PHOTO: (L-Right) Rev. Barnes, Bishops Scott & Amos, Rev. Williams & Wife, Dr. Lamkpins in a group photo with students
By George Stewart
On a visit to Liberia, the Bishops of the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church (UAME) has picked education as their denomination’s priority for the West African Nation.
The visit to this West African country lasted from February 8-14, 2023.
One of the two was Bishop Adolphus Scott, Jr. who presides over the “2nd, 3rd & 5th Districts” that cover Africa, Jamaica, and parts of the USA. This means Bishop Scott has oversight on Liberia as the only African country actively hosting the UAME Church.
Also, Bishop Charles L. Amos, Presiding over “1st & 4th Districts” which mainly concentrate on UAME Churches in the US, and serving as President for the “Bench of Bishops” of the denomination, formed part of the delegation to Liberia. Other members of the delegation comprised: Dr. Ralph T. Lamkpins, Director of Foreign Missions, who grew up in Liberia at the Soul Clinic Mission and led the UAME Church to Africa, and Rev. Danyel Roy Barnes who serves the Mount Zion UAME Church in New Jersey, USA.
Bishop Amos Bishop Scott
The UMAE Church considers education as an empowerment tool for young people to grow and impact their community including the church and the nation. Such passion for education led the UAME Church to sponsor the Maggie Lampkins School on the Soul Clinic Mission in Paynesville.
The Bishops ordained and appointed Rev. Jerome C. Williams as Elder and District Superintendent with oversight responsibility to Liberia and Africa. Rev. Williams has served the UAME Church in Liberia for more than a decade. He now has a giant task to lead the denomination to growth and expansion through church planting, training, and discipleship in Liberia, to start with, and Africa subsequently. Williams was ordained alongside eleven (11) others as evangelists and pastors.
Rev. Jerome C. Williams, District Superintendent, UAME Church Liberia
The UAME Church in Liberia has at least 300 members in First UAME Church- Soul Clinic Community, New Hope UAME Church in Paynesville Pipeline, and Tower of Grace UAME Church in Fandell- along the Kakata Highway. The Church runs two high schools including the Fountain of Life in Johnsonville.
The Union American Methodist Episcopal Church, according to church history, was founded by a black minister of the gospel, Rev. Peter Spencer in June 1813. Rev. Spencer was a member of the Asbury M.E. Church, Wilmington, Delaware, USA. Believed to be the first independent black Church in America, the denomination was originally called Union Church of Africans but later changed to UAME Church in 1852.