New Board Members

Bishop James Levert Davis

Bishop John Franklin White

Bishop Clement W. Fugh

Reverend Barrington Ross Payne Theological Seminary Wilberforce, Ohio, at its November 2016 board meeting, announced the appointment of four new members to its Board of Trustees. Joining the Board are Bishop James L. Davis of the 2nd Episcopal District, Bishop John Franklin White of the 4th Episcopal District, and Bishop Clement W. Fugh of the 5th Episcopal District. All new board members bring talent, expertise, and energy to the table.

Bishop James L. Davis was elected and consecrated the 123rd Bishop of the AMEC in 2004. Bishop Davis has served as the Presiding Prelate of the 9th and 19th Episcopal Districts, the President of the Council of Bishops from 2011 – 2012, Chair of the Department of Global Witness and Ministry, Co-Chair of the Committee on Compilation of the Book of Discipline of the AME Church and as the Pastor of Big Bethel AMEC, Atlanta Georgia.

Bishop John F. White was elected and consecrated the 130th Bishop of the AMEC, in 2012. Bishop White has served as the Presiding Prelate of the 18th Eighteenth Episcopal District and serves as the Chairperson of the Commission on Christian Education. He is a member of the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Executive Committee and WCC Central Committee.

Bishop Clement W. Fugh was elected and consecrated the 131st Bishop of the AMEC in 2012. Bishop Fugh has served as the Presiding Prelate of the 14th Episcopal District and is a member of the is a member of the World Methodist Council. He has also led several churches in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio for more than 30 years and served as the General Secretary and Chief Information Officer of the AMEC; Secretary, Commission on Worship and Liturgy; Secretary, Compilation Committee, The Doctrine and Discipline of the AME Church; Member, Core Strategic Planning Committee for the AME Church; Member, Editing and Correcting Committee, The Doctrine and Discipline of the AME Church, editions 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012.

The Reverend Barrington Ross, Student Representative and President of the SGA, replace The Reverend Lucinda Burgess.

The Payne Theological Seminary Board of Trustees has elected Reverend Michael Joseph Brown, Ph.D. as President. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), Payne offers both online and residential Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry degree programs. Currently, 189 students are enrolled and 19 faculty and staff are employed.

Board chair and presiding prelate of the First Episcopal District, Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram in Philadelphia and Vice-Chair, Bishop McKinley Young in Columbus, Ohio (Third Episcopal District) commended Brown for his inspirational leadership. "When you look at his accomplishments, you will see that he has done an excellent job," Ingram said.

Brown responded, “I am honored to be able to continue and build on the work and legacy that has been established here.

Prior to his appointment, Brown was the Seminary’s Academic Dean and Interim President. He replaces Dr. Leah Gaskin-Fitchue, who stepped down from the president's position in 2015 after serving the Seminary for 12 years. Before that, the 47-year old Cincinnati native was Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Emory University in Atlanta. He was also an Associate Dean at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and the Director of its Malcolm X Institute on Black Studies.

The internationally recognized biblical scholar and minister has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago. He is a highly sought-after preacher and public speaker, whose passion for community uplift inspires people around the nation. Coming from five generations of ministers, he writes widely about the topic of higher education, generally, and the education of AfricanAmericans, specifically.

Brown has authored four books: What They Don't Tell You: A Survivor's Guide to Academic Biblical Studies; Blackening of the Bible: The Aims of African American Biblical Scholarship; The Lord's Prayer through North African Eyes: A Window into Early Christianity and The Lord's Prayer; and God's Vision for the World: Finding Your Purpose through Prayer. In addition, he was a leading contributor to the New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible.