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BY RUFUS S. ABERNETHY JR.

On Sept. 22-24 the people of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will gather to celebrate the legacy of the racially-segregated Washington Conference and look to a vision of the future built on its history. Four pastors in this area who served in the Washington Conference, entering the ministry in 1952, are still alive.

The Washington Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church belongs to history.

The conference was the valiant effort of the black Methodist community to address the spectrum of segregation within the church.

The Central Jurisdiction was a system created by the general Methodist church to accommodate black churches and pastors.

Robert E. Jones, brother of David D. Jones, was the first bishop. He graduated along with Robert Brooks and Rufus S. Abernethy Sr. from Drew Theological Seminary in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Gammon Theological Seminary was established for the training of Negro ministers.

Early on, the Washington Conference included congregations in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. Annual sessions were held in Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Pittsburgh, Charleston and Roanoke.

Hotel accommodations were not available to Negro citizens in all of these cities. Therefore, congregations were asked to house ministers and their families during the annual conference session, which usually began on Tuesday and ran through Sunday afternoon with the ordination service.

Appointments were read by the bishop, with ministers sitting on the edges of their seats. Because of various circumstances, appointments were often not what had previously been agreed to.

The Washington Conference was the highlight of the year - spiritually, statistically and socially.

The reunion of the former Washington Conference will begin with a special Memorial and Holy Communion worship service Friday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m., at Sharp Street Memorial UMC in Baltimore, the site where the denomination?s segregated Central Jurisdiction was begun and the Washington Conference was formally disbanded.

A variety of presentations and workshops will be held Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Marriott Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley. The morning will focus on celebrating the past. The afternoon will center on envisioning the future with a series of interactive events with drama, music and dance, led by the Rev. Marilyn E. Thornton.

A banquet honoring the surviving members of the Washington Conference will be held at the Hunt Valley Inn Ballroom at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 23.

On Sunday, Sept. 24, churches throughout the conference are encouraged to share in special worship liturgy to celebrate the former Washington Conference.

As part of the conference, an essay contest for youth is being held.

The theme of the Howard Cornish Essay Contest, which will award $500 to the first place entry, is 'What impact have African-American United Methodists had on your life and community?' Special attention will be given to those essays that lift up the history of the Washington Conference, the racially segregated group of Methodist churches in this area that existed from 1939 to 1965.

Howard Cornish, for whom the contest is named, served as the longtime director of Morgan Christian Center. Morgan State University in Baltimore was started as a part of the former Washington Conference.

The contest is open to middle school and high school youth. An award of $100 will be given to those who write the most outstanding 500-word-or-less essay in each age group.

In addition, the Florence Thompson Artistic Expression Contest will be held to feature the artwork of elementary, middle school and high school students. Those who wish to enter should submit original paintings, drawings, photographs, poetry or other creative works on an 8 ? -by 11 sheet of paper. An award of $100 will be given in each age category to the entry which best captures 'The Faith and Spirit of the Former Washington Conference.'

Florence Thompson was the first African-American woman hired by the Baltimore Conference. She leaves a legacy that spotlights the essential nature of outstanding Christian education.

These contests provide an excellent opportunity for Sunday school teachers and youth leaders to teach the youth about the former Washington Conference, its legacy and how the church is empowered by its history.

The deadline for submissions is Sept. 4. Entries can be mailed to Washington Conference Reunion, Baltimore-Washington Conference, 7178 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite D, Columbia, MD 21046, or sent electronically to or . All entries should include an e-mail address, telephone number and church affiliation.

In addition, Bishop Forrest C. Stith and the reunion organizers are seeking artifacts from the Washington Conference to display during the reunion. These items from the past can be brought to the Conference Center in Columbia.

The Rev. Rufus S. Abernethy Jr. is a retired Elder.