In becoming the AME Church's highest-ranking leader Monday, Bishop Preston Warren Williams II outlined a yearlong agenda that includes programs for the poor and stronger ties among congregations throughout the world.

In a gala attended by more than 3,000 people, the South Carolina bishop became president of the denomination's global council of bishops Monday night in North Charleston.

Before receiving a ceremonial medallion from last term's president at the Charleston Area Convention Center, Williams discussed what he plans to address during his term.

"The main issues are what we read about every day," he said. "It's hunger. It's disease. It's children without parents."

To combat this, Williams plans to enact programs in which churches provide needy children with food when they aren't attending school. He also emphasized the need to strengthen ties to African Methodist Episcopal Church districts in Africa, where he served as a bishop before taking over the South Carolina district.

"We were able to add to the church over 150,000 souls," he said of his time as Central Africa's bishop. "We have made a difference in Africa."

State politicians attending the investiture ceremony voiced hopes that Williams will help do the same on his home turf and lost no time making their recommendations public. In a cavernous convention hall decorated with purple and yellow flowers and bunting, state Sen. Robert Ford, a Charleston Democrat, stood before the dais and challenged Williams to help lift South Carolina out of the cellar when it comes to so many of the state's rankings nationwide.

"We have enough AMEs in this state to bring South Carolina into the 21st century," Ford said. "We've got to get Christians involved like Christ was involved with the needy."

South Carolina and Charleston began benefiting from Williams' rise before the formal investiture. At least four local hotels have sold out, thanks in part to the weeklong convention, and other tourism-related industries are also sure to benefit as visitors flood the area from Africa, Europe and throughout the United States.

It doesn't hurt that South Carolina is of particular significance to AMEs.

The AME Church's South Carolina district, the 7th Episcopal District, is the second-largest in the world, behind the 1st Episcopal District, which covers the northeastern United States. Charleston is the church's birthplace in the American South, where Mother Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street began a tradition that has spanned two centuries.

Since free blacks founded the denomination in Philadelphia in 1793, it has grown to about 3 million members worldwide. About 300,000 of those reside in South Carolina.

Kenneth Hill came to this week's conference as a presiding elder representing Nashville, Tenn., and said that because he knows the South Carolina area well, he probably will skip seeing the AME landmarks.

"Quite a number of our other delegates will be doing that, though," he said.

Two years ago, when Williams came to South Carolina as its new bishop, he went on a sightseeing tour of his own. So far, he has visited 552 of the state's 634 churches and has introduced initiatives to expand the educational offerings to each of the ministers.

Those aren't his sole responsibilities, though. He also serves as chairman of the board at Allen University in Columbia and is a member of the governing board at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

State Rep. Fletcher Smith, a Democrat from Greenville, hopes that Williams will have some influence in the nation's capital beyond his role at Wesley. Smith would like to see the new AME leader lobby on behalf of re-enacting the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which eliminated many anti-black practices.

"He has credibility," Smith said. "I think he's going to be very aggressive about getting the voting rights act re-enacted in Congress."

One of the speakers at the investiture talked about his own experience working with Williams and the AME Church. Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner described Williams as a man of deeds, not empty words.

"I know he's been a force for social justice here in South Carolina," Warner said. "It's a great honor to be here."

Reach Michael Gartland at mgartland@postandcourier.com or 937-5902.