Rev. Sharon for Historiographer: The 32nd Lay Biennial Session blesses Paul Quinn College!

Hello Wonderful People of God!

I pray that you are enjoying the transition into school and a new season. In Texas, we are rejoicing over the respite from the blistering dog days of summer. Just wanted to post some pictures from the Lay Biennial from last month and share a little with you. The 32^nd Biennial Session of the Connectional Lay Organization was a wonderful event! It was my first time attending the Lay Biennial and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My father, The Rev. Hector Grant, Sr. was able to travel with me and assist me in the campaign booth, and I had a blast watching him make new friends and reconnect with friends he hadn’t seen in nearly fifty years!

Bishop Ingram and Dr. Jessica

One of the highlights of the Biennial was the Black Tie Affair, a fundraising activity that identified Paul Quinn College (PQC), the AME college in the 10^th District as the designated recipient. Approximately $45,000 was raised to assist the school in meeting its urgent financial obligations. On a personal note, my grandmother and father attended PQC and at some point, both of my parents actually taught there. I was peacock proud to be able to attend an elegant, well executed affair and celebrate its recent accomplishments.

We venerate the Rt. Rev. Paul Quinn as one of the Four Horsemen of our Zion - a celebrated missionary and exemplary bishop within the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Many of us are familiar with his fervent missionary activity that allowed the AME church to expand its influence as the United States extended its authority into Western territory during the nineteenth century. Quinn’s extraordinary efforts propelled him to the episcopacy – however, not many of us are familiar with the work that he performed after he became a bishop in the AME Church. In Texas, we honor the tireless effort that Bishop Quinn exerted after the end of the Civil War, when he oversaw the expansion of the AME Church into Texas and the organization of the first Texas Conference. His steady guidance resulted in the development of Paul Quinn College -the oldest institution of higher learning south of the Mississippi River. There is a very useful book that provides more glimpses into the ministry of Bishop Paul Quinn as a presiding prelate until his declining health prevented him from serving. The recollections of Bishop Alexander Wayman, the 7^th elected and consecrated Bishop of the AME Church are a wonderful read! The book was published iin 1881, and can be accessed in digital form through the University of North Carolina’s, Documenting the South website: http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/wayman/wayman.html.

Please remember that my vision of service includes developing a website for the connectional church that will feature digitally archived material of AME history that is currently inaccessible. I’m Today’s Historian for Tomorrow’s Church and I remain on a quest to put our past in your hands! Please enjoy some additional images of the CLO 32nd Biennial Session.