The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder – Since 1852
SUMMER 2011 CONNECTIONAL MEETINGS:
- World Methodist Council
August 1 - 8, 2011
Durban, South Africa
- Connectional Lay Organization 32nd Biennial Convention
August 12 - 18, 2011
Marriott-Renaissance Center
Detroit, MI
The date of the Candidates Forum will be held on Monday, August 15th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- World Methodist Council
August 1 - 8, 2011
Durban, South Africa
- Connectional Lay Organization 32nd Biennial Convention
August 12 - 18, 2011
Marriott-Renaissance Center
Detroit, MI
The date of the Candidates Forum will be held on Monday, August 15th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
1. EDITORIAL – SOME MORE GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
Some things are hard to believe. I had a “hard to believe conversation” on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 in the hotel lobby at the WMS and YPD Quadrennial Convention with a young man who told me he was a pastor in South Carolina.
Maybe I may need to spend more time talking to people in hotel lobbies in or with people from South Carolina because the last conversation I wrote about that had taken place in a hotel lobby in South Carolina was the conversation I had with a lady who told me she was a preacher in South Carolina, but had not subscribed or read the various AME periodicals; none of them!
But, before I share with you the conversation I had at the WMS and YPD Quadrennial Convention with a young pastor from South Carolina, let me share the good news about WMS and YPD Quadrennial Convention because the good news has a “better feel” than the unbelievable bad news that I will share after I share the good news.
The good news!
If you attended the WMS and YPD Quadrennial Convention in Orlando, Florida there is no way that you can say the African Methodist Episcopal Church is dead or dying.
If you go into a church or social organization venue that does not have young people you can almost be certain that “death” is in the future of the organization.
The YPD Quadrennial Convention had a hotel full of youth! The AME Church is “not dead,” the AME Church is alive. The leadership skills of the YPD youth leaders was amazing; clean-cut, good-looking young people from around the world – from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe.
The enthusiasm of the young people was contagious and electrifying. Hundreds and hundreds of AME young people; thousands of AMEs gathered at the Marriott World Center Hotel Orlando, Florida. For those of you have never attended a WMS Quadrennial Convention, you have missed an electrifying event; the attendance and intensity is almost at the level of a General Conference.
The good news is that there is excitement in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and there is excitement with the YPDers in the AME Church.
The excitement is not everywhere, and the absence of excitement is indicative of a leadership problem; but obviously there is not a leadership problem with the connectional YPD and that’s good news.
I attended the YPD Installation Service and heard the stirring message delivered by Dr. Patricia McCloud and witnessed the enthusiastic response of the young people. Her message “fired up” the young and old folks too. Attorney McCloud is not only an intellectual, but she a rapper too. She knows how to relate to young people.
The YPD Quadrennial Convention in Orlando was good news. We have some outstanding young people and we are proud of them.
Kudos to the newly elected and installed connectional YPD officers:
President: Jon Ingraham, 11th Episcopal District; First Vice- President, Ka'Dijah Brown, 5th Episcopal District; 2nd Vice- President, Brian Tukes, 6th Episcopal District; 3rd Vice-President, Enercida Rodriguez, 16th Episcopal District; Recording Secretary, Brianna Barbour, 8th Episcopal District; Assistant Recording Secretary, Brittni A. Peters, 1st Episcopal District; Communications Secretary, Ar'Zsa Patterson, 9th Episcopal District; Financial Secretary, Breonna D. Davis- 13th Episcopal District; Parliamentarian, Nicole Shaw, 2nd Episcopal District; Worship Director, Norris Jackson, 4th Episcopal District; Historiographer/Statistician, Bianca Nixon, 3rd Episcopal District; Editor of YPD Gazette, Jarwon Kelly, 7th Episcopal District; and Assistant Editor of YPD Gazette: Mapule Malefetse 19th Episcopal District.
Our youth are engaged in the life of the Church. Now, that’s the good news from Orlando, Florida.
The bad news
It was time to go to the airport for my flight back to Nashville. I was in the hotel lobby waiting for Dr. Johnny Barbour who went to get his suitcase. A hotel lobby is an interesting place to meet old friend and make new acquaintances. I love talking to people.
I served in the Army for 28 years and worked at Hampton University as Director of the Religious Studies Program for five years and I especially enjoy talking to young adults. I learn so much conversing with young adults and I just gravitate to young adults. I enjoy listening to their views hearing their take on what’s happening in the world; and when talking with AME young adults. I enjoy hearing their views on the AME Church; and besides conversations with AMEs often result in “seeds” and thoughts for editorials in The Christian Recorder. But, as much as I love “pick-up” conversations, I am not into mindless drivel or nonsense. I don’t mind divergent views, but I don’t have patience with foolish, illogical and mindless talk; and that’s what awaited me as I sat in the lobby waiting for Dr. Barbour to return with his luggage.
