Charlotte pastor runs for A.M.E Zion bishop in 2024
Reverend Dwayne A. Walker of Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte is running for Bishop of the African Methodist Epsicopal Zion Church in 2024.
A bishop, Walker told QCity Metro, is the highest position in the AME Zion denomination.
Bishops are responsible for assigning pastors to churches and determining the direction of the denomination.
The Church has more than a million members worldwide and is headquartered in Charlotte.
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The way to run
Walker, who is in his third campaign, is running for one of four available positions that have become vacant because three bishops are retiring and one bishop has died.
He is up against 12 other candidates from across the country and is one of two pastors running from North Carolina.
If elected, Walker will assume his duties in 2024 and be assigned to one of 12 episcopal districts, or regions, which he says may or may not be in Charlotte.
Jobs will open every four years at the general election conference to be held in July 2024 in Greensboro, NC.
Rev. Walker comes from a family of faith leaders, having a grandfather and father who were in the ministry and a brother who is currently a pastor.
In fact, Walker’s father was elected bishop in 1988 and retired in 2012. However, Walker said his father’s choice had little bearing on his decision to run.
Walker First’s campaign began in 2016. He tried again in 2021.
Although he was not elected the first two times, his campaign approach has remained the same.
Five pillars for strong churches
Walker has implemented his five pillar approach, known as Excellence in Ministry, in churches where he once pastored. In his opinion, Excellence in Ministry has left churches better than he found them.
The first component of the approach is “God is glorified,” which emphasizes worship.
The second component is “Jesus is glorified.” This emphasizes evangelism, the spreading of the Christian gospel.
The third component is “People Are Edified,” which emphasizes the importance of Christian education.
The fourth component is “faith is strengthened.” This pillar emphasizes prayer and the use of prayer to fight spiritual battles.
Once these components are fulfilled, Walker says, the fifth component, “ministry is multiplied,” comes as a result, pointing to a healthy and growing church.
Rev. Walker’s campaign kickoff took place on January 15 at Little Rock AME Zion Church. Present were his wife, two of his daughters, parishioners and church members.
