About the Bureau of Evangelism

Church Growth Division

The Rev. Dr. Otis T. McMillan
Director, Church Growth Division

The Director of the Church Growth Division for the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is the Rev. Dr. Otis McMillan. Dr. McMillan is now the pastor of the Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church in Spring Lake, North Carolina, after serving for many years as the pastor of the historic Franklin Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Dr. McMillan has earned the Bachelor of Theology Degree from the International Seminary in Plymouth, FL. He holds the Master of Theology Degree, the Master of Divinity Degree, and the Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Christian Life School of Theology in Columbus, GA. He is a prolific writer, a gifted singer, a dynamic preacher and an anointed teacher. He has published several books and has produced numerous musical recordings. Dr McMillan hosts both a television and a radio program and he is in great demand worldwide as a revivalist, conference speaker, and preacher of the Gospel. Every congregation, where he has served as pastor, has experienced significant growth, with many having experienced phenomenal growth. Dr. McMillan has served as the Director of Evangelism for the Laurinburg District of Central North Carolina Annual Conference and is a member of the Connectional Board of Evangelism for the A.M.E. Zion Church.

The Church Growth Division of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was created to foster church growth in existing congregations, and to develop a plan for planting new churches throughout the denomination by intentionally birthing new churches from healthy congregations. The Division of Church Growth shall be responsible for developing and planting churches with an emphasis on areas where the A.M.E. Zion Church does not have a presence; it shall be responsible for developing a Pilot Program for receiving and nurturing unconnected churches that believe in and love the doctrines of Methodism and prepare them for membership, participation, and assimilation in the Annual Conferences where they are located; it shall further be responsible for developing and implementing special evangelistic media programs and resources for attracting the unchurched and winning souls for Jesus; and it shall be responsible, upon request from the Bishop of the Church, for assisting local churches on how to become revitalized and on how to develop a new church.