While waiting for Dr. Barbour, I happened to find a seat near a young man who looked like a preacher and we got engaged in small talk and he informed me that he was a pastor in South Carolina. So far, so good!
Anyone who reads The Christian Recorder probably knows that I am “hot to trot” on AME clergy and laity subscribing to, and reading the AME periodicals; and especially The Christian Recorder. I am especially “hot to trot” on preachers reading the AME periodicals. Preachers reading the AME periodicals should be a non-issue, but in my mind it is an issue because I suspect that some, and perhaps many, of our preachers are not reading the AME periodicals.
Okay, back to the hotel lobby
As the young preacher and I engaged in a discussion about the periodicals of the AME Church and when he mentioned that he didn’t use the internet and that he didn’t know that The Christian Recorder had an online component, I was surprised given his appearance of his age; he looked to have been in his forties.
And, if that surprised me, I was more shocked when he got several of the AME periodicals mixed up; he apparently thought that The A.M.E. Church Review’s focus was contemporary news.
But, if I thought I was shocked at that point, what he said next really shocked me (This would be a great “teaser” to end this editorial right here and say Part-2 will continue next week).
Let me continue
What that pastor said next, shocked “the socks off me!” He said that he didn’t read The Christian Recorder because he preferred to read Ebony, Jet, and The Final Call.
The Final Call is the newspaper for the Nation of Islam. I could tell that he was serious, because he went on to say that The Final Call tells the news “like it is.” Trying not to let the conversation turn into nonsense, I asked him to give some examples of how The Final Call “tells it like it is.” That question was apparently too hard and so I asked him to give me his take on the current congressional debate on whether or not to increase the debt ceiling. I wanted to get a sense on whether or not he had a grasp on currents events and its global impact.
It didn’t take me long to find out, he responded, “Black people are going to be hurt.” Duh!
I asked, “Any other impacts? I asked, “How does this affect your congregation and what word do you have for them? Is this an important event?” Apparently, the young preacher had no clue and made another comment about The Final Call. Apparently the preacher doesn’t read his local newspapers or listen attentively to the local television news either. His news source, in his own words, is The Final Call. I suspect if a Nation of Islam minister went to his mosque and announced that he preferred The Christian Recorder to The Final Call, the minister would be expelled from the mosque.
It was time to go
Dr. Johnny Barbour arrived with his luggage and my conversation ended. I wanted more time, but we had to get to the airport to catch our flight back to Nashville.
That was the bad news, for me, from Orlando; an AME preacher whose news source is The Final Call, the newspaper for the Nation of Islam. It would not have been so sad if he had said that he read the United Methodist News Service, The Christian Index (CME) or The Star of Zion (AMEZ), Christianity Today, The Christian Century, but instead his news source was the non-Christian newspaper, The Final Call. And add to The Final Call, Ebony and Jet; and when he mentioned Ebony and Jet, you would have thought that he had mentioned The Interpreter’s Bible or The Greek Lexicon.
I wondered as I reflected on the conversation with the young preacher, whose name I can’t remember, what kind of influence he had on his congregation, especially his young people. He said he wasn’t much on the internet, wasn’t familiar with FaceBook, Twitter and the other social networking websites. I asked him to show me his cell phone, but either he did not have one or he didn’t want to show it to me.
I wondered about his enthusiasm for the African Methodist Episcopal Church. I wondered about how he led worship. I wondered about his reading and study habits. I wondered about his Bible-reading schedule. I wondered about his prayer life. I even wondered about his love for Jesus Christ.
We caution young people who listen to X-rated music, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Preachers should be cautioned that their behavior and thinking is influenced by what they read, listen to, and what they view. Preachers can be victims of the “garbage in, garbage out” syndrome, which is why it is so important for preachers to be well-read, so that they can be well-rounded; so that their ministry can be relevant to the congregations they are called upon to serve.
I have a wish
I wish that preacher would read this column and call me or respond and write:
“I am the preacher from South Carolina who spoke with you in the lobby of the Marriott World Center Hotel in Orlando, Florida. I want you to know that I was “pulling your leg.” I don’t read The Final Call as a part of my regular reading schedule; I do read Ebony and Jet and I read novels; I subscribe to, and read all of the AME periodicals; I have participated in the reading of the Bible from cover to cover; I subscribe to my local newspaper; the liturgy of the worship service where I pastor is AME-focused and we have a vibrant youth program; I am concerned about issues in the African American community, but I am also concerned about what happens in all sectors of America and what is going on globally; I am concerned about our youth and I am working to improve the community in which I live; my ministry is focused upon bringing lost souls to Christ and helping those who are already Christians to live to their full potential in Christ Jesus; and I love the AME Church.”
