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
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
January
- Cervical Health Awareness Month
Lent 2012 begins on
Ash Wednesday - February 22, 2012
1. EDITORIAL – MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Dr. Calvin
H. Sydnor III,
The 20th
Editor, The Christian Recorder
This week has been difficult. As a matter of fact, the first three weeks of
2012 has had it challenges, and I am drafting this message to bring the subscribers
of The Christian Recorder up-to-date.
I don’t want you to think that anything has happened to me; I am fine.
We spent the first week in January
visiting my sister-in-law, the Rev. Cheryl Hoskins who had been hospitalized.
When we returned from Covington,
Kentucky, I noticed that my iTunes and iPhone needed to be updated. I am a
person who likes to keep my computer up-to-date, so I proceeded to do the
updates. Unfortunately, I received error
messages each time I attempted to install the updates. Everything else on my
computer was working fine; no other problems. I could not install the updates
for iTunes and iCloud. I like everything to be in working order, even though iTunes and iCloud had no connection to the work of The Christian Recorder; I wanted to get the updates installed. I
had the grand idea to see if I could get someone to do what I thought was a
minor task because I wanted to have everything working perfectly.
I first attempted to have the repairs
done remotely; read overseas, but that didn’t work and so I decided to take my
computer to a store that sells and repairs computers. Again, I thought the fix was going to be an
easy one and I took my computer to Staples.
In my mind, I had figured that I would
get The Christian Recorder Online out
on last Thursday (1/12/12) or Friday (1/13/12). But, what looked like an easy
job turned into a nightmare. The technicians got iTunes and iCloud properly
installed and I was a “happy camper”; or so I thought. When I got back home I saw that my personal
folders in Outlook were
missing. I took my computer back to Staples on Friday morning. Microsoft
Outlook and my personal files were back in place and got my personal files
restored. I took my computer back home and began working on The Christian
Recorder Online and by that time it was late Friday evening. And, at that
point, I discovered that my Word files were missing! Opps, and if I thought I
had a problem with the missing personal folders in Outlook, I really had a
problem with my missing Word files, which were in place when I took my computer
to Staples. My Word files were there the previous day, Thursday; so I never
thought about having to check on the Word when I picked up my computer on
Friday. I just assumed the Word files were where they had been all of the time
and that they were still on my computer. Of course all of the Staple
technicians had gone home by the time I discovered my missing Word Documents. I
guess that I would have fared better to have let the folks from overseas take care
of my computer. My computer is still at Staples and they are still trying to
find my Word files.
I am now working on my old computer, so
all is not lot lost. I have most of my files backed up, but not the ones from
the last couple of weeks. If you have sent an article since December 21, 2011,
please resend it. I know that several
persons have sent articles and they are in my computer at Staples. The articles
are not in this short issue of The
Christian Recorder Online. And, unfortunately, the Clergy Family
Bereavement Notices and the Clergy Family Congratulatory Messages are in the
computer at Staples. I have the most recent Congratulatory and Bereavement
notices. I also have prepared an article about the late Richard Allen
Hildebrand; and that article is in my computer at Staples.
As soon as I retrieve my computer, and
hopefully the files will not have been lost, I will publish the articles and
bring The Christian Recorder Online
up-to-date; so please bear with us.
Another thing
I am seeing a number of obviously
hacked email addresses. A sexually explicit message allegedly was sent from my
email address. Hopefully, no one is
fooled by messages sent by unscrupulous individuals using hacked email
addresses. If a message looks strange
and “out of character” for what a sender normally sends, do not open the
message – delete the message! I have repeatedly begged, asked,
insisted, suggested and cajoled subscribers and readers of The Christian Recorder to use Bcc
and to delete all email addresses before forwarding messages. Sending message
with multiple addressees is how we get hacked by unscrupulous individuals; it’s
so easy to do. I receive obviously hacked email messages from bishops,
clergy and laity; from people I know and from people I don’t know. The messages
are obvious fake messages, but you can be sure those unscrupulous persons will,
in the future, “up the ante” and make the messages look more authentic. Please,
let’s all be careful!
