(retired) as Board of Directors President Linthicum Heights, Md.—The United Methodist Church’s African American Methodist Heritage Center (AAMHC) announced the election of Bishop Woodie W. White (retired) as Board of Directors President at a Feb. 8-9 meeting. A long-time United Methodist and Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) member, White brings a treasure of history and experiences to the Heritage Center, which exists to provide research, preserve artifacts, and protect and promote the stories of Black people who have been part of Methodism since its inception in the 1700s.
Established because of a request from Black Methodists for Church Renewal for an entity to collect, preserve and share the heritage of the African American presence in Methodism, the AAMHC began under the leadership of Bishop Forrest C. Stith and members of BMCR.
“I am looking forward to continuing the pioneering work of Bishop Forrest Stith in the establishment of the Center,” said White. “It is so important that those who come after us know the story of the courageous and committed men and women of faith, who gave so much to the movement called Methodism.”
The Center and board of directors welcomes White’s leadership and experience. He has written extensively for denominational and ecumenical periodicals and is coauthor of Racial Transition in the Church, Confessions of a Prairie Pilgrim, and Conversations of the Heart. He is now serving as Bishop-in-Residence at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta.
Located at the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History, Madison, N.J., the Heritage Center is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the story of Black Methodist history.
“This history of one of the major denominations in America is too rich and significant to be forgotten,” said White. “And who better to tell it then the people who lived it, and tell it in their own words.”
Serving with White as officers are: Rev. John (Jack) Heyward, St. Louis, Mo., vice president; Cecelia Long, Dayton, Ohio, secretary and Carol Travis, Riverdale, Md., treasurer.
: Barbara Ricks Thompson, Beerix@aol.com, 301.649.1160. Order
