WARREN — Grace AME Church hosted a three-day conference for members of churches who are part of the African Methodist Church of northeastern Ohio, which serves Trumbull and Mahoning counties.

Bishop Stafford Wicker, who serves African Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, said the 143rd session North Ohio conference took place in Warren. A different location is selected each year.

The theme for 2024 was “Transformation” with a focus on transforming lives, communities and churches.

Wicker said each day focused on worship, business and community, professional development and preparing participants to return to their churches and communities.

“It is my desire that people are energized and inspired to go and transform local churches by speaking to individuals about making changes in their communities through education, participation and transformation,” Wicker said.

He said he was impressed by members of Grace AME, who are steeped in tradition and community, and have a lot of church pride.

“I can see the church congregation has a lot of pride in Warren, Ohio, and are here to stay. This is a resident congregation with 150 years in Warren, which is 226 years old. What makes a church be here for 150 years is the community,” Wicker said.

The Rev. Shane Floyd, pastor of the church, said he was honored the church was selected as the host site for the three-day conference.

He said it was unique to have people from so many churches coming together in Warren.

There were 35 churches represented and 65 preachers at the conference.

Floyd said Mayor Doug Franklin, council members Honeya Price and Todd Johnson, and other dignitaries attended the event.

Wicker said the conference was designed to help lift people to their next level of life following the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is probably the first solid well attended conference since the pandemic simply because people were living in fear. The communities today are changing. We ask how can we reach out to the changing communities? Very few communities will be single race. The challenge has become how to make an impact in those communities,” Wicker said.

He said the churches also need to embrace more technology as people are becoming more disconnected from the church. Wicker said they want to have less turnover with their pastors to allow for a longer relationship.

“We need to engage people to want to be with each other but there is a challenge that I call the Walmart effect,” Wicker said.

He said the Walmart effect is putting up a big box store and everyone coming there to get what they need.

“We present Christ and the teachings of Christ and Walmart presents the big box in the big parking lot where people get the items they need. The church is exchanging relationships for love and understanding and the building of character,” he said.

Wicker said the big unknown in the world is how to live in harmony with each other.