One Year Later, Bishop E. Lynn Brown Says "It's Time to Renew and Recast"

Second Episcopal District of the CME Church Holds its Mid-Winter Conference December 4-6, 2003 in Ft. Mitchell, KY.

Bishop E. Lynn Brown, the presiding Prelate of the Second Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church since July 2002, urges those under his leadership to renew and recast the church and focus more on the area of discipleship. Jesus Christ", he says, has called us to be about the business of disciple making and this implies action, dynamism, and growth".

In the midst of new and perhaps more challenging times, where demographics are changing, unemployment is persistent, small businesses failing, violence is growing, government programs in place to assist the needy are continuously cut and possibly the most unsettling, the secession of the successful", the tendency of those who have and continue to do well but turn their backs on those who have not. All of these challenges, the Bishop contends, have left many people in our communities disconnected, isolated, and downcast without hope or aspiration.

Described as a 'lover of people and community activist, Bishop Brown encourages all people, but more specifically his pastors and church members, to take on a more holistic approach to life. Too many times when we attend church and encounter a high worshipping experience, we often go back to our old way of life", he said. According to Bishop Brown, there should be a correlation between spirituality and community activism. How are we going to translate our worshipping experiences into action within our communities?" Therefore, the goal of the CME is to produce disciples who are prepared to be on the cutting edge of our society. Some of the various strategies the CME will incorporate to ensure the goal is met will focus on the areas of spiritual and social reform, social action, stewardship, and the creation of new, innovative developments.

To launch the goals of the CME Church, the Second Episcopal District will hold its Mid-Winter Training and Planning Conference from December 4-6, 2003 at The Drawbridge Villager Premier Hotel & Suites in Ft. Wright, KY. The weekend long conference will include a variety of informational and planning sessions, business meetings, and praise and worship services. Registration for the event is $25 and begins on Thursday, December 4, 2003 at 4:00pm. The conference will conclude on Sunday, December 6 at 3:00pm. If you are interested in attending or need further information, please contact either Pam Lewis or Sophia at (513) 772-8622

About Bishop E. Lynn Brown
Bishop E. Lynn Brown is a man of distinction and prominence. He comes to the Cincinnati area from Los Angeles, California, where he was the presiding Bishop of the Ninth Episcopal District. In that position, he was responsible for providing leadership to CME churches throughout California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, States of Alaska, and portions of Kansas, Texas, and Nevada. As the Bishop of the Second Episcopal District, whose headquarters recently relocated to Roselawn, Bishop Brown oversees more than 40,000 members of approximately 200 CME churches in the Ohio, Kentucky, Southern and Central Indiana areas, and portions of Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Because of his unique background in civil rights and labor negotiations, since his arrival in Cincinnati, he has been well sought after by certain constituents to help bring resolution to the two-year old Cincinnati Boycott with justice and freedom.

Bishop Brown currently serves as a member of various national Board of Directors including the Southern Leadership Conference, The Congress of National Black Churches, and Revelations of America, Inc. He is also a member of the Cincinnati Electoral Reform Commission, both Ohio and Kentucky Councils of Churches, Interdenominational Ministers Alliance, the State of California Appeals Board, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Bishop Brown was a professor at LeMoyne-Owens College in Memphis Tennessee, where he taught Religion and Philosophy and served as Chaplain. He has authored books such as the Salvation is of The Lord, and The Pastor as an Enabling and Equipping Disciple. He has traveled extensively around the world on behalf of the CME to Africa, Israel, Austria, Italy, Belgium, and France, just to name a few. He has received a host of awards and recognitions for providing outstanding leadership and community activism including the State of Californias Congressional Award, the National Black Clergy Salute by the Congressional Black Caucasus Unity 21, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Freedom Award, the Outstanding Community Service by both the Memphis, Tennessee Urban League and NAACP, and he was Commissioned the Kentucky Colonel by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Bishop Brown received his undergraduate degree from prestigious Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, and a Master of Divinity from Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked on his doctoral studies and has received numerous Honorary Doctors of Divinity from various colleges and universities. Bishop Brown was elected the 46th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 1986 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bishop Brown was born in Madison County, Tennessee to the late Mr. Willie T. Brown and Mrs. Ocie Bell Brown. He is married to Gladys Deloris Stephens Brown and is the proud father of Alonzo Victor Brown and Cheronda Brown Guyton. He is the grandfather of Kyrhee Sjamont (KJ) and Alonzo Edward (AJ) Brown, Stephen Andrew Guyton, and Sean Matthew Guyton.