Press Release: P.O.P. & A.M.E.

After over 202 years, the dream and vision of Bishop Richard Allen for AMEC is still alive and continues its Legacy of Hope for self determination through a collaborative effort with the P.O.P. Movement 360 Community Restoration & Job Creation Initiative.  

AMEC (African Methodist Episcopal Church), the oldest African American Church denomination in the world, represented by the 8th Episcopal Greenville – Greenwood District has endorsed a 360 Community Restoration & Job Creation Project being launched by the Prosperity Over Poverty Movement.  This initiative is designed to help our people help themselves – bringing change economically, socially and spiritually.

Mound Bayou, home of the Greater Bethel AME Church, was once a high-scale, thriving community known as the “Jewel of the Delta” because of its success as an all-black town.  Greater Bethel’s pastor, Pastor Horace McKay, was born and raised from childhood to adult and was a member at the Greater Bethel AME Church where he has presided as the pastor for 9 long years.  Pastor McKay experienced the rise and the fall of his community, as well as his church, but always prayed daily that he would see his community and his church rise again.

Three years ago, God sent Agents of Change to the city of Mound Bayou – those having a heart for helping hurting Americans through a self-help process teaching individuals on how to do for self in a forever changing society. This organization, the POP Movement, caters to individuals that lack skills or broad education, individuals that have criminal backgrounds (including felons), senior citizens, youth and others. Many of these individuals has been locked out of today’s technology driven society but still need ways and a means to survive. The POP Movement  supports these individuals by helping them pull themselves up by their own bootstraps by teaching them through LEE-ETA (Lifeline Employment, Entrepreneurship & Environmental Training Academy.)

The city of Mound Bayou was founded by I.T. Montgomery & Benjamin Green 131 years ago on these same principles.  Mr. I.T. Montgomery told the pioneers who migrated to what was once a swamp and wooded area that “the things that I’m telling you to do is what you were already doing for your Master. Nothing different but now you would have the opportunity to do it for yourself and your family.”  In 1786, Bishop Richard Allen and a few others encouraged blacks as well that we must separate ourselves from people who try to separate us from a just God – this began the era of The African Methodist Episcopal Church making it mandatory that blacks knew that the God they served was a just God and he loved all mankind.  

After Pastor McKay heard about the mission and vision of the POP Movement, he continued to watch a member of his church change their life through the organization and he wanted to learn more about the POP Movement.  After doing his research, he replied “Oh My God, this is what I’ve been praying for – something or someone that had the love and a heart for mankind to help save our dying communities and souls.”

During the 123rd Church Anniversary, after a message that was delivered so powerfully by our very own The Right Bishop Julius H. McAllister Sr., God spoke to another member of the organization that was there visiting and said, “This is where I’m placing you to help deliver my people out of bondage one more time.”  After 202 years, the amount of time that has passed since Bishop Richard Allen decided to start the AME Church, Greater Bethel AME Church decided to join forces and take the lead once again in bringing deliverance to our people by collaborating with the POP Movement, to help in leading hurting Americans out of financial bondage mainly in at risk and impoverished communities starting in the #1 poorest economic State, Mississippi Where there is poverty, there is Crime. The Greater Bethel AMEC will be spearheading a fundraising project and the 360 Community Restoration Initiative throughout the entire 8th Episcopal District – soon to spread throughout the entire 20 Districts of the AMEC.  The Right Bishop Julius H. McAllister, Presiding Elder, Rev. Archie Smith, and Pastor, Horace McKay of the 8th Episcopal District which serves Mississippi & Louisiana, will be the first national religious organization leaders and the first district out of  20 in the AMEC to endorse and implement this type of self-stainable fundraiser and community restoration project to support the mission of eradicating poverty & minimizing crime through a job creation eco system.  

This project has been designed to pump economic power and hope back into our impoverished and at-risk communities nationwide.  The goal in this campaign and initiative is to educate, empower and create a minimum of 1,000,000 jobs and 200,000 entrepreneurs nationwide by year end 2022.

The P.O.P. Movement National 360 Community Restoration & Job Creation Campaign is now in pre-launch and will be officially launching Oct 3rd through 6th, 2019 from the #1 economically poorest state, Mississippi. We are asking that all AMEC Churches from this State of MS and abroad to be the leading religious affiliated churches in supporting this initiative and campaign. This will be a History Making Event. Please visit our website at www.popjobcreation.net to register your church and to learn more about us and how your church can get involved or call 662-223-3309

Campaign Slogan: “Why We Can’t Wait Any longer To have Prosperity Over Poverty”

Pictured from Left to Right: Presiding Elder Rev. Archie Smith, The Right Rev. Julius H. McAllister Sr., Presiding Bishop, Pastor Horace McKay, Mrs. Etherine Mitchell (Lay President), and Ethel C. Russel (Lay Chaplin)