The presiding elder is the official of the A.M.E. Connection charged with the responsibility of seeing that each local church under his supervision understand and complies with the policies and program of the connection. He/she presides over the Quarterly Conference sessions at which time he/she gets all the information necessary to inform them that the local congregation is operating in harmony with the laws of the A.M.E. Connection, and meeting all of its obligations to the connection. The presiding elder is appointed by the bishop.​