As we prepare for our 2026 Founder’s Day observance, we are pleased to announce the Eighth Episcopal District Founder’s Day Contest, an opportunity for our children and youth to engage our rich AME heritage through study, creativity, and faithful reflection.

 

The 2026 contest theme is:

Cooperative Economics and Faithful Financial Stewardship:
Celebrating the Spirit of the Free African Society
Rooted in Zechariah 3:10 — “They shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.”

 

This year’s theme invites participants to explore how faith, shared responsibility, and economic cooperation—central to the founding of the AME Church—continue to shape our call to justice, sustainability, and community empowerment today.

The contest is open to eligible students across the District and includes Essay, Poster, and Multimedia categories. Full guidelines, deadlines, and instructions are included in the attached document.

 

We encourage pastors, parents, Christian Education Directors, and church leaders to share this opportunity widely and to support our students as they engage thoughtfully and prayerfully with this important work.

 

Please download the attached contest information carefully and direct any questions to your Local or Annual Conference Christian Education Director.

 

We look forward to celebrating the creativity, insight, and faith of our young people as we honor our past and prepare for the future God has entrusted to us.

 

With expectation and gratitude,

The Right Reverend Erika D. Crawford
Presiding Prelate, Eighth Episcopal District
African Methodist Episcopal Church