Now, a message like that would be good news!
2. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
- To the Editor:
If I may, I would like to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading TCR editorials. I have been using them as teaching moments when the opportunity arises. Recently, I shared with the congregation, your article about the Altar and why it is considered sacred at all times, even during offering. I also incorporated why the offering is a time of worship and why we bring them to the altar. Thank you so much for sharing and bringing some issues of importance back to our remembrance.
The Rev. Dana Porter Ashton, Pastor
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
201 Second Street
Chesapeake City, Maryland 21915
3. BLACK PEOPLE ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEBT CEILING DEBATE:
*The Rev. Melvin E. Wilson
Registered Black American’s need to be attentive to and take responsibility for the current debate on whether or not Congress agrees to increase the debt ceiling. Why? Because if more Black people would have voted in the last mid-term election, the Democrats would have maintained control of the House of Representatives, and with the Democrats maintaining control of the Senate, the President’s reasonable request to increase the debt ceiling would have already passed, and we wouldn’t be discussing this issue the way we are doing so today.
Smart politics says that we challenge flawed political ideology, and not go after people personally. What the political right has done from Day 1, however, is attack President Barack Obama both politically and personally. The debt ceiling debate has gotten personal, and there is an attempt to make this issue a referendum on his entire Presidency. It has to be personal, because according to the U. S. Treasury Department’s Fact Sheet on the federal debt limit:
• Congress has always acted to raise the debt limit. Congress has acted 78 separate times since 1960 (49 times under Republican presidents and 29 times under Democratic presidents) to permanently raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit.
• Raising the debt limit does not spend more money. It simply allows the government to meet its existing legal obligations, obligations which were not made by this President or this Administration.
• Even if the House Republican Budget Resolutions proposed by Congressmen Boehner, McConnell and Ryan were approved, the debt limit would need to be increased by an average of $2 trillion to accommodate their proposal.
But again, we wouldn’t be having this discussion on this level today if Black people would have voted last November. In fact, if only 10 more Black people in every Precinct would have voted, the Democrats would have maintained control of the House of Representatives.
Those of us who live in New York should know this all too well. Years ago, former Mayor David Dinkins lost a second term to Rudy Giuliani because black people stayed home and did not vote. Most recently, Former Comptroller William Thompson, who was not even given a shot to win the last mayoral election, only lost by 5% to current Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who, by the way, led the fight to change the City Charter so he could run for a third term. Can you imagine what would have happened if those 10 people in every Precinct would have voted?
What is it going to take for Black American’s to understand the power of the vote? How much more institutional racism and disrespect against our President and other Black and Latino elected officials do we need to witness before we decide to do something about it? We don’t control the financial markets, although we spend plenty of money on things we want. We don’t control the legal system, but certainly provide all the human “grist” needed for the legal “mill.” Even with a Black President in a so called post-racial society we clearly see that Blacks don’t control government or politics. And, Blacks don’t control the images or messages which come from the media, as we sit idly, silently and “prayerfully” on the sidelines shaking our heads in disgust as the media constantly finds new ways to subjugate, dismiss and ignore Blacks in this country. But what we DO control is our vote, and it’s time we begin to take the power of the vote in every election seriously. We showed the world in 2008 when the United States elected Barack Obama as President what we as a people can do. The challenge today is to own responsibility for the national and international crises that the United States is engaged in and commit today to make sure it never happens again.
*The Rev. Melvin E. Wilson is the pastor of St. Luke AME Church in Harlem (NYC, USA) and is the President of the New York Area AME Ministers’ Alliance
4. NEW JERSEY CONFERENCE WOMEN’S MISSIONARY SOCIETY HONORS THE NORRIS’ IN “UNFORGETTABLE”:
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Hebrews 6:10 NKJV)
This scripture amplify the tribute given to the Right Rev. Richard Franklin Norris, the Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District and Mother MaryAnn Norris, Supervisor of Missions. The New Jersey Conference Branch Women’s Missionary Society, under the phenomenon president, Carolyn C. Wade honored the leadership for the extraordinary manner in which they have carried our God’s work and the work of this Conference during their tenure in this district on April 30, 2011.
The theme, though simply, yet profound was “Unforgettable”. The tribute was highlighted in a luncheon given at the Pines Manor in Edison, New Jersey with more than six hundred (600) in attendance. President Wade in her remarks indicated that it was with unforgettable joy and unspeakable appreciation that the New Jersey Conference Branch Women’s’ Missionary Society and our Partners (Pastors, Laity, YPD) in God’s work honor the Episcopal leadership. Bishop and Mother Norris were honored because they have demonstrated that leadership is an action not a position. Their diligent work with this Conference, we believe is a gift from God; as God chose the Norris team to shepherd God’s people in this conference and the 1st Episcopal District. It was further stated that as our episcopal leaders, Bishop and Mother Norris have warmed the heart and challenged the spirits of the people to remain loyal to our Lord Jesus the Christ through the stellar leadership they have given.
