S. The yearbook noted that the church "continues to grow remarkably" at a rate of 1.71 percent last year.

A reported surge in membership of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has placed the communion on the list of the largest American churches. The Syosset, N.Y., based church grew 11.11 percent to 1-million members, according to the yearbook.

Other churches in the top 25 that continued to grow in 2004 are the Assemblies of God, 2,729,562 members and a growth rate of 1.57 percent; the Episcopal Church, 2,320,221 members and a growth rate of .57 percent; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1,432,795 members and a growth rate of .14 percent; and Jehovah's Witnesses, 1,041,030 members and a growth rate of 1.82 percent.

Churches that declined in membership in 2004 are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,984,925 members, down 1.05 percent; the Presbyterian Church (USA), 3,241,309 members, down 4.87 percent; The Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), 2,488,936 members, down .95 percent); American Baptist Churches in the USA, 1,433,075 members, down 3.45 percent; and the United Church of Christ, 1,296,652 members, down 2.58 percent.

The data is gathered by the churches in 2003 and reported to the yearbook in 2004.

The 2005 Yearbook reports on 217 national church bodies with 150 million members in the U.S. Reports include brief church histories and contact information for church leaders. The yearbook also analyzes the financial data from 63 churches representing almost 50 million members and more than $32 billion.

Mission Trends

Until 1968, the yearbook published statistical data of American home and foreign missionaries. That information has not been reported for 36 years, and editor Lindner decided to take a look at how mission has been faring.

In an article, "Whither Global Mission?" Lindner reported that mainline Protestants have increased their mission activity for the first time in a quarter century. That, combined with the still vigorous mission impulses of evangelical and Pentecostal churches, shows that American Christians are "attempting great things" in mission, Lindner said.

Mainline church agencies reported an increase of 600 missionaries over the number reported in 1966, Lindner noted, citing a January 2005 article in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research.

Agencies affiliated with the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association gained about 1,400 missionaries since 1966, and agencies affiliated with the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies gained about 8,000 missionaries in the same period, the article said.

Of the estimated 6,453,628,000 persons on earth in mid-2005, about 33.1 percent consider themselves Christians. The percentage is expected to rise to 33.6 percent in 2025.

In mid-2005, most of the world's Christians - 1,118,992,000 - are Roman Catholics. Independents account for the next largest group of Christians (426,672,000), followed by Protestants (375,814,000), Orthodox (219,501,000), Anglicans (79,710,000) and "marginal Christians" (34,150,000).

Editor’s note: "The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches" is a must resource for pastors’ library.