AME District to honor bishop, wife
Presiding Bishop Michael Leon Mitchell and wife, Cordelia D. Mitchell, Episcopal supervisor, will be honored by the 12th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at the Quadrennial Celebration.
The semi-formal affair will be held at 7 p.m. May 10 in the Wally Allen Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center at Little Rock. The event is held every four years to commemorate the end of a bishop’s four-year assignment in a district, according to a news release.
The theme is “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness: A Legacy of Leadership.” The 12th Episcopal District includes churches in Arkansas and Oklahoma. AME bishops can only serve in the same episcopal district for a maximum of eight years. The Mitchells were assigned to the district in 2016, according to the release.
Every four years, across the AME Church, members, friends, and supporters come together to celebrate the accomplishments and leadership of the presiding bishop of that district.
The banquet will consist of words and acts of love from the membership of the 12th District as they prepare the Mitchells for their next ministerial assignment, which will be received in August.
Entertainment will be provided by Mac Royals, a native of Wrightsville, and a participant on the television contest show, “The Voice.”
The committee is co-chaired by Melanie A. Hillard, a member of Union AME Church and the Arkansas Cluster coordinator of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.®, and Presiding Elder Tyrone A. Broomfield, pastor of Bethel AME Church in North Little Rock.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the faithfulness of God by honoring the legacy of leadership that our beloved bishop and supervisor will leave,” said Hillard.
During the bishop’s assignment to the 12th District, the mortgage on the Episcopal residency was paid in full. The building that houses the district headquarters and Jackson Theological Seminary was completed and paid in full, years ahead of schedule. The campus of Shorter College received a beautification grant and has undergone a face-lift, and the school was able to purchase a 56-passenger bus.
As the chairman of the board of trustees for Shorter College, Mitchell oversaw the erection of the first campus housing in more than 20 years and the expansion of the campus through the pending technology hub at the old North Little Rock Rail Depot.
Cordelia Mitchell has focused her attention on the work of missions throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma by setting up food and clothing stores. She developed the Green-Graham Institute, designed to develop young women in social, church, and professional etiquette. Because of her commitment to missions, five young women were sponsored to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Their unwavering commitment, compassion and servant leadership have left an indelible mark on our congregations and surrounding communities. We look forward to commemorating their incredible legacy. They are more than deserving,” Hillard said.
Details: Melanie A. Hillard, general chairperson for the celebration, at melaniehillard128@gmail.com.