The chair of the luncheon was Sister Marian P. Watley, 3rd Vice President of the New Jersey Conference Branch Women’s Missionary Society, whose comments remind Bishop and Mother Norris of the many lives they have touched in the church and the community. “Today, all of us are better and stronger because you passed this way.”
The Master of Ceremonies was masterfully executed by the Rev. Dr. William D. Watley, Pastor of St. James AME Church in Newark, NJ. Sisters Bonita Cuff and Robin Robinson rewrote the lyrics to the song “Unforgettable” which was melodiously sung by the baritone pastor of the Greater Mt. Zion AME Church in Trenton, NJ, Rev. J. Stanley Justice.
Unforgettable that's what you are
Unforgettable though near or far
Like the eight years that you’ve been with us
How the memories continue to grow with us
Never before has a pair affected us more
Unforgettable in every way
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
Bishop and Mother it’s incredible
That you both are so unforgettable
Eight years with New Jersey has been unforgettable too.
Sister Edith Campbell Elizabeth Area Life Member welcomed all in attendance. The Occasion and Challenge was given by Dr. Sharon Hines Smith of the Gouldtown Area. The Unforgettable tribute dance to the Norris’ was done by YPDer Sister Chardey Wilkins of the Gouldtown Area. Sister Dora Butler, Senior Missionary of the Atlantic City Area amused the audience with a stunning poetic tribute in a fashion that on lookers were astonish and could only stand in an ovation applaud.
Because the affair was of light heartedness each Presiding Elder (the Reverends Richard T. Druid-Atlantic City District; Dr. Robert C. Wade-Camden-Trenton District; Melvin L. Guyton-New Brunswick District; Howard L. Grant, Newark District) reminded Bishop and Mother Norris of memorable occasions that was unforgettable. Each Presiding Elder introduced the churches of their district and each pastor, accompanied by the local missionary president made presentations to Bishop and Mother Norris. Along with the presentations, Mother Norris was presented with a single rose from each missionary society. At the end of the affair a huge bouquet of roses (over 100) was arranged and given to Mother Norris in recognition of the love and respect the New Jersey Conference Women’s Missionary Society has for her.
A souvenir journal was made of the occasion and a special gift to memorize the occasion was given to each attendee by the New Jersey Conference Women’s Missionary Society.
Bishop and Mother Norris expressed gratitude to the New Jersey Conference Women’s Missionary Society and its partners in missions for this unusual idea and the artistic execution of the program. Special appreciation was given to all the participants of this affair, especially to Sister Wilma Robinson, 1st Vice President of the New Jersey Conference Women’s Missionary Society.
As a parting remark, President Wade emphasized to the Norris’ that this conference “noted that neither of them served in a spirit of rivalry or self aggrandizement, but out of love for our Lord and His people.” Bishop and Mother Norris was reminded “that greatness is one part character and is measured by it possessors not so much by what they achieve for themselves as by what they achieve for others.” The New Jersey Conference speaks with volume…“Unforgettable…that’s what you are; Unforgettable, though near or far.”
5. PAST AND PRESENT SOLDIERS HONORED BY BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH, CHESAPEAKE CITY, MARYLAND:
*The Reverend Dana Porter Ashton
Chesapeake City, Maryland (Sunday, July 3, 2011)- The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Chesapeake City where the Rev. Dana Porter Ashton is the Pastor, celebrated Independence Sunday by honoring past and present soldiers. The guest speaker for the day was Senior Master Sergeant Eric Holmes, who spoke about the true meaning of Independence Day for us as Americans and as Christians.
Senior Master Sergeant Holmes stated “Commemoration of the Declaration of Independence should be the primary reason for the remembrance. Other than historically conscious traditionalists that understand the nature of the Republic, few perceive the real purpose of the founding of America. The intention of the remembrance is to memorialize the Declaration of Independence. But the meaning of the word and certainly the idea of independence is routinely ignored and often purged from the gala. A party for the sake of enjoyment snubs the solemn legacy of the founders. Yet, those who rally their attention on patriotic fervor make an even more profound error”. He continued by stating that, “After thorough research, I found that the words “Independence” or “Independent” do not appear anywhere in the Bible. Finding that out was the easy part, however, coming to a conclusion of why that may be is deemed to be a little more involved. We were made from an image of God which makes us a part of God; therefore we could never be ‘independent’ from God.”
