Preaching with Power 2025: Bishop Samuel L. Green

Bishop Samuel Green
St. Paul Metropolitan AME Church
8398 Lindbergh Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19153

Under Bishop Green's leadership, St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church in Orlando, Florida, added a daycare facility and preparatory school. He served the church from 1988 to 2004, and in honor of his dedication to furthering the kingdom of God; the church renamed the Family Life Center to the Samuel L. Green, Sr. Family Life Center during his final month there. He has also held pastorates at two other Florida churches: Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Green Cove Springs and Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in St. Petersburg.

In July 2004, at the 47th Quadrennial Session of the African Methodist Episcopal Church General Conference, he was elected and consecrated the 125th bishop in the history of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He has served faithfully for the past 20 years as a bishop as the presiding prelate of the 15th Episcopal District (Angola, Namibia and western South Africa), the 12th Episcopal District (Arkansas and Oklahoma), and the Seventh Episcopal District (South Carolina). Under his leadership, many ministries have been initiated to empower clergy and congregations to move to the Next Level. He is the founder of the God First Holy Convocation, a rebranded conference replacing the traditional annual AME district meeting to converge both pastors and lay leaders for change in the 21st Century. Presently, he presides over the First Episcopal District (Bermuda, Delaware, New Jersey, New England, New York, Western New York, and Philadelphia).

Bishop Green served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Allen University in Columbia, SC. Since being at the hem of the Board, Allen’s accreditation was re-affirmed until 2027. Allen has also moved from being a Level II to a Level III school, offering now a Master of Divinity Degree through Dickerson Green Theological Seminary, fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In 2018 Collegiate Football returned to Allen University, and after fifty years Allen has a Marching Band.

Four decades after accepting his call to public ministry, the same passion for leading others to a closer relationship with Jesus still exists within Bishop Green's soul. He views the church as a proponent of change. In his opinion, meeting the needs of the community is a priority, from economic development to housing to job training to educating our youth.

No matter how successful, Bishop Green continues to keep his focus on the Lord and always keeps his favorite biblical verse in mind: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33 KJV).

‍