Cascade District

The churches in the Cascade District reside along the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range in the states of Washington and Oregon.

Cascade District was named after the Cascade Mountain Range which is located in western North America from Northern California up through Oregon, Washington and into southern British Columbia. Cascade are part of the well known Pacific Ring of Fire having several volcanoes. Many will remember the 1980 major eruption on Mount St. Helens. Cascade Mountains include over 10 larger mountains with Mount Rainier dominating its surrounding standing official at 14, 410 feet above sea level.

History

The Oregon-Washington Annual Conference celebrated its 100th year of existence as a conference member of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church in 1992.

The Oregon Conference was established by Bishop' C. C. Petty in 1892. The Oregon - Washington Conference was reorganized on October 23, 1910 by Bishop J. S. Caldwell.

The,Portland, Oregon Church had been establish in the days of Bishops Moore and C1inton. Bishop Clinton established churches in other parts of Oregon and in the state of California Conference, (which included all of California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington, he attempted to organize the Oregon Conference in 1892. The bishops succeeding him, Bishop Alexander Walters and Bishop George W. Clinton, did not attempt to hold separate conferences due to the tremendous span of territory. The Far West was a mission field of the East and Midwest.

At the turn of the century, Bishop G. W. Clinton had established churches at Seattle and Spokane, Washington. The work in Washington was organized by Revs. G. H. W. Smith and J. E. Transue.

Bishop J. S. Caldwell reorganized the Conference. Rev. later became Bishop W. W. Matthews was in Portland and working in that area to help extend the borders of the conference. The work included the churches in Washington, and in 1916 the conference became known as the Oregon-Washington Conference. By 1920, it had spread to parts of Idaho and Wyoming and Bishop Kyles had added a few missions including Walla Walla, Washington.

The churches of the conference were organized as follows:

1862    First Church, Portland, Oregon
1930    Ebenezer, Seattle, Washington
1972    Catherine Memorial, Seattle, Washington
1972    Pauline Memorial, Salem, Oregon
1975    Community, Vancouver, Washington
1981    Sojourner Truth, Seattle, Washington
1981    Esperance, Tacoma, Washington
1991    People's, Portland, Oregon
1994    New Life, Seattle, Washington
1995    Daily Bread, Seattle, Washington
1998    Noah's Ark, Renton, Washington
2006    New Life, Vancouver, Washington

Bishops

Bishops who have served the Oregon-Washington Conference

1892-1896 Bishop Charles Calvin Pettey
1896-1900 Bishop George Wylie Clinton	Not Pictured.
1900-1904 Bishop John Wesley Alstork
1904-1916 Bishop Josiah Samuel Caldwell
1916-1924 Bishop Lynwood Westinghouse Kyles
1924-1928 Bishop John William Martin
1928-1936 Bishop William Walter Matthews
1936-1952 Bishop William Cornelius Brown	Not Pictured.
1952-1956 Bishop William Andrew Stewart
1956-1964 Bishop Joseph Dixon Cauthen
1964-1972 Bishop William Alexander Hilliard
1972-1980 Bishop George Junius Leake III
1980-1988 Bishop Herman Leroy Anderson	Not Pictured.
1988-1992 Bishop George Washington Walker, Sr.
1992-2004 Bishop Clarence Carr
2004-2008 Bishop Roy A. Holmes
2008-Current Bishop Dennis V. Proctor