On August 28th, during the Closing Service of the 52^nd Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Right Reverend Wilfred Jacobus Messiah was installed as the Senior Bishop of the AME Church. The Senior Bishop is the active Bishop with the longest tenure of service in the AME Church and is first in order of precedence among the Council of Bishops. The position occupies a key role in the polity and practice of the AME Church. While a Senior Bishop has existed since the incorporation of the church as a denomination in 1816, the first formal investiture ceremony occurred at the 2004 General Conference. The ceremony includes the passage of the Senior Bishop’s regalia—a solid gold medallion with the logo of the denomination donated by the family of Claude Stephens. Elected in 2004, Bishop Messiah is the first person born in South Africa to ascend to this role.

The Right Reverend Wilfred Jacobus Messiah graduated from Wilberforce University – Magna Cum Laude, 1982; Payne Theological Seminary – Cum Laude 1985; and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary 1997 with a Doctor of Ministry Degree. He was the first and only International Student to become President of the Student Government Association at Wilberforce University in 1980; is listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities 1980 and 1981; National Dean’s List 1980 -1982; and joined Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society in 1982. He is a recent recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio and has received several other distinguished service awards.

At the 47th Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church held in Indianapolis IN, July 5th, 2004, the Rt. Rev. Wilfred J. Messiah was elected on the first ballot and consecrated as the 120th Bishop of the AME Church. This was the first time in the history of the AME Church, that an African had been elected on the first ballot.

Bishop Messiah has served as the Presiding Prelate of the following Districts: 20th District (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda); 15th District (Angola, Namibia and eastern South Africa).  18^th District (Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, and Mozambique) and the 17^th Episcopal District (Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya).

The Rt. Rev. Wilfred Jacobus Messiah is the son of the late Presiding Elder Paul Johannes Messiah and Dorothea Maart Messiah.  He is married to Episcopal Supervisor Carol Isabella Messiah and is the proud father of three (3) sons: William (Lisa), Justin-Michael and Silvester and two grandchildren, William II and Malia-Gabrielle.

After his investiture, Senior Bishop Messiah commented, “[I am still] in awe of what the Lord has done. [I am] grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord’s people in this capacity. The future of the AME church is bright, and I look forward to her rising to meet the occasion.”