Senior Master Sergeant Holmes challenged the congregation to “reclaim the inspiration and the power of God that was so obviously directing our founding fathers by encouraging us to act on that faith, live in the righteousness of Christ, and stand and fight once again for the freedom that was purchased for us by those who gave their lives.” In closing, Senior Master Sergeant Holmes offered us the following suggestions to help us refocus:
• Repent of sin and commit your life to Christ;
• If you are a Christian, quit riding the fence and choose this day whom you will serve;
• Pray for our Nation and her leaders;
• Insist that we not allow liberal rhetoric to rob us of our spiritual heritage; and
• Live your life in a manner that reflects your trust in our living God.
During the worship service, Rev. Ashton presented Certificates of Appreciation to members who have served in the military.
*The Reverend Dana Porter Ashton is the pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chesapeake City, Maryland
6. POST CARD INVITATION FROM BISHOP DAVID R. DANIELS:
"Save the Date" Invitation Postcard (Attached) inviting the Bishops of the Church, General Officers, Connectional Officers, clergy, laity and friends of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to come to Monrovia, Liberia to celebrate the post-Investiture of Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr. as President of the Council of Bishops.
Please note the travel dates are: November 25 & 26, 2011 or any time before these dates; the actual event will start on November 27 through December 1, 2011. Departure time can be December 2, 2011.
You are invited to Liberia for worship services, AME University Commencement and other activities to celebrate your roots.
Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr.
President, The Council of Bishops
The African Methodist Episcopal Church
7. NEWLY ELECTED AND INSTALLED CONNECTIONAL YPD OFFICERS – 2011 – 2015:
President: Jon Ingraham, 11th Episcopal District;
First Vice- President, Ka'Dijah Brown, 5th Episcopal District;
2nd Vice- President, Brian Tukes, 6th Episcopal District;
3rd Vice-President, Enercida Rodriguez, 16th Episcopal District;
Recording Secretary, Brianna Barbour, 8th Episcopal District;
Assistant Recording Secretary, Brittni A. Peters, 1st Episcopal District;
Communications Secretary, Ar'Zsa Patterson, 9th Episcopal District;
Financial Secretary, Breonna D. Davis- 13th Episcopal District;
Parliamentarian, Nicole Shaw, 2nd Episcopal District;
Worship Director, Norris Jackson, 4th Episcopal District;
Historiographer/Statistician, Bianca Nixon, 3rd Episcopal District;
Editor of YPD Gazette, Jarwon Kelly, 7th Episcopal District;
Assistant Editor of YPD Gazette: Mapule Malefetse 19th District
8. THE REV DR. CHARLES YOUNG KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT NAACP BRANCH FREEDOM FUND LUNCHEON:
The Rev Dr. Charles Young will be the keynote speaker at the Goose Creek, South Carolina NAACP Branch Freedom Fund Luncheon that will be held at noon on Saturday, September 24, 2011.
Dr. Young previously served as the pastor of Ebenezer AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina and was the former President of Allen University.
The Goose Creek NAACP Branch will be honoring its first “Pioneer Award” recipient; the awardee will be announced at the luncheon. The Goose Creek Branch of the NAACP request persons RSVP with the number of tickets needed; the tickets are $35.00 each.
For additional information contact:
John Matthews
Telephone: 843-442-1319
Email: goosecreeknaacp@gmail.com
9. NAACP STATEMENT ON PASSING OF THE REV. DR. HOWARD CREECY, JR.:
Minister served as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(Baltimore, MD) – The NAACP mourns the loss of Rev. Dr. Howard Creecy, Jr., a lifelong civil rights activist and President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Creecy passed at the age of 57.
“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of the civil rights hero Rev. Dr. Howard Creecy, Jr.,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “Rev. Creecy took the lessons he learned from his faith and applied them to the very earthly matters of civil rights and political progress. He was a fearless leader who leaves a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.”
Creecy was elected SCLC president in January 2011 after a long career as pastor of The Olivet Church in Fayette County, Georgia. In the past he had served as interim president of the influential civil rights organization, which was founded in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Rev. Dr. Creecy was a strong advocate for social justice in every aspect of his life,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “As President of the SCLC he encouraged youth to raise the mantle of progress; as a lifelong pastor he taught his congregations the importance of community engagement; and as a member of the NAACP, he was a personal ally in the fight for justice.”
Creecy was a graduate of Morehouse College and earned a doctor of divinity degree from Abotra Bible Institute and Seminary. He is survived by his wife, Yolanda Grier Creecy, and two children. A third-generation preacher, he had previously served as senior pastor of Saint Peter Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia for 26 years.
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
10. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE STEPS UP RESPONSE TO E. AFRICA FAMINE:
Agency appeals for donations to help feed starving people
New York, N.Y. and Nairobi, Kenya – Thursday, July 28, 2011 – With famine in the Eastern Horn of Africa worsening, global humanitarian agency Church World Service is continuing its initial response to the crisis and today announced a U.S. fundraising campaign for critically needed food and water initiatives.
