
About the General Conference
Welcome to the General Conference of The A.M.E. Zion Church
The General Conference is the lawmaking body of The A.M.E. Zion Church, which meets every four years. The General Conference is composed of an equal number of ministerial and lay delegates, representing Annual Conferences from around the world! The purpose of the General Conference is to address current church legislation and consider new legislation that could impact the life and organization of the Denomination. One of the most important actions of the General Conference is to elect Bishops, who serve as its General Spiritual Superintendents, General Officers, who provide day to day administrative oversight of its programmatic areas and the Judicial Council that represent the appellate function of the Church.
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Known as the “Freedom Church”, The A.M.E. Zion Church was founded in 1796 as a result of racial inequalities in the Methodist Episcopal Church, among its members of African Heritage. Its first Bishop was James Varick. Some of its notable members include: Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglas. The A.M.E. Zion Church serves the Kingdom God around the world in 38 states in America, 33 countries and five continents around the world!