Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, the first female bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, will deliver the Women s Day message at 10:45 a.m. tomorrow at Warren AME Church, 915 Collingwood Blvd.

In 2000, Bishop McKenzie was elected the 117th consecrated bishop of the AME Church, and in 2004 became the president of the council of bishops, making her the highest-ranking women in the predominately black Methodist denomination.

Prior to becoming a bishop, she was pastor for 10 years of Payne AME Church in Baltimore.

Bishop McKenzie, an author of three books, is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Howard University School of Divinity, and earned a doctor of ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton.

The AME Church has more than 2 million members, 8,000 ministers, and 7,000 congregations in 30 nations.

First Published March 18, 2006, 12:30 p.m.