Reverend Dr. Renita Marie Green is a distinguished spiritual leader, scholar, and social justice advocate whose career spans ministry, academia, writing, publishing, and community engagement.

 Rev. Green earned her Doctor of Ministry, focusing on Religious, Political, and Social Ethics, and Master of Divinity degree from Payne Theological Seminary. She holds a B.A. in Organization Studies from Saint Louis University (Magna Cum Laude) and has additional certifications in Early Childhood Education and Property Management. In 2022, she was named an inaugural John Robert Lewis Fellow at the Faith and Politics Institute, where she studied the intersections of faith and politics, continuing the legacy of Congressman Lewis.

 For the past 24 years, Dr. Green has served as a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, leading six congregations, before her appointment to the Lewistown Circuit in Central Pennsylvania. She is known for her visionary leadership, developing strategic growth plans, and building partnerships that extend the church’s mission into the broader community. She has served as the Coordinator of WIM for the Missouri Annual Conference, Instructor for the Ministerial Institute in the Missouri Conference and Ohio South Ohio Conferences as well as the Third District Herstoriographer for Women in Ministry.

 A respected scholar and public intellectual, Dr. Green has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses on Contemporary Christian Worship, Civil Rights, Church History, AME History and Polity, and Resistance Theology. She has authored several books, including Holy Moly! The Spirituality of Sexuality, The Lord’s Prayer: A Radical Manifesto for Liberation and Justice, What’s Next? Navigating the Crossroads of Decline, and The Twelve Days of Resistance. Her work has been featured in The Christian Recorder, The Huffington Post, The St. Louis American, CNN Editorial, and the Faith-Labor Tribune. She was named one of HuffPost’s People of the Year in 2014 for her thought leadership and unwavering commitment to justice.

 Beyond her academic and pastoral roles, Dr. Green is a dedicated activist and community leader. She has founded several organizations, including Kidz Klub Summer Day Camp, providing enriching programs for children; The People’s Shelter, an overnight warming center offering resources for unhoused and displaced individuals; and The Dolores Alston Foundation for Scholarship. She has organized civil rights pilgrimages, participated in panels and symposia addressing racism and classism, and led initiatives promoting inclusivity and social justice. Most recently she has founded Rebel Faith Publishing to amplify the work of resistance writers and The Next Chapter Publishing where voices of scholarship, leadership, legacy, poetry, and joy are brought to public life.

 Pastor Renita’s community work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, the Kasten Award for Community Engagement, the Heart of Social Work Award, the Missouri Conference Black Lives Matter Award, the Community Builder of the Year, the Human Rights Award, the VFW Award for Homeless Outreach, the Spirit of Jarena Lee Award, and a Letter of Recognition from the World Council of Churches.

 Her greatest joy is her family—her children Chrissi, Darren, and Tye, and her grandchildren Sōl Rē and Ayla Marie. She also enjoys improv acting, hiking, kayaking, exploring new places, starting DIY projects, making TikToks, finding joy in everyday life, including her pets, Cat & Priscilla Ann. Whether in the pulpit, classroom, community, or her personal life, Rev. Renita Green aspires to embody faith in action and to inspire others to choose life—every single day (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Rev. Sylvia J. Morris is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church with more than 20 years of ministry, chaplaincy, and community leadership experience. She currently serves in pastoral ministry while also working as Volunteer Manager for Geisinger Hospice, where she helps coordinate compassionate care and support for patients and families throughout the community.

Rev. Morris previously served more than 15 years within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, including as Chaplaincy Program Director at SCI Smithfield, where she oversaw interfaith religious programming and provided spiritual care, counseling, and crisis support to incarcerated individuals and their families.

A gifted teacher and presenter, Rev. Morris has a passion for making God’s Word and life principles understandable, practical, and encouraging for everyday people. She often shares her personal philosophy of “K.I.S.S. — Keep It Simple Sister,” believing that some of the most powerful truths are best communicated with clarity, warmth, and simplicity.

Known for her compassionate spirit, practical wisdom, and heart for people, Rev. Morris is passionate about grief support, community outreach, servant leadership, and helping others experience the hope and healing found in Christ.

The Reverend Doctor James Henderson Harris, Sr. currently serves as Presiding Elder of the Allegheny-Scranton District of the Pittsburgh-West Virginia Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Prior to this appointment, he faithfully served as Presiding Elder of the Southwest Pennsylvania District within the same conference.

Called by God at the age of seventeen, Dr. Harris began his pastoral ministry at just nineteen years old. Over the course of more than five decades in ministry, he has shepherded congregations throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio, leaving a lasting impact through his visionary leadership, pastoral care, and unwavering commitment to the Gospel.

Dr. Harris received his early education in the Pittsburgh Public School System before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilberforce University, a Master of Divinity degree from Payne Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary.

A devoted servant of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dr. Harris has provided leadership at every level of the denomination. He has served on the General Board and numerous denominational commissions, contributing significantly to the life and mission of the Church. In 2004, he offered himself as a candidate for the episcopacy at the General Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Throughout his ministry, Dr. Harris has demonstrated a deep commitment to community transformation and social engagement. His efforts have ranged from organizing assistance programs for displaced steel workers in the Farrell-Sharon, Pennsylvania region to championing educational opportunities for young people pursuing academic excellence. More recently, he played an influential role in voter engagement initiatives throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area, helping to strengthen civic participation and community empowerment.

In addition to his pastoral and community leadership, Dr. Harris has invested in the development of future leaders through higher education. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Wilberforce University, teaching Black Church History and Business Ethics, while also mentoring doctoral candidates as a Project Thesis Supervisor in the CLIMB Program.

Dr. Harris is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Pride of the Valley Lodge No. 95, the Ohio Council of Deliberation of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Prince Hall Affiliation, and Bezaleel Consistory. He has attained the distinguished rank of 33rd Degree Mason.

Guided by a lifelong commitment to faith, service, and justice, Dr. Harris remains dedicated to improving the lives of others and making a meaningful difference in every community he serves.

His life and ministry are anchored in his favorite scripture, Psalm 27:13:

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Bishop Stafford J.N. Wicker, the 137th elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, is a leader known for his commitment to social justice, economic empowerment, financial stability through debt liquidation, and professional development church leaders.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wilberforce University and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Divinity from Turner Theological Seminary, focusing his doctoral research on HIV/AIDS education and prevention in A.M.E congregations.

Bishop Wicker's pastoral ministry began in 1984 with his appointment to Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Roseland, Louisiana, where he oversaw significant growth, including the construction of a new church building.

His subsequent pastoral assignments were in Georgia to St. Phillips A.M.E. Church in Toomsboro, Fountain Grove A.M.E. Church in Erwington, Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Mansfield, and Mt. Carmel A.M.E. Church in Atlanta. At each assignment he consistently demonstrated his dedication to membership growth, financial stewardship, debt liquidation, and facility enhancement.

During his tenure at Antioch A.M.E. Church (1992-2016) in Decatur/Stone Mountain/Conyers, Georgia, the congregation flourished. In 1995 the largest property acquisition at that time was completed in the history of the AME Church in Georgia. Bishop Wicker founded the Antioch Community Development Corporation in 1998, leading projects such as Antioch Manor Estates and other initiatives that expanded the church’s landholdings to 84 acres, valued at $48 million.

As a bishop, he has served the 18th Episcopal District (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Swaziland) and the 8th Episcopal District (Louisiana and Mississippi), achieving milestones like debt-free status under his leadership model. In 2024, he was assigned to the 3rd Epis‐ copal District, covering Ohio, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania.

Bishop Wicker and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Constance Wicker, are proud parents of two daughters, Valencia and Lauren.