Greetings,
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior. It is with great joy that I thank God for this opportunity to share my thoughts concerning the Columbia-Camden District of the A.M.E. Zion Church. I truly believe that I am not where I am, and you are not where you are by chance or by circumstance. It has been said, anything that happens in our life is either God ordained, or God allowed. Therefore, it becomes our task to seek out what God is doing in our lives individually and collectively and partner with Him in fulfilling His ministry and our destiny. A German philosopher by the name of Martin Heidegger wrote: “Anyone can achieve their fullest potential, who we are might be predetermined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing. We should never allow our fears or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny. Your destiny can’t be changed but, it can be challenged.”
I believe the Columbia-Camden District’s destiny was set into motion over one hundred twenty-five years ago. Our generation is now living out our part of that destiny and we must not be controlled by fear, but rather guided by faith. The frontiers of our destiny have been set by God and although at times it has been challenged, it has not changed. We are a part of something much bigger than anyone could ever imagine because we serve a God that does exceedingly, abundantly, and above all we could ever ask or think, according to the power that works in us. So, as we embark on this journey, we will not grow weary in doing well, knowing that we will reap the blessings of God if we faint not. Jesus said, “Let us work while it is day for night is coming when no man can work.” There is great work to be done and we are committed to continuing the work of those that have gone before us. We will also set a vision course for those who will come after us. May the God of all grace and mercy guide us and give us strength and wisdom for this journey as we seek to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In His Service,
Reverend Dr. Alvin W. McLamb
Presiding Elder, Columbia-Camden District

Dr. Alvin W. McLamb was born the son of a sharecropper and raised in the sandhills of North Carolina. After graduating from high school, he attended Sampson Technical College where he earned an Associate of Science Degree in Business Administration. After working for three years for a local company, Dr. McLamb made a life changing decision to join the United States Army. Two years after joining the military, he met the love of his life, Vanessa Evans and from their union two daughters were born.
Dr. McLamb served in the military for over 27 years and was assigned to several locations to include Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Bragg, NC, the Republic of Panama, Fort Gordon, GA, Fort Irwin, CA, and the Republic of Korea. He achieved the highest enlisted rank of Sergeant Major and worked for several different units to include Special Operations Command, 193rd Light Infantry Brigade, 18th Medical Command, 18th Airborne Corps Support Center, Signal Brigade, and The National Training Center.
Before retiring from the Army, Dr. McLamb answered the call to ministry and was ordained a Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in 1997 and ordained an Elder in 1999. His ministry journey has led him to pastor churches in Korea, North Carolina, Georgia, Fort Irwin, CA, and South Carolina. In 2012, Dr. McLamb was elevated to the office of Presiding Elder and has served in two Presiding Elder Districts in South Carolina.
In June 2017 Dr. McLamb was selected to serve in the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean of Clinton College in Rock Hill, SC. He served in this position for four years and is currently the Dean of Online Education and Adult Learning. While serving in churches in Rock Hill, Dr. McLamb also worked for the City of Rock Hill as a Code Enforcement Officer for seven years.
Dr. McLamb’s academic achievements are Associate of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Ministry. His philosophy of ministry is summarized by the following: “As a pastor of my generation I envision myself as a caregiver of people, mastering in growing a congregation spiritually, that will result in growing it numerically”. The motto “they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” is one that I live by and try to emulate each day. My vision for the church is that it has a positive impact on the community by sharing the love of God that flows from the hearts of His people. I love the Lord with all my heart, and I love ministering to the people of God. Even before being called into ministry in an official capacity, I had a desire to work for the Lord. But my greatest desire has been to teach. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner knowing that one can only teach what one knows. God has been very gracious to me, bringing me from a humble beginning where values were instilled in me that has given me strength and stability to fulfill His plan and purpose in my life. Achievements and accolades are great, and they have their place. But the most important thing in life is to live a life that is pleasing to God. That, I now try to do each and every day.”