This year marks the driest period in the Eastern Horn of Africa region since 1995, with the lowest level of rainfall in more than 50 years and more than 10 million people in some way affected by the growing crisis. As a result, food security -- the access to and availability of food, as well as its utilization -- has deteriorated for most households in all arid and semi-arid regions in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia as well as other countries in the region.
The situation has become a complex crisis. Crops have failed, large numbers of livestock needed for survival have perished, and local food prices have increased substantially.
From Nairobi, Sammy Matua of the CWS East Africa staff, says, "There is no doubt humanitarian workers will have to ‘up their game’ this time around if we have to reverse the recurring famine crisis in Africa." Matua said the current crisis is proof that "the impact of climate change is here with us and it is hitting the most vulnerable people in the world the hardest."
Last week, the global coordinating body for nutrition, called the Nutrition Cluster under the leadership of UNICEF, noted that recurrent drought "resulting from consecutive years of inadequate rains, poor harvests, soaring food prices and the ongoing armed conflict in Somalia have resulted in acute food shortage in parts of Kenya and Ethiopia and famine in Southern Somalia."
It said: "In Somalia, a total of 3.7 million people are affected. The most recent nutrition surveys have shown that the prevalence of global acute malnutrition ranged from 23.8 percent to 55 percent. The severe form of acute malnutrition ranged from 5.9 percent to 29.8 percent, which is exceptionally high as a rate of 5 percent is already worrying."
Church World Service's response includes both immediate relief and longer-term food and nutrition security and water initiatives. Work is focused in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
In Kenya, CWS-implemented assistance is focused on the Mwingi and Kibwezi areas and will include immediate relief (for five months) involving provision of family food packages, Unimix nutritional supplement for children under the age of five, and storage of water in tanks for use by drought-affected communities.
Longer term water initiatives already part of NGO’s disaster risk reduction work
In the longer-term, CWS will initiate food and nutrition security and livelihoods efforts and permanent water initiatives that are part of the agency's already-existing disaster risk reduction initiatives in Kenya.
Looking into the future – and back at the past-- CWS’s Matua called attention to past criticisms of how aid agencies respond to famine situations.
Matua said CWS is intent on following international guidelines for quality, including food aid, and in assistance that does a lot more than just tossing out food bags. “CWS has been working in this region long enough to appreciate the cultural sensitivities and preferences of different communities,” he said.
“Food aid should be provided in an empowering way, so that it does not continue a cycle of dependency. So, yes, for a time emergency food assistance is needed, but we need to move a step further and support recovery and rehabilitation interventions that can reverse the impact of climate change as well, Matua explained.
“We do need to be aware that there are some actions needed now, immediately, because the situation is dire. But those actions need to be appropriate and restorative, for example, for children, lactating and pregnant mothers who have very high malnutrition levels. They need food now that can be utilized -- sufficiently nutritious food and supplementation that their bodies can absorb and use to reverse their critical states and prevent permanent damage in developing children.
"Otherwise, the future for a severely malnourished infant or child in a Horn of Africa kind of crisis is somber,” Matua concluded.
On water solutions that go beyond crisis relief jerry cans, Matua said, “If you provide communities with the skills, materials and means to conserve water and have them construct water retaining structures that can slow down water runoffs whenever there is a shower or storm, that will go a long way in reversing the impacts of drought,” he said.
A full interview with Sammy Matua can be accessed online at: http://bit.ly/nZgI4u.
While CWS’s main response focus is in Kenya, the agency also is supporting efforts of fellow members of the global ACT Alliance who are responding in Somalia and Ethiopia as well.
CWS-supported efforts in Somalia are focused on contributing to the work by fellow ACT Alliance members Lutheran World Federation and Norwegian Church Aid. CWS-supported work in Ethiopia is focused on response efforts by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Development and Social Services Commission, a long-time CWS partner.
Members of the ACT Kenya Forum, including CWS, are combining efforts targeting some 97,526 households in various emergency response and drought recovery interventions. The initiative plans to provide food aid for 5 months to 14,000 households; monthly food vouchers for 5 months to 25,500 households; a 5 months’ supply of fresh drinking water for domestic use for 36,000 households; and water for livestock for 47,500 households. The ACT group also plans to de-worm more than 100,000 heads of cattle.
In Somalia, CWS is supporting partner Norwegian Church Aid in providing emergency food, non-food items (shelter, clothing, hygiene materials), psychosocial support and water and sanitation in the crisis phase. In the post-crisis phase, the agencies will assist farming and pastoral communities with livelihood recovery.
