Bishop Vashti McKenzie, the first female bishop elected in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, will be the 2005 keynote speaker at Eastern Michigan University's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Jan. 17.
McKenzie will deliver remarks at the President's Luncheon, scheduled for noon in the Lakeshore Ballroom at the Ypsilanti Marriott at Eagle Crest. The keynote address, which is free, follows at 3 p.m. in Pease Auditorium.
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REMEMBERING MLK: Bishop
Vashti McKenzie, the first
female bishop elected to the
African Methodist Episcopal
(AME) Church, will be the
keynote speaker at Eastern
Michigan University's Martin
Luther King Jr. Day
Celebration Jan. 17. |
McKenzie was elected a bishop of AME, the oldest African American denomination in the United States, July 11, 2000. That post covers 200 churches and 10,000 members in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland in southeast Africa. In 2004, she became president of the Council of Bishops.
In 2000, Ebony magazine honored her as one of the year's "Most Intriguing People," describing her as an "electrifying speaker who is the epitome of eloquence and dynamic delivery." In 1997, the magazine honored her as one of the "15 Greatest African-American Female Preachers." Four years earlier, she was listed on the magazine's "Honor Roll of Great African-American Preachers."
McKenzie was featured in Time magazine last June and described as a "trailblazer for American clergy in breaking through the stained-glass ceiling."
Before her election as bishop to the AME, she served as pastor of the Payne Memorial AME Church in Baltimore, Md., where she tripled the congregation and created 15 new community ministries.
During her career, she has been a news reporter at the Arizona Republic newspaper and a corporate vice president of programming for WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Her book, "Not Without a Struggle" (United Church Press, 1996), analyzes female leadership in four different cultures and religions. It also offers leadership counsel specifically for African-American women and includes 10 leadership commandments for women.
She also has written "Strength in the Struggle: Leadership Development for Women" (The Pilgrim Press, 2001) and "Journey to the Well" (Viking Penguin, 2002).
In addition to her professional accomplishments, McKenzie is known for her ability to create positive change in the national and international communities.
McKenzie received a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, a master's degree from Howard University and a doctorate of ministry from the United Theological Seminary.
The wife of former National Basketball Association star Stan McKenzie and the mother of three, McKenzie has appeared at the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago as well as locations throughout Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Luncheon tickets are available at the Convocation Center box office, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; the Quirk Theatre Box Office, Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; by phone, 487-2282; or online at http://www.emich.edu/convocation/event.htm. Prices are $30 for the public and $15 for EMU students.
