UPDATED: Obama to speak here this weekend at African Methodist Episcopal conference
Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign has confirmed that the senator will be making an appearance at the African Methodist Episcopal church conference in Saturday.
Obama will make an afternoon address to the AME conference at the America’s Center. The speech is NOT open to the public.
Both Obama and Sen. John McCain were invited by the church to speak at the national gathering of AME leaders and laypeople. The AME is a predominantly black church, but it does have small groups of white and Hispanic members, as well as some members in India.
Obama’s presence is particularly interesting given the controversy during the primary season over his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Wright, though not an AME minister, is a leader in black theology circles.
Obama drew criticism from Wright and some others when he distanced himself from his long-time church after clips of a few inflammatory remarks made a national news splash. Obama said that some of Wright’s remarks, which criticized the U.S. over various issues, didn’t conform to Obama’s own faith and view of his country.
Again, Obama’s speech is not open to the public, but downtown activities this weekend ought to be drawing a lot of traffic (the Cards-Cubs game starts at 2:55 p.m.) so keep that in mind.
UPDATE FROM JO MANNIES:
Here’s more details, provided at a Thursday night press conference held by church leaders:
Close to 30,000 leaders of the historically black denomination are attending its 48th quadrennial session of the General Conference, which begins today at the America’s Center.
Obama will first meet privately with church bishops before addressing the convention, said Bishop Philip R. Cousin Sr., head of the church’s 4th District, which includes Chicago, Obama’s hometown.
Cousin and other church leaders said that they had issued a similar invitation to John McCain, the Republican presumptive presidential nominee, to address the convention. McCain’s campaign did not respond, said the conference chairperson, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie.


I dont care what any ignorant people say about obama, he is going to make a difference in our country and is making a difference right now as we speak. Now to those who said he reminds you of bush you all have to be out of your mind like seriously what are you thinking bush has driven this country into the depths of hell and obama will bring back to the gates of heaven. Also just to let you all know obama tore the house down at the conference and I support him 200%.