Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 7-16-21

Editorial
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Feature
The 11th Episcopal District Of The African Methodist Episcopal Church Has A New Bishop
BISHOP FRANK AND SUPERVISOR MARLAA REID, III
BISHOP ADAM J. AND SUPERVISOR CONNIE RICHARDSON
The new Bishop is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Jr. (115th Bishop) has been moved to the 10th Episcopal District, serving Texas.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
The 11th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) hosted the 51st Quadrennial Session of the General Confer- ence, July 6-10th in Orlando, FL. Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr., Presiding Prelate.
On Saturday, July 10, 2021, the Episcopal Committee of the AME Church assigned the Right Reverend Frank Madison Reid, III, the 138th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the AME Church as the Presiding Prelate of the Eleventh Episcopal District.
The 11th Episcopal District represents Florida and the Bahamas. Known internationally as an author, preacher, teacher, community leader and motivational speaker, Bishop Reid, III, is a 5th generation AME minister. His father, Frank Madison Reid, Jr. (1972-1989) and his grand- father, Frank Madison Reid, Sr. (1940-1962) served as Bishops in the AME Church.
Bishop Reid met with the pastors of the 11th Episcopal District after receiving his assignment. Born in Chicago, IL in 1951, Bishop Reid holds a Bachelor of History from Yale University (1974), a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divin- ity School (1978), and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary as a distinguished
Samuel Dewitt Proctor Fellow (1990).
Bishop Reid comes to the 11th Episcopal District from Baltimore, where he pastored Bethel AME Church, and then became the Pre-
siding Prelate of District 3 in 2019.
Rev. Dr. Glenn Dames, Jr. and others at
the General Conference remember Bishop Reid as the first minister with a program on BET – “Outreach of Love TV Ministry.”
His comments about the new Bishop: “Allen Temple AME Church, the citadel of African Methodism in Tampa Bay, and Pastor Dr. Glenn B. Dames, Jr., are excited to serve the 11th Episcopal District of the AME Church under the extraordinary leadership of Bishop Frank Madison Reid, III, and Supervisor Marlaa MeShon Hall Reid. They are true models of
REV. DR. GLENN DAMES, JR. Pastor, Allen Temple AME Church, Tampa
Kingdom Excellence! We’re excited about the next level of this District, and build on the legacy of Bishop Richardson.”
“Bishop Reid succeeds Senior Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Jr., a son of Tampa who after leading with distinction in the 11th Episcopal District for 9 stellar years, will now move on to lead the 10th Episcopal District cov- ering the state of Texas.”
Bishop Richardson served as the Senior Pastor of Bethel AME Church, Tallahassee, FL, for 18 years before overseeing the ‘Electrifying, Empowering, Eleventh Episcopal District.’
“Bishop Reid served congregations in North Carolina, California, and Maryland, and taught at Monrovia College in Liberia. Bishop Frank and Supervisor Marlaa Reid have helped take churches all over this world #FromVision2Victory.”
This year’s Conference with 36 countries and 5 continents represented, was quite different than any before it. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the General Conference was not held. This year there were several protocols in place for safety measures. The General Con- ference meets every 4 years to elect officials, cre- ate laws and receive reports.
Bishop Reid has been married to “Lady” Marlaa Reid since March 1980. They are the proud parents of 3 children – Shane, Fran- Shon, and Faith.
Bishop A. J. Richardson and Supervi- sor Connie Speights Richardson have been welcomed by the 10th Episcopal District, which encompasses Texas.
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Bill Cosby And The Constitution
ill Cosby’s release from prison after serving two years
of a 3–10 year sentence for “aggravated indecent as- sault,” was a glaring example of his Constitutional Rights, and a slap in the face to millions of survivors of sexual assault (463,634 victims, annually).
His release also draws attention to tactics used by prose- cutors all over America... non-prosecution agreements and plea bargaining. In the case of victim crimes, the criminal seldom receives a sentence that completely satisfies the vic- tim or the victim’s family.
These tactics are used to save money and time, and to se- cure evidence and information about crimes that the prose- cutors would probably not be able to discover without the help of criminals.
Yes, Cosby is free, but he is not considered innocent. In- deed, Cosby’s agreement to tell the prosecutor about drug- ging women and then having sex with them while under the influence of the drugs was used against him, something he probably would not have done under normal circumstances. Americans are protected by the Fifth Amendment to the Con- stitution, which grants citizens in both civil and criminal pro- ceedings the right to a jury trial, forbids “double jeopardy,” and protects against self-incrimination.
Criminal defendants cannot be forced to testify against themselves. The defendant can plead the 5th and not answer or incriminate themselves. Cosby was denied that right when the information he shared was used against him.
Even though he was wrongly charged, tried, and con- victed, Cosby did serve two of the 3-10 years for which he was sentenced. Cosby’s attorney raised the issue before, during and after the trial. Sadly, in cases where women did not file charges, Cosby cannot be charged if the statute of limitations have passed.
Those women will not be able to seek justice in the future. The unusual circumstances surrounding Cosby’s case is that Cosby was granted complete immunity from charges instead of a reduced sentence.
Cosby’s case is a glaring example of why victims of crimes need to understand at least the 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments to the Constitution, and the sentencing guidelines for the crimes for which their accused are charged. Having knowl- edge of these documents can help victims avoid being sur- prised at what happens to criminals accused of crimes.
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