GENERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATION
THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL OF
THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
IN THE MATTER OF
THE PETITION OF BISHOP S. CHUKA EKEMAM, SR.
DECISION No. 2004-016
This case comes before the Council by a Petition of Bishop S. Chuka Ekemam, Sr., Presiding Prelate, Eastern West Africa Episcopal District, for Declaratory Judgment on General Conference.
JURISDICTION
a) The Council shall have appellate function.
b) The Council shall not have original jurisdiction, since decisions are declaratory and final in the interim of the General Conference.
c) The Council is amenable to the General Conference, and any decision of the Council may be reversed or modified by the General Conference in regular or special session.” The Book of Discipline of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 2008, ¶ 360, Article II.
DUTIES
b) To hear and make declaratory judgments when petitioned to do so when any law is subject to more than one interpretation or any paragraph in the Book of Discipline is of doubtful meaning. Any person in good and regular standing in The A.M.E. Zion Church can petition the Judicial Council for such a judgment. The Council's decision is final, unless revised or reversed by the General Conference.” Id. ¶ 361 Article III.
FACTS
The petitioner seeks a Declaratory Judgment on General Conference Delegation and relevant portions of The Book of Discipline including Article 112, 113, and 114 page 38, 2000 Book of Discipline, and the Article 116 page 39.
Article 112 states: The General Conference shall be composed of Ministerial and Lay Delegates, who shall be elected from the Annual Conference of which they are members. The General Conference is the supreme body of the A.M.E. Zion Church.
Article 113 states: The Ministerial Delegation shall consist of one Delegate for every ten Pastoral Charges up to twenty, and one delegate for every fifteen Pastoral Charges above twenty and two-thirds fraction thereof.
Article 114 states: The Lay Delegation shall consist of one Lay Delegate for each Ministerial Delegate.
Article 116 states: No Annual Conference shall be denied the privilege of one Ministerial and one Lay Delegate.
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
There are five questions presented:
1. How many delegates should each Annual Conference of the Eastern West Africa Episcopal District elect for the 2004 General Conference?
Based on the formula in the 2000 Book of Discipline, the Eastern West Africa Episcopal District is entitled to the following number of delegates:
Conference Pastoral Charges Clergy Lay Total
Nigeria 53 4 4 8
Central Nigeria 33 2 2 4
River's Nigeria 46 3 3 6
Lagos-West Nigeria 10 1 1 2
Mainland Nigeria 30 2 2 4
Northern Nigeria 9 1 1 2
Cross River Nigeria 13 1 1 2
Southeastern Nigeria 13 1 1 2
Southern Nigeria 29 2 2 4
Totals for Episcopal Area 21[1] 21[2] 42[3]
2. Does Article 116 states “No Annual Conference will be denied the privilege of one ministerial and one lay delegate" refer only to those small Conferences with one to twenty pastoral charges?
The Law applies equally to all Conferences, small and large, domestic and overseas.
3. Would it not amount to discrimination and illegality for a Conference with 53 or more pastoral charges to be limited to one ministerial one delegate prescription?
Would it not amount to discrimination and illegality of for a conference with fifty-three , thirty-three, thirty, forty-six pastoral charges, respectively to be limited to the "one ministerial and one lay delegate" prescription? Or are there other separate unwritten laws for overseas areas on these matters? It is discriminatory therefore, illegal to limit any conference as there is no law, written or unwritten covering this action.
4. Declare the number of Delegates each Annual Conference should elect at the General Conference 2004.
North Eastern Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay Total
New York 64 7 7 14
New England 37 5 5 10
Western New York 27 4 4 8
Bahamas 4 1 1 2
Total for Episcopal Area 17 17 34
Mid-Atlantic I Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay Total
Ohio 27 6 6 12
Allegheny 16 5 5 10
New Jersey 44 5 5 10
Guyana 16 1 1 2
Trinidad-Tobago 3 1 1 2
Barbados 2 1 1 2
Total for Episcopal Area 19 19 38
Mid-Atlantic II Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay Total
Virginia 44 6 6 11
Philadelphia-Baltimore 77 8 8 16
E. Tennessee-Virginia 32 5 5 19
India 52 1 1 2
London-Birmingham 14 1 1 2
Manchester-Midland 4 1 1 2
Angola
Total for Episcopal Area 22 22 44
Eastern North Carolina Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay Total
Albemarle 36 5 5 10
Cape Fear 94 9 9 18
Central North Carolina 103 9 9 18
Virgin Islands 2 1 1 2
North Carolina 60 7 7 14
Total for Episcopal Area 31 31 62
South Western Delta Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay Total
Arkansas 14 7 7 14
West Tennessee-Mississippi 23 6 6 12
South Mississippi 24 6 6 12
Louisiana 12 4 4 8
Texas 7 1 1 2
Oklahoma 5 1 1 2
Total for Episcopal Area 25 25 50
Alabama-Florida Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay TOTAL
Alabama 48 6 6 12
Cahaba 27 5 5 10
Central Alabama 35 6 6 12
South Alabama 39 5 5 10
West Alabama 48 7 7 14
North Alabama 43 8 8 16
Florida 11 3 3 6
South Florida 20 3 3 6
Total for Episcopal Area 43 43 86
Mid-West Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay TOTAL
Indiana 25 3 3 6
Michigan 39 6 6 12
Kentucky 15 6 6 12
Missouri 13 4 4 8
Tennessee 13 5 5 10
Central Africa 162 2 2 4
South Africa 8 1 1 2
Total for Episcopal Area 27 27 54
Piedmont Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay TOTAL
Blue Ridge 30 6 6 12
West Central North Carolina 95 9 9 18
Western North Carolina 122 12 12 24
Jamaica
Cornwall 36 2 2 4
Middlesex 32 2 2 4
Surrey 32 2 2 4
Total for Episcopal Area 33 33 66
South Atlantic Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay TOTAL
Palmetto 47 7 7 14
Pee Dee 43 6 6 12
Georgia 29 8 8 16
South Georgia
South Carolina 45 6 6 12
Total for Episcopal Area 27 27 54
Eastern West Africa (see Above)
Western West Africa Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay TOTAL
Liberia 57 6 6 12
East Ghana 59 3 3 66
West Ghana 104 8 8 16
Mid-Ghana 87 1 1 2
Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 14 1 1 2
Northern Ghana 53 1 1 2
Togo 10 1 1 2
Total for Episcopal Area 21 21 42
Western Pastoral Charge Clergy Lay TOTAL
Alaska 2 1 1 2
Oregon-Washington 7 1 1 2
Southwest Rocky Mt. 15 2 2 4
California 18 3 3 6
Arizona 1 1 1 2
Colorado 2 1 1
Total for Episcopal Area 9 9 18
5. Would it not be discriminatory and unconstitutional and therefore illegal for overseas areas to be treated differently by being expected to bear the cost of General Conference delegate travel, etc. if they want full or equitable representation?
It would be unfair and discriminatory for overseas areas to be treated differently. The General Church (denomination) is obligated to pay for the delegates.
BY ORDER OF THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL THIS 4TH DAY OF MARCH 2004.
ALL CONCURRING
[1] Total should read 17 instead of 21.
[2] Total should read 17 instead of 21.
[3] Total should read 34 instead of 42.