A Conversation with Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie hosted by Dr. Frank A. Thomas

The African American Legacy Preaching Series of Christian Theological Seminary presents “A Conversation with Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie hosted by Dr. Frank A. Thomas.” Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the General Secretary/President of the National Council of Churches representing 37 communities, 100,000 churches, and 35.5 million people. She is also the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The first female elected to episcopal office in the more than the two century-old AME Church, she is also the first female to serve as President of the Council of Bishops and President of the General Board. Bishop McKenzie has served as a Presiding Prelate in the 18th Episcopal District in Southern Africa, the 13th Episcopal District which includes Kentucky and Tennessee, and the 10th Episcopal District in the state of Texas. She also established two non-profits which raised funds outside of tithes and offerings for church and community projects in two of her districts. Characterized as “an electrifying preacher,” Bishop McKenzie continues to preach and teach globally as well as serve as a workshop/seminar instructor for congregations, corporations, and a variety of organizations on the topics of women, leadership, spirituality, and self-care. Bishop McKenzie has been active in social justice issues for more than three decades. She was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama to be on the inaugural White House Commission of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. This group worked on behalf of Americans committed to improving their communities, no matter their religious or political beliefs. She was named by Huffington Post in 2014 as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women Religious Leaders in the World.

Bishop McKenzie is the founder of Selah Leadership Encounters for Women, a wraparound multidisciplinary approach to resourcing women who want to level up their spiritual, professional, and personal lives. In this COVID era, Selah, The Home Edition has been streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Bishop McKenzie is the author of six books including Not Without a Struggle and Journey to the Well. Her newest book is The Big Deal of Taking Small Steps to Move Closer to God, which shows how to develop a stronger relationship with God with a more effective Christian lifestyle by taking small steps that lead to big changes. Bishop McKenzie founded Kerygma LLC sixteen years ago to “tell stories too important not to be told,” producing her first documentary Survivor Stories which aired on TV One. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park, Howard University School of Religion, and has an earned doctorate from United Theological Seminary. Bishop McKenzie is the National Chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - the largest predominantly African American sorority in the world. She is the widow of former NBA player Dr. Stan McKenzie, the mother of three grown children, and “Nina” to two grandchildren. The McKenzie Foundation is now providing scholarships to student athletes annually in her husband’s name at Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas.