THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (9/15/11)

Bishop Richard Franklin Norris - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder – Since 1852


September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month


Editor's Reminder: You do not need a computer to send and receive email or to access the Internet;
you just need a smart phone.

1. EDITORIAL –SISTER JONES AND SISTER SMITH WANT CLARIFICATION ON “MINISTRY REQUIRES STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP”:

Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder

I received an early morning telephone call from Sister Smith (or Sister Jones, I am not sure from which one) on Monday (9/12/11). Sister Smith and Sister Jones were the two ladies whose conversation I overheard in the hotel restaurant at the 2010 General Board Meeting in Birmingham that resulted in my August 6, 2010 TCR Online editorial, “A Fly on the Wall,” and as a result of a subsequent telephone I did “A Fly on the Wall, Part 2.”

Whichever one called, cheerily greeted me, “Good morning, Dr. Sydnor (She got the pronunciation of my name correct this time). I just read your editorial, “Ministry Requires Strategy and Leadership” and it was very educational and I called my friend and we talked a long time about your editorial and decided to call you. Is it okay if I add my friend to this call? And by the way, our names are not Jones and Smith and we both agreed to tell you our real names.” I quickly responded, “Yes, please do add your friend to the call, but please don’t tell me your names, it’s more fun for me, and I think our readers, if we didn’t know your names; let’s keep the relationship as ‘Sister Smith and Sister Jones.’”

She added her friend to the call and said, “Just so, you don’t get confused about who is speaking, you can think of me as Sister Smith and think of Sister Jones as the one who just came in on the call.” I responded, “Got it! Good morning Sister Smith and Sister Jones.”

Sister Smith said, “We want to talk about your last editorial, ‘Ministry Requires Strategy and Leadership.’ The editorial was very informative and we agree with the points you made in the editorial.” Before she could continue, Sister Jones agreed, “Dr. Sydnor, we are not criticizing you; you laid out the great points, but you didn’t explain how we, especially those of us in small churches, go about developing a strategy. How do we do this? And, maybe there are pastors asking the same questions, which is why we decided to call you. Your excellent editorial would be wonderful in a college, seminary, or classroom setting; but many of us are just regular people.” Sister Smith chimed in, “I think we all know the importance of leadership and Lord, we need more leadership, in especially our smaller congregations.” She continued, “But, what can we, laypeople, do to insure, motivate, cajole, threaten, pray, hope, beg our pastors to show effective pastoral leadership? When some of our officers ‘press the pastor,’ the pastor says, ‘The Lord spoke to me.’ Our pastor’s leadership style is, ‘The Lord spoke to me…’ That shuts down the discussion.” Sister Jones said, “I wish I could use that line, ‘The Lord spoke to me’ on my job.” They both laughed, and I laughed too.

Sister Jones said, “Could you share some ‘how to’ and ‘where we should start’ in developing strategies for ministry. I guess if we have questions, other readers might have the same questions; and it would be helpful if you could lay out some of that for us.” Sister Smith added, “And could you explain a little more about leadership; like where do pastors begin, if they want to increase or develop their leadership skills?” Before, I could respond, Sister Smith said, “We have done all of the talking, and we are ready to listen.”

I responded, “You both are absolutely correct, I raised the issues but failed to provide examples of ‘how to’ or ‘where to start,’ so I guess that I need to write another editorial. Do you want to wait and read my response to your questions in The Christian Recorder? I am going to …” But, before I could finish the sentence, they both responded, “Naw; we want to hear your answers now; we don’t want to wait.” Sister Jones said, “Why don’t you just transcribe this conversation and use it for the editorial!”

“Good idea!” and they let me talk

I began with “Strategic planning can start with the last Pastor’s Annual Report. By the way the blank Annual Pastor’s report can be found on Page 60 in The Book of Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2008.”


I continued…

Growing churches have strategies. In the context of ministry, strategy is about where the local church hopes to go in the short and longterm; about what the local church should be doing to get to its desired destination; and what the local church can be doing to maintain a competitive edge in the community where it does ministry. Everyone should understand why the church is located where it is and what the church’s mission is. To do that, the local church has to review and determine which resources, competencies, and skill-sets are needed to fulfill its spiritual and financial objectives. What are the church’s programs? What should be the church’s programs?

Ideally, strategic planning should be done with the pastor and the officers, i.e., the official board or with the stewards and trustees at beginning of the conference year. The Pastor’s Annual Report made at the annual conference would be a great starting document. That document is a great “snapshot” of the ministry of the church, if the information is correct. And, this would be a good time to verify the information on the Pastor’s Annual Report.

Other written documents needed, include the stewards’ report or spreadsheet showing the schedule of the salaries and other expenditures. The financial secretary should have a prepared a 12-month summary of the giving to see the cycles of stewardship. The trustees should have a report or spreadsheet showing the monthly utility expenses; listed my month. The cycles of receiving and spending are important information for strategic planning purposes. All of the documents should in writing and copies provided to each participant. Ideally, participants should have the opportunity to review the documents before the meeting and everyone attending the meeting should understand the context of the meeting, so that time is not wasted and that there is no confusion about the task at hand.

A local church, small or large, needs to assess its membership, i.e., how many members does the church really have? No argument or time wasted, at this point, arguing about how the connectional budget is apportioned.

Does the church need more members to function more efficiently? If so, what strategies are needed to bring in additional members? The members of the local church should be giving the pastor insights upon what is needed to help their church to grow; they should have a better understanding than the pastor about what growth strategies are needed in their community; think: “Sheep grow the flock, not the shepherd.”

The persons working on the strategic planning of the local church need to look at the baptisms and accessions. What does the church need to do, to increase the number of baptisms? What do the members need to do? What do the officers of the church need to do? What does the pastor need to do?

What is the realistic and ideal number of members needed to carry out the Church’s programs? Every church cannot, nor should they be, mega-churches. The Grainger and Joann Browning, Lee Washington, Kenneth Marcus and the Flakes and other mega-church pastors and teams are the exceptions, not the rule. If you have a building that seats 150 parishioners, no need to think about how to get 500 - 2000 members; set a goal to fill the 150 spaces in the sanctuary. Think incremental growth.

Strategic planning looks at the General Budget, the pastor’s salary, the presiding elder’s assessment, the utilities, property upkeep, deferred maintenance, local church’s benevolence to the local community and to overseas missions to determine the needs of the church to operate and function effectively. What programs are needed for debt reduction? The local church has to do more than pay bills; the local church needs to have a plan to pay off it debts, and the local church ministry has to be more than survival. Churches in constant survival modes do not grow, they just survive; and to survive is to be barely alive.

Effective churches have outreach ministry. The strategic planning meeting of the local church needs to know how much income is needed for the church to function. How many of the church’s programs can be supported by the weekly offerings? What special programs, in addition to the offerings, and what other streams of income are needed to insure the church can meet all of its financial obligations? Men’s day, woman’s day, homecoming, friends and family day, advent folders, car washes, bake sales.

Who will head up the special days? A churches that waits until a month before women’s day to select the chairperson creates a recipe for not reaching its financial goal. The recommendation of all chairpersons should be identified at the strategic planning meeting; and by the first church conference all of the special days’ chairs should be selected.

Everything should be set by the time of the Church Conference and all Church Conference has to do is to tweak and vote for what has already been strategized and recommended. The church conference should be done in “short order” and following the church conference the church can have a potluck dinner.

Strategic planning should be done whether a church has 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 400, or 1000+ members.

The phone was quiet and I had spoken a long time

“Sister Smith and Sister Jones, are you still there? I didn’t mean to be so long-winded” I said. They both chimed in at the same time and responded, “We are here.”

“You have given us a lot to think about and a lot of ideas about strategy” Sister Jones said. Sister Smith added, “I can see the advantages of how local church strategic planning can be helpful to a congregation if people will take the time and energy to gather the materials and follow the process that you have outlined. Sometimes, we AMEs like to take shortcuts and we don’t like the process.”

Sister Smith had hit on one of my quirks and I responded, “You make a great point about ‘process.’ I am not a process person; don’t like process; I can do process, but I don’t like it. Give me the mission and I am ready to go. And that’s why it’s important for people, if possible, who work on local church strategy to be process-oriented persons.”

Sister Jones responded, “I can understand where you are coming from. I am not a process person either; I would just as soon wait until the church conferences after all of the strategic details have been worked out. Give me the ‘mission,’ using one of your military terms; and I am ready to ‘execute.’”


I thought I was finished; we had been on the phone a long time

Sister Smith said, “What about leadership? To do all that you laid out about strategy takes pastoral and leadership from the laity. We have been on the phone for a long time and if you need to get back to work, I believe that we can wait to read your response in The Christian Recorder. Isn’t that right Sister Jones?” Sister Jones said, “Of course!”

“No, I have the time because I feel strongly about leadership and I believe the AME Church needs to focus on leadership studies. Universities, colleges and seminaries are focusing on leadership as a necessary attribute for effective leading of organizations. Here are my thoughts about leadership…”

Part 2 - "Sister Jones and Sister Smith want Clarification on "Ministry Requires Strategy and Leadership" will be continued in the next issue of The Christian Recorder.


2. “YOU ASK”:

Bishop Richard Allen Chappelle


I ask:

What regulation does a church officer rely upon if The Discipline is silent? Can the pastor unilaterally make a decision and is the pastor’s decision the final word?

How should pastors deal with divisions of labor in nominated positions? For instance, in our church, we have people who serve in dual positions as stewards and as stewardesses. Which office takes priority? I can see that a steward who is also stewardess could face a conflict on Communion Sunday, nevertheless, if you are not assigned to assist with Communion then that officer should sit with Board of Stewards and not with the Stewardesses. Am I wrong?

Name Withheld

Bishop Richard Allen Chappelle’s Response to the Question:

The Discipline is silent on many things however, much of it was written under the assumption that personal experience, and "common sense" would prevail in many instances where there was "silence." For example: in a congregation of say (20) twenty members, it doesn't make good sense (1) to have a steward board and trustee board consisting of the maximum number allowed (19) nineteen on each just because The Discipline says there can be 19 on the board. (2) It doesn't make good sense to have all nineteen (19) of these persons as stewards and trustees.

This somewhat speaks to the division of labor to which you refer. The job descriptions and chances of conflict are so great until harmony might never be maintained. While the membership varies between steward, trustee and stewardess, they are separate and distinct positions.

Yes "common sense dictates" that there should be divisions of labor. I mentioned, in the other responses, the concept of a "Membership Handbook" and the various departments having rules/by laws governing how, when, where, etc., of how things are done at the local church. The organizational rules would give guidance in terms of dress, duties, seating arrangements, dues, meeting times and places, penalty for not complying with said organization's rules/by laws. If this has been consistently done, "an incoming pastor" could readily find out the process and procedure (how and when things are done) at that particular church by reading the "membership handbook. It is further understood that the rules and regulations of the various departments have been previously approved by the official board. However, it must be clearly understood that these things are not binding on the incoming pastor, that he/she has the right and authority to make "adjustments" by inclusion, deletion and/or change of emphasis.

Thus, the concern about who serves when and where they sit, etc., is really an internal board matter which should be governed by certain rules and regulations. Thus, "new members" are indoctrinated to the way things are to be done. Periodically (yearly) organizations make needed adjustments to their process and procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order calls it "amendment."

Lastly, the boards belong to the congregation and they exist and function for the good of the whole church and are answerable to the church, not just the pastor


3. AROUND THE AME CHURCH:

- Historic St. James AME Church, New Orleans 167th Anniversary

The Historic St. James A. M. E. Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, will celebrate its 167th Anniversary on Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18, 2011. There will be a Banquet/Fashion Show on Saturday in the A. O. Wilson Hall from noon until 2:00 p.m. The Anniversary Worship Service will be held on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. The theme is "Building on God's Foundation, One God, One Family, One Purpose." The Rev. Corey Watts, pastor of St. Paul AME Church in New Orleans will be the guest preacher. He will be accompanied by the members of the church. All are welcome celebrate with Historic St. James AME Church. Sister Susan Moore is the anniversary Chairperson and the Rev. Otto W. Duncan, Jr. is the pastor.

- Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III is preaching the Commissioning Sermon on Saturday, September 17th at the Second Session of the Southeast Alabama Annual Conference. The Annual Conference is being hosted by the Cherry Street AME Church in Dothan, Alabama. The Rev. Dr. Eric Little is the Host Pastor and the Rev. Rev. David E. Reddick is the Host Presiding Elder. Bishop James L. Davis is the Presiding Prelate of the 9th Episcopal District.

- Turner Monumental AME Church in Atlanta, Georgia will be celebrating Christian Education Sunday on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at the 10 a.m. worship service. The Rev. Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor of The Christian Recorder will be the guest preacher. Turner Monumental is located at 66 Howard St. NE. Atlanta Ga. 30317.

- Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina will have Congregational Dialogue and Prayer session for parishioners to share their ideas for best practices of ministry for Morris Brown.


4. 180-DAYS BIBLE READING PLAN - POST #6:

*Bishop Sarah F. Davis

From the Old to the New Testament – Whether you are on schedule or behind, stay the course! We Are Almost at the Finish Line!


Reading through the Bible annually allows us the blessing of seeing and understanding what we over looked or just simply missed in previous readings. I define this phenomenon as God’s way of putting His spotlight on that which we need, can receive, and will accept of His Word in God’s time. Yes, my friends, we do not always read and receive and accept God’s Word. We miss it because we are not yet spiritually matured enough to accept the Word and what it says pleases God for those who profess a relationship with Him. [Note: Here I make the distinction: to receive is to believe, but to accept is to do.]

These last seven days that we have been reading Paul’s letters to the Churches at Rome, Corinth, Galatia and Ephesus, I have been amazed at the love Paul has for the Churches as evidenced by his writings to them. He writes sharing with them who they are as seen through the eyes of God and further shares the kind of living expected of them. Worthy of our attention is the manner in which Paul painstakingly teaches the Churches through encouragement, yet he is able to also caution them to live as people of righteousness and grace.

Paul had a burden for God’s people, all of them! As a called out servant of God, Paul had a mission (ministry) to fulfill. I believe Paul’s understanding of his calling is what compelled him to take on the spiritual wellbeing of the people he was sent to serve. He was concerned that they knew what the Lord required so that they could do what He required. This is the “Light Bulb” moment: Taking your ministry or service to others seriously requires conviction and commitment to your God given purpose. It is then that you are able to do as Paul and remain steadfast, immovable saying what needs to be said and doing whatever needs to be done so that God’s people are able to grow in their relationship with Him.

We please God when we are doing for others what God has purposed through our lives. The more difficult a people are, the harder we must strive to serve them. Reading the first five of Paul’s thirteen letters this month should help us to better understand that our love for each other is manifested in our willingness to help each other live lives pleasing to God. God pleasers do not ignore some while seeking the attention of others. God pleasers do not work only with those who pay attention and obey. God pleasers do not lose their focus on what satisfies God through Jesus Christ. Finally, God pleasers do not forget that their lives must also reflect the life of our Savior.

Let us continue to seek God’s purpose in our relationship with Him as we hear from Him in our daily readings. Every morning we open our Bibles we are giving God permission to talk to us. Truly, our 180 day reading gets to be more than reading to stay caught up with our reading schedule or to finish on time; whether you are on schedule or behind, stay the course! Hallelujah and Praise to our God!


Week of Sept 14
Day 167: Philippians
Day 168: Colossians / Philemon
Day 169: 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Day 170: 1 & 2 Timothy
Day 171: Titus
Day 172: Hebrews 1:1-7:28
Day 173: Hebrews 8:1-13:25

Week of Sept 21
Day 174: James
Day 175: 1 Peter
Day 176: 2 Peter & Jude
Day 177: 1, 2 & 3 John
Day 178: Revelation 1:1-8:5
Day 179: Revelation 8:6-16:21
Day 180: Revelation 17:1-22:21


*Bishop Sarah F. Davis, Presiding Prelate of the 16th Episcopal District is the
Chair for the 180-Days Bible Reading Plan

5. UNBELIEVABLE AME STORIES:

- Heard the story of an AME pastor who took about 20 persons to a Baptist Church and baptised them by immersion because he said that he had a problem with infant baptism and baptism by sprinkling. The pastor asked the parishioners if they remembered their baptism and he baptised or re-baptised those who and those who said they couldn’t remember or didn’t know if they had been baptised.

- Reference Holy Communion, a person commented, “Our parishioners have not heard the choral "Amen" or the four "Amens" after the Prayer of Humiliation in years. No “Lord's Prayer, no Prayer of Thanksgiving, and no Gloria In Excelsis. And, of course, no Benediction, as such. I never quite know when the service is over.

- During Communion, the people do not sing, "Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law," instead the organist plays a couple of chords. I guess it’s a nice touch if the organist can’t play the music in the Communion liturgy.


6. NORTH MISSISSIPPI CONFERENCE - GREENVILLE-GREENWOOD DISTRICT CHURCH SCHOOL CONVENTION:

*Ms Takaiah Johnson

North Mississippi Conference - Greenville-Greenwood District Church School Convention

This year’s Church School Convention was held June 17-18 at Ball’s Temple AME Church, in Greenville, Mississippi. The entire convention was a great learning experience for the youth. On Friday, June 17, 2011 we opened with Church School at 9:00 A.M. We were divided into classes based on our age group and were taught an empowering message about God’s Protection. The opening worship sermon was preached by the Reverend Lorenzo Neal. His subject was “An Innovative People Serving an Innovative God. Friday afternoon we were encouraged by attending workshops which included Etiquette, Teen Issues, Fire Safety, Texting and Driving, Nutrition and Biblical Arts & Crafts. On Friday evening the youth participated in “Youth on Parade” where the youth praised God with their individual talents.

On Saturday morning June 18th we opened with devotion and prepared for our “Bible Bowl” competition. On Saturday afternoon the youth received a motivational word from the youth speaker Brother D’George Shoddie. He talked about the problems faced by our youth in today’s society. The final message came from Sister Gwendolyn McClure who encouraged us to pick up the mantra and build a strong faith in God.

Later we closed by sitting and mingling with each other at our bar-be-que. The youth of the Greenville-Greenwood District thank our Presiding Elder, the Reverend Archie Smith and our District Church School Superintendent, Mr. Johnny Dumas Jr. for their leadership and their dedication to the members of our district.

Article written by Ms Takaiah Johnson
11th Grade, East Side High School, Cleveland, Mississippi
Solomon Chapel AME Church, Cleveland Mississippi
Submitted by Janet Brown, Reporter for the North Mississippi Conference

7. IN MEMORY OF THE REV. LOVETTA BROWN. MD:

*The Rev. Doris Riggs

I was saddened to learn of the death of a good friend from the recent issue of the Christian Recorder. When I think about her struggle and accomplishments I had to share this with those who may not know about her, for she was a humble servant. Her family, who were predominately Muslims, excluded the fact that she was an A.M.E. preacher and pastor in the impressive obituary carried in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Sentinel Journal.

I met Dr. Brown through a mutual friend a week before my trial sermon at Bethel A.M.E. church, Baltimore Maryland, July 1983. Dr. Brown, who had completed her internship, had just come to Baltimore from her hometown, Milwaukee, to pursue a degree at John Hopkins in Public Health Administration. I invited her to that worship service and to my surprise; she gave her life to Christ and joined the church that night. I left for Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta shortly after meeting Dr. Brown but kept in touch by telephone. She was baptized by Pastor John Bryant (now senior bishop) and remained a faithful member until her course of study was completed in Baltimore.

Dr. Brown was one of nine children who worked hard to achieve her medical degree. She told me she had driven taxi cabs, delivered pizza and took other hardworking and risky jobs to get through school. She later returned to visit her high school to motivate others who might encounter discouragement and pessimistic teachers as she did when she voiced desire to become a doctor. In fact, she related, her mother had to insist that she be allowed in the college preparatory classes. She proved being disadvantaged does not mean being incapable. Her goal was to practice medicine in impoverish areas which she later achieved in the State of Mississippi’s Dept of Health.

We were out of contact for more than ten years until an itinerant pastor who had moved to Mississippi conference from Atlanta told her how she could reach me. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from her and amazed at her achievements: starting a clinic in Mississippi; and, becoming Medical Director in the Office of Health Disparity Elimination. The State’s website identified Dr. Brown as founder of the Mississippi Health Awareness project which addressed gang and violence prevention and HIV in Granada, Miss. Her work led to the establishment of the Boys and Girls Club in her district. She had accomplished her occupational goal.

Even more amazing to me was that she had become a Minister in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and was serving as a pastor of churches in Mississippi, concurrently with her busy medical position.

When she came for medical conferences in Atlanta from time to time she would call and if time permitted we would meet for lunch. Considering the history of racial discrimination in the Mississippi, how amused I was to see a black female driving a State of Mississippi Vehicle with its logo and medical symbols. More amusing was to learn that she owned an antebellum home in Granada, Mississippi.

Only the ministry of Jesus Christ was more important and exciting to her than her medical work she was exuberant over the work and vision God had given her for the churches in which she served. She was a student of the Word with an insatiable appetite for knowledge.

When diagnosed with critical illness, she showed all the signs of an individual with enduring faith and resolve. Unfortunately, I did not know her biological family and lost contact with her when she returned to Wisconsin for treatment. Having missed her funeral service, I was compelled to testify that Rev. Dr. Lovetta Brown loved the Lord, and found His will for her in this life. She cared, gave and sacrificed for “least of these….” God blessed her with many talents and she used all to glorify Him.

*The Rev. Doris Riggs, Decatur Georgia is a superannuated Itinerant Elder, 6th Episcopal District

8. THE DECALOGUE REVISITED:

The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

I’m often amused by restaurant chains that add “new, trendy and exciting” food items to their menus every few months to generate business. They forget that the best and most enduring restaurants follow a simple strategy for success that doesn’t rely on what’s “new, trendy and exciting” - serve well prepared, well presented food and give good customer service.

That strategy for success also applies to the church. Many AME churches that try to be “new, trendy and exciting” abandon the basics of worship in an AME context. I recently received an email the Decalogue that was done in one of our congregations, with modern gospel music riffs replacing the familiar choral responses.

What was probably meant to be “new, trendy and exciting” came across as spiritual “popcorn” - tasty, but not nutritious. It also ignored the essence of why we share in the full Decalogue, especially on Sundays when we also share in the liturgy for the Lord’s Supper, which includes a prayer of General Confession. The Decalogue sets the stage for our General Confession. The reader gives the Commandment, “....thou shalt have no other Gods before me” for example, so that the hearers can consider how they’ve placed their possessions, lifestyles or other things ahead of God and respond in unison with a simple prayer for forgiveness and strength, “Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.” The Decalogue is a powerful yet simple reminder that we are sinners being saved by God’s grace.

We follow the AME Order for Worship at Morris Brown AME Church, and we do so with spirit and joy. Our doing so does not prevent our mimes, praise dancers or choirs from being contemporary and relevant, does not prevent the inclusion of nontraditional wrinkles, like a children’s message at the altar, and does not prevent the joyous movement of the Holy Spirit. We not only follow the Order for Worship on Sundays, we also go through the meaning of its elements in new member classes and continuing Christian education exercises. That practice helps members to do more than “go through the motions” of worship and instills appreciation for who we are and whose we are in our young people.

Worship is the “public face” of the church, and we need to put on our best face to bring new sheep into the fold, but worship is also the source of spiritual sustenance for all of those in the church family - from those moved by the music of Kurt Franklin to those moved by the music of Handel to those moved by songs composed in the brush arbors and praise houses of the antebellum south. Worship in a Methodist context also offers a consistent anchor in a changing world.

I appreciate the urge to go with what’s “new, trendy and exciting” in an era when AME churches have to compete with non-traditional churches that appeal to those in the 21 to 40 year old demographic, but we can effectively compete when we take the time to teach, nurture and instill an appreciation for the AME church in our older, younger and newer members.

Simply opting for what’s “new, trendy and exciting” can be a double edged sword, for those who hop from what used to be the “new” night club to even newer ones sometimes do the same with churches. It can also hinder the overall work of the church. I served on our General Board’s Commission on Statistics and Finance when we last realigned budget allocations to reflect changes in population and demographics. One of our Bishops argued against the new allocation for the Episcopal District he served, predicting that the “mega-churches” in his District would recoil at the added allocation because, as he said, “They’re in the AME Church, but they’re really not AME’s.”

When we’re prayerfully authentic in what we do, engage in relevant, Spirit-led worship that’s faithful to our tradition, offer compassionate care and service to our members and communities, and provide meaningful ministries beyond Sunday mornings, then we’ll grow and the church will grow too - that’s still a strategy for success.


9. FREE ADVENT RESOURCES:

Download the free series (includes sermon starters, small group resources for youth & young adults, children’s activities & family-friendly worship ideas)


10. MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 119:129-134:

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

If the Lord spares me to see the Second Sunday in November, I’ll begin my 35th year in pastoral ministry. Those 35 years - and more than 1,800 weekly sermons - taught me that God has a sense of humor.

The sermons that I thought were my best works were, to put it kindly, usually less than enthusiastically received. People were polite and encouraging, but essentially unmoved. The sermons that get the best reception and generate positive responses are often done at the end of a long, problem filled and aggravating week, when I don’t feel like writing and ideas don’t flow easily. I finally figured out what was happening - when I did my best, my best was never good enough, but when I was too tired, stressed or troubled to write, God simply said in spirit, “It’s alright, I’ll write it for you.”

I’ve learned that what applies to sermon preparation also applies to life. Our pursuit of well being in a demanding world often leads us to rely on our own wisdom, talent, skill and strength to get ahead. Sometimes, however, our best isn’t good enough and we find ourselves seemingly stalled on the highway of life.

Those times can be confusing and seemingly overwhelming, but if we pause and pray, we can still hear God reassuring us and saying in numerous ways, “It’s alright, let me do that for you.”

I no longer “write” sermons. I just settle in at my desk and say, “Alright Lord, you take over.” When we do the same in on life’s daily journey, we can navigate rough roads with the hope and expectations of blessings beyond measure. God will no longer be our “co-pilot,” as a popular bumper sticker says, but the wise and gracious Master of our lives, and when we’ve done the best we can, He’ll always be there to say, “Don’t worry, I got it.”

If this has been a blessing to you, feel free to share it!

Get Ready for Sunday!

Join us for Worship at 8 am and 11 am on September 18 as we celebrate Christian Education Day. The Combined Choir, Voices of Promise Teen Choir, Young Adult Choir and Praise Dance Ministry will offer praise.

Sunday’s Scripture Lessons are:
Deuteronomy 6:13-25
II Timothy 2:8-15
Luke 7:18-23


Sunday’s Sermons are:


8 a.m. - “Pass It On”
11 a.m. - “Tell the Story”

See YOU in church, and have a great week!


