The African Methodist Episcopal Church Department of Christian Education announced a change in leadership in the Connectional Fellowship of Church Educators (CFCE). Dr. Robin Porter Smith, who has served as chair since 2018, has become president of the Connectional Council of the AME Church, making her the first layperson and the first woman to hold the position.
Dr. Roberta Hill has been named interim chair of the CFCE. Hill serves as the 13th Episcopal District director of Christian education and has been the CFCE vice chair. An experienced Christian educator, she has served in the 4th and 13th Episcopal districts and alongside her husband, Rev. Dr. Kenneth H. Hill, retired executive director of the AME Department of Christian Education. A retired music educator and former director of human resources for the Franklin, Tenn., school district, she is currently an adjunct professor at Trevecca University in Nashville. Affectionately known as “Dr. Ro,” she is expected to lead this ministry component in “a more excellent way,” her longtime teaching motto.