LUSAKA, Zambia (PANA)�The Zambia Methodist Episcopal Church Sept. 6 called for autonomous status after renouncing American Bishop Preston Williams, who was accused of poor leadership.

The church claims that the bishop, who heads the 17th Episcopal District in Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, has failed the church in the region.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church Interim chairman, Rev. Josephat Siyomunji, told a press conference in Lusaka that the financial report of the bishop at the July 5-11, 46th General Conference in the United States, was full of "blatant lies and falsifications."

The bishop claimed in the report that a $401,500 received from America was used for pastors and lay pastors� salaries and economic development.

He further mentioned in the report that he had opened 17 new congregations and established farms from which the church was feeding hundreds of hungry people in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

According to Rev. Siyomunji, the church at the moment has no training program either for pastors or lay persons, no office or car, and no residential accommodation.

He said no new church was completed in the region as stated in the bishop�s report.

"You may recall that, not so long ago, our church was a recipient of 45,000,000 kwacha from the (Zambian) President Frederick Chiluba towards the construction of a cathedral being built in Lusaka. Surely, we would not have been so naive to ask for a donation from the head of state if we had $401,500 U.S. in our coffers," said Rev. Siyomunji.

He wondered how Bishop Williams, who has never stayed in the region for more than 30 days, could establish congregations he claimed in Uganda where he had never set foot.

Rev. Siyomunji further accused the bishop of making delegates who participated at the recent Methodist conference in the United States pay 50 percent of their air fares and said he starved them, even when the treasurer had made available enough money for full fares, accommodation and food.

He appealed to all African Methodist Episcopal Church members in Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe to remain united and fight the discriminatory system that, he said, had retarded the growth of the 17th Episcopal District of the church.