*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina

11. EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Mrs. Flora Jane Gipson, the 94-year-old grandmother of Supervisor Phyllis N. Green, departed this life at 4:30 a.m. on Friday, September 9, 2011, during a brief stay at Edward White Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mrs. Gipson is the mother of Mrs. Aretha G. Stewart, local President of the Women's Missionary Society at Greater Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The family will receive visitors on Thursday, September 15, 2011, from 6 pm-7 pm, at Lawson's Funeral Home, 4535 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida. The funeral service will take place on Saturday, September 17, 2011, at 1 pm, St. Mary African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1035 St. Mary Road, Caryville, FL 32427, Bro. Tony Davis, Pastor. Rev. Dr. John F. Green, the Eulogist, is the President/Dean of Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, and the husband of Supervisor Green.

Messages of condolence may be sent to:

Aretha G. Stewart (daughter)
2500 22nd Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33712

Or

Supervisor Phyllis N. Green
586 Ward Road
Ellenwood, GA 30294
Pn_green@yahoo.com

Services Entrusted to:

Lawson's Funeral Home
4535 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, Florida

Office telephone: 727.623.9025
FAX: 727.623.9027

12. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:


We regret to announce the passing of the Reverend K. C. Jones. He was a retired pastor from the New England Conference, where he pastored Allen Chapel in Hartford, Connecticut and he was currently serving as an associate minister at Bethel AMEC in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The Rev. Jones recently celebrated his 95th birthday. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.

Viewing and Funeral - Saturday, September 17, 2011

Viewing - 10:00 a.m.
Funeral - 11:00 a.m.

Bethel AME Church
1154 Blue Hills Avenue
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Phone: 860-243-5778
Fax: 860-242-2969
Email: bachurch01@snet.net


The Rev. Ron McCune, Pastor

Expressions of Sympathy can be sent to:

Ms. Linda Jones
64 Belnap Road
West Hartford, CT 06117


13. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Master Sergeant Gwendolyn A. Ashley, USAF Retired, transitioned on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. She is the sister of the Florida Conference M-SWAWO President, Mrs. Bettye McGlockton and the sister-in law of the Reverend Samuel Earl McGlockton, Pastor of Friendship AMEC, Chattahoochee, Florida.

Service arrangements for MSgt. Gwendolyn A. Ashley, USAF (Ret):

Saturday, September 17, 2011
Funeral Service: 1:00 CDT
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
715 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Panama City, Florida 32401

Telephone: 850 -785-1072

The arrangements are being handled by:


Battles Memorial Funeral Home
1123 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Panama City, Florida
Telephone: 850-763-4951

Expressions of sympathy can be sent to:

Mrs. Bettye McGlockton
4028 NW Bethel Road
Bristol, Florida 32321
Telephone: 850-649-2712
Cell: 850-491-5854
Email: BettyeMcGlockton@flaawi.com


14. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:

We are saddened to announce the passing of Josephine Dixon Thomas, who died on Thursday, August 25th and Azaela Dixon Henry who died on Monday, August 29th. They are the sisters of the Rev. Dredford Shuler. The Rev. Dredford Shuler is pastor of Webster Chapel AME Church in Gonzales, Texas; Southwest Texas Conference of the San Antonio District.

The Homegoing Celebration for Josephine Dixon Thomas and Azaela Dixon Henry was held on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at The Family Worship Center, 1155 North Magnolia in Luling, Texas.

Condolences may be sent to:

The Rev. and Mrs. Dredford Shuler
P. O. Box 503
Luling, Texas 78648

Phone: (830) 875-3559

15. CONNECTIONAL OFFICER BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The members of the Connectional Lay Organization are saddened to inform you of the death of Mrs. Exie L. Clark, mother of Mrs. Doris Bell, Connectional Lay Organization Assistant Recording Secretary. Mrs. Clark lived in Oxford, North Carolina. Please keep Doris and her family in your prayers.

Arrangements for Mrs. Exie L. Clark:

Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Family Visitation: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Thursday, September 15, 2011
Funeral: 1:00 PM
Wright Funeral Home
3724 Salem Road
Oxford, NC 27565

Telephone: 919-693-8870

Condolences and expressions of sympathy can be sent to:

Mrs. Doris Bell & Family
1129 Banbury Lane
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 331-1658
Email: doris.bell@vanderbilt.edu


16. 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


17. 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.