E. Anne Henning Byfield, former president of AME bishops' council, dies at 74
Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield, president of the AME Council of Bishops, speaks during the opening worship service at the general conference July 6, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield, a leader of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, has died two months into her retirement, the denomination announced on Thursday.
Byfield, 74, a former president of the AME Council of Bishops and a recent chair of social action for the church, died unexpectedly on Thursday in Indianapolis. The cause of her death was not announced.
“Bishop Anne Henning Byfield was a special type of bishop. One who always led with a spirit of humility and prayer,” AME Church Senior Bishop Wilfred J. Messiah said in a statement posted on his office’s Facebook page. “Her sage wisdom and humble heart will truly be missed.”
