HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY OF FAITH

Community of Faith evolved out of the Concerned Alliance, a movement that developed in 1996 in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church due to the autocratic, tyrannical reign of the then bishop, McKinley Young.  During 1996 his tyrannical leadership with practices of victimization and unfair discrimination against ministers and lay persons who dared to question his autocratic rule, resulted in a revolt by the masses and ultimately a divided AME Church.

In early 1996, the AME Church was divided into 2 groups :

• Concerned Alliance, consisting of ministers and their respective congregations, including St Matthew in Elsies River, Bethesda in Worcester, Metropolitan in Mitchells Plain and Sims Chapel in Stellenbosch, calling for talks and mediation; and
• The Peace and Reconciliation group who wanted mediation who demanded compromise on the part of the Concerned Alliance to preserve the status quo.

On 14 February 1998, when all efforts at opportunities for mediation failed, the Concerned Alliance (members from St Matthew, Metropolitan, St Peter’s in Kylemore, Wilhelm Gordon in Tulbagh and Ebenezer in Retreat) decided that there was no future for us in the AME Church and made the bold decision to leave the AME Church.

On 05 April 1998, the founding service of Community of Faith was held at the “Spadereens” Church in Elsiesriver.  Rev. Vernon Rose was the preacher at this historic service.  

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