At Dadaab camp in Kenya, which currently houses some 358,000 refugees, about 1,300 refugees are arriving daily from Somalia. CWS is supporting emergency and post-emergency work by Lutheran World Federation.
The monthly ration size per individual beneficiary consists of 15 kg wheat, 1.5 kg of beans, as well as cooking oil, which is calculated according to the government relief food ration standard. As well, children under five, pregnant and lactating women are being prioritized to receive 1.5 kg supplementary food, known as Famix, per person.
Last week, the United Nations declared that famine exists in two areas of southern Somalia, southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle. (Famine is declared when acute rates of malnutrition exist among children, exceeding 30 percent; when more than two persons per 10,000 die daily; and when people are not able to access food and other basics and their bodies are not able to utilize the food they do consume.)
How to Help: Donate online; by phone: (800) 297-1516; or by mail: Church World Service, 28606 Phillips Street, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. On your check, write, “Attention: East Africa Drought, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. (Appeal #642-L)
Media Contacts
Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, media@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net
11. THE WASHINGTON POST LAUNCHES RELIGION COLUMN:
By Lisa Miller
WASHINGTON—Today, The Washington Post and "On Faith" editor-in-chief Sally Quinn announce the debut of a column by renowned religion writer Lisa Miller.
In the column's launch, Miller examines what a "Christian feminist" represents, a description that has been used on the campaign trail. Do Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin and other politicians and newsmakers qualify as Christian feminists? Miller looks at how we traditionally define women, motherhood and authority and whether a new conservative women's movement is emerging.
To read the column, go here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/evangelical-women-rise- as-new-feminists/2011/07/27/gIQAEbuGfI_story.htm l.
In the coming weeks, Miller's column will feature reported analysis and opinion on religion, politics and culture. It will cover the religious dimensions of the upcoming presidential race, the intersections between faith and personal values, international religious conflict, and culture-wars issues in the political sphere. The column will also take an unbiased approach to cover spirituality, belief and believers.
Miller's weekly column will run each Saturday in print and online at On Faith, The Post's religion section featuring news and opinion.
Miller is a contributing editor at New York magazine and the author of "Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife." She was a senior editor at Newsweek, overseeing the magazine's religion coverage, writing the weekly "Belief Watch" column and editing Newsweek's prominent "Spirituality in America" double issue. Before joining Newsweek, Miller covered religion for The Wall Street Journal. She has also worked with The New Yorker, Self magazine and Harvard Business Review.
For more information, visit www.washingtonpost.com/onfaith .
Media Contact:
Jennifer Lee
The Washington Post
202-334-5207
jennifer.lee@wpost.com
12. THE SPRING 2012 WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS NOW OPEN:
The spring 2012 White House Internship Program is now open. Applicants have until September 11, 2011 to apply for a spring 2012 White House Internship
White House Internship Program: Things to Know
The application period for the spring 2012 White House Internship Program is now open.
Applicants have until September 11, 2011 to apply for a spring 2012 White House Internship. Please read instructions below and refer to our FAQ page for additional explanations.
The following are important questions to ask yourself before and after submitting your internship application. The link to apply can be found at the bottom of this page, but please read all instructions before starting your application.
Am I eligible to apply for a White House Internship?
All White House Internship Program participants must be:
• United States citizens
• At least 18 years of age on or before the first day of the internship
• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college or university OR graduated in the past two years from undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college or university
OR
• A veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty at any time over the past two years
Am I available for the Spring 2012 internship program?
All White House Interns are expected to intern full-time for the entire term of the program:
• The spring internship term runs from January 17, 2012 – May 4, 2012
• Please visit our FAQ page for questions regarding quarter systems
• The White House internship program is an unpaid program
• The White House internship program is a full-time program
• Interns will be expected to work from approximately 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Monday-Friday
• Hours may vary by office
• Please visit our FAQ page for questions regarding the definition of “full-time”
Do I have all my application materials?
A completed packet includes:
• Two Essays: Each answer should be between 300-500 words in length
• Current Resume: Your resume should not exceed one page
• Three Letters of Recommendation
How do I submit my application correctly?
All application materials must be submitted online.
• The application for the spring 2012 White House Internship will be posted from May 9, 2011 - September 11, 2011. All spring 2012 White House Internship application materials MUST be submitted ON or BEFORE 11:59 p.m. EDT September 11, 2011.
• When an applicant enters a recommender’s email address into the application, the recommender will be sent an email with instructions on how to submit a recommendation for the applicant.
• When a letter of recommendation has been successfully submitted, both the applicant and the recommender will receive an email confirmation with the name of the recommender who has submitted a letter on the applicant’s behalf.
Please click here to submit your application to the Spring 2012 White House Internship Program:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/apply
Editor’s Note: You cannot be accepted into the program if you don’t apply!
13. CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT:
- Happy Birthday to Presiding Elder J.E. Taylor
Presiding Elder J.E. Taylor will celebrate his 70th birthday, July 29, 2011. He presides over the West Savannah District, Georgia Annual Conference of the Sixth Episcopal District. His spouse is Sister Shirley V. Taylor, President of the Sixth Episcopal District Ministers' Spouses, Widows/Widowers Organization, Plus PKs. The Right Rev. William P. DeVeaux is the Presiding Bishop of the Sixth Episcopal District and Dr. PAM DeVeaux is the Episcopal Supervisor.
Greeting maybe emailed to:
jet0912@att.net
Or sent to:
Presiding Elder J.E. Taylor
7609 Ashford Ct.
Savannah, Georgia 31406
14. EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
From: Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr., Presiding Prelate, 14th Episcopal District, President Council of Bishops
This is to inform you that I lost one of my little/younger brother on Thursday night. Mr. Samuel Aaron Daniels died of Kidney failure in Monrovia, Liberia. Mr. Samuel Aaron Daniels born on May 24, 1978 and died July 21, 2011. We regret to share the news of his passing. Please keep the Daniels family in your prayers.
Funeral Arrangements will be announce later.
Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr. and Supervisor Irene M. Daniels and the Daniels' Family.
301 Garvey Circle
Columbia, South Carolina 29203
Cell: 803-466-7130
Home: 803-691-6706
Email: rwysayma@aol.com
15. EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Dr. Dawn DeVeaux, the oldest daughter of Bishop William and Dr. PAM DeVeaux passed from labor to reward on Sunday, July 24, 2011. Dawn DeVeaux, Ph.D was a faithful member of Saint Paul AME Church in Macon, Georgia, where the Reverend Dr. W.J. McClain is the pastor. Please keep her daughter Ryanne and the entire DeVeaux family, her church family, the SED family and her many friends in prayer during this time.
Dr. Dawn DeVeaux was a professor at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley (FVSU), Georgia and served as Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs at FVSU. She also served as the student ombudsman. She was a professor at Volunteer State College in Tennessee before transferring to FVSU. Dr. DeVeaux also was professor of homiletics for the Hampton University Religious Studies Program.
Service Arrangements for Dr. Dawn DeVeaux, daughter of Bishop William P. DeVeaux and Dr. Pam DeVeaux
Services for Dr. Dawn DeVeaux:
Monday, August 1, 2011
Delta Sigma Theta Omega Omega Service: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Viewing: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Homegoing Services: 11:00 AM
Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church
492 N. Marietta Parkway
Marietta, GA 30060
770-422-6791
678-285-1630 (fax)
Interment, Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.
Lincoln Memorial Cemetery
4001 Suitland Road
Suitland, MD 20746
Hotel Accommodations:
Doubletree Hotel by Hilton Atlanta- Marietta
2055 S. Park Place
Atlanta, Georgia
(770) 272-9441 30339
Rate: $99.00
Group: AME 6th District
http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/ATLWYDT-DoubleTree-by-Hilton-Hotel-Atlanta-Marietta-Georgia/index.do
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
Bishop William & Dr. Pam DeVeaux
402 Oak Brook Court
Smyrna, GA 30082
Phone: 678-556-1999
Bishop and Dr. PAM request that in lieu of sending flowers; please make a contribution to the Dawn Della DeVeaux Scholarship Fund at FVSU. Checks are made payable to the “Dawn Della DeVeaux Scholarship Fund at FVSU.”
Send contributions to:
The Sixth District Headquarters
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Attention: The Dawn Della DeVeaux Scholarship Fund at FVSU
2900 Chamblee Tucker Road, Building Three
Atlanta, GA 30341
16. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The father of Rev. Stanley Richardson, Pastor of Wrights Chapel AME Church, Arlington, Tennessee, Mr. Henry Dowery, made transition to his heavenly home on Saturday, July 23, 2011.
Funeral arrangements are as follows: Wake-Friday, July 30, 2011
Funeral Services-Saturday, July 31, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
Both services will be held at Wrights Chapel AME Church, Arlington, Tennessee.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Wrights Chapel AME Church
The Rev. Stanley Richardson, Pastor
4594 Brunswick Road
Arlington, TN 38002
Phone: 901-386-7715
17. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
The Clergy Family Information Center
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Commission on Social Action
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
E-mail: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Web page: http://www.amecfic.org/
Phone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Phone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
BLOG: http://ameccfic.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMEC_CFIC
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
18. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Richard Franklin Norris; the Publisher, the Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and the Editor of The Christian Recorder, the Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III offer our condolences and prayers to those who have lost loved ones. We pray that the peace of Christ will be with you during this time of your bereavement.
