Julian Pridgen - Candidate For Bishop 2024 General Conference

My love for Christ and the church is historical as I've served the church from a little child as an acolyte, usher, aide superintendent of the church school, Christian education and learning, pastor, and much more. After graduating high school, I joined the United States Marine Corps, where I stayed till my retirement. And while in the Marine Corps, I accepted the call to teach and served Zion churches in the southwestern Delta Episcopal District and eastern North Carolina.

For many years, I've completely appreciated serving alongside individuals of Zion as we've done the work of the Lord together. And I've been lucky to serve a number of modern and flourishing parishes that remain excellent properties to their communities even today. With each other, we paid off financial debts early, earlier than anticipated.

We've obtained acres of land to include a entire city block plus. And in each situation, we've engaged in community-related issues that included matters of injustice and racism. As I've helped struggling people, as we helped struggling people get on track and helped others keep their lives and even grow in their stroll with God.

Once, I keep in mind opening the church doors as we connected with the neighborhood family court system, the division of social solutions, the ladies and children club. And in the annex of that church, specialists and worried community participants offered parenting courses to struggling moms and dads that had actually gotten in problem with the legislation. It was a beautiful point to see the church at the center of community collaborating to meet the community requirement.

I can state much more about my own experiences to include obtaining a call from the United States White House as they were investigating unethical politicians in the community. And our neighborhood AME Zion church was suggested as a relied on valuable resource for that investigation. I could state much more about my work with Duke Divinity Institution and my organization with prospering in ministry or job sponsored by Duke and the Lilly Foundation.

I could likewise state more about my cherished ecumenical links, yet I'm right here today to state to you that I dream for our church as we relocate into the future. It is my hope that we are continually becoming a spiritually and physically wholesome church, understanding and standing for God as the adherents of Jesus Christ. I'm optimistic about the future of our church and think that we can prosper via reliable communication to include little team dialogues at every level of the church, useful critique for the objectives of sharing and taking on ideal practices that can assist us much more, be much more reliable adherents of Jesus Christ and stewards of Zion Methodism.

I'm very curious about looking for means to give more nurture to pastors and their households. And I am very familiar with the vitality of an impressive laity and neighborhood church as the laity and neighborhood church are the lifeblood to the Zion connection. I'm wed to the dazzling, beautiful, industrious, and task-oriented Deborah Register Pridgen, and we have two adult children, Julian and Christian, and Christian that recently honored us with Javante, our first grandchild.

Lastly, I think absolutely that it is the word of God that has been and will be the only point that saves and maintains the church. So pray for the church. Wish Zion.

Wish those people on this trip. My name once more, Julian Pridgen, prospect for bishop, as I solicit your confidence and vote. The peace of Christ be with you.