2. A CALL TO COMMITMENT ON DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY:
"Today the United States of America pauses because we
recognize the significance of the works and life of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. in moving this great nation toward achieving its founding principles
of freedom and equality for ALL people. You and I are blessed to have
this opportunity to join in the 26th annual celebration of this holiday - a
time when humankind around the globe should re-visit his proclamations and
re-commit our lives to continue the mission. Dr. King is often quoted
with words of wisdom and inspiration, and we do so now, remembering his
admonition, "Life's most persistent and urgent questions are: What are you
doing for others?"
In 2012, the faith communities worldwide would do well to keep in
mind that our mission is "to do for others", especially those who can
not do for themselves. Dr. King also recognized that he was
"one" in a season of advocacy that others had blazed a trail for his
helm in leadership and that he, in turn was creating a pathway for generations
to come. He reminded us of that fact when he said, "Change does not
roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous
struggle."
The AME Church had a role in four of the legal cases that ultimately
comprised what we know as Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education (named for Rev.
Oliver Brown - an AME preacher). That is one of our rich legacies.
The A.M.E. Church is proud to claim Mother Rosa Parks, the initiator of
the modern day Civil Rights movement kicked off on December 1, 1955 when she
refused to leave her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This humble
and proud deaconess, in her quiet way demonstrated that God can use ordinary
people to lead a revolution for change. A. Phillip Randolph, an AMEer
and a union leader in the Pullman car movement had the vision for the March on
Washington, a dream that did not become a reality until he joined with 250,000
others on August 28, 1963 to peacefully march for jobs and freedom.
In my own life, Rev. King Solomon Dupont, my daddy, joined with the
people of Tallahassee, FL to lead a parallel bus boycott to Montgomery to
defeat the tenants of racial segregation and claim the American dream that this
country is a place where everybody counts. All acted to declare that
“enough is enough" and move the side liners into the arena of action.
Indeed, the baton of freedom was passed to us, and each of us has
our own story of trailblazing for freedom that we must tell to our youth and
young adults. Protecting the right to vote, insuring that every
individual's vote is equally valued, and defending the freedom to speak
out without fear for one's life are ways that we can protect and honor the
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us not grow weary... and
let us not drop that baton which has inspired civil rights movements both
domestic and abroad. Let us commit to be proclaimers of the great ideals
of non-violence and protectors of the freedoms that Dr. King died to protect.
While America has made great strides in "walking the talk", we
still have miles to go until we can unequivocally cry, "Free at last, Free
at last, Thank God almighty, We are free at last"!
Finally, to paraphrase from one more Dr. MLK wisdom alert:
"The ultimate measure of a man (person) is not where (s)he
stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where (s)he stands at times
of challenge and controversy".
Be well and Happy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day!
Mrs. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Director, the Social Action Commission
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair, the Social Action Commission
Bishop David R. Daniels, President,
the Council of Bishops
3. RETIREMENT GALA FOR BISHOP
CAROLYN TYLER GUIDRY:
Retirement Gala for Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, the 122nd
Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Retirement Gala:
The Retirement Gala will be held on Friday, February 24, 2012, 7:00 PM at the Sheraton Hotel New Orleans.
The Sheraton Hotel
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
For reservations call 504-525-2500
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
For reservations call 504-525-2500
The hotel reservation deadline for
the banquet has been extended to January 23, 2012.
Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by contacting:
The Eighth Episcopal District Office
5450 Executive Place
Jackson, MS 39206
Jackson, MS 39206
Office
telephone: 601-366-8240
FAX: 601-366-8175
eighthdistamec08@aol.com
FAX: 601-366-8175
eighthdistamec08@aol.com
The Keepsake Journal
For those who may be interested in placing an ad in the Souvenir Keepsake Journal may do so by contacting the Eighth Episcopal District Office. The deadline for sending your payment and print-ready ad is February 1.
For those who may be interested in placing an ad in the Souvenir Keepsake Journal may do so by contacting the Eighth Episcopal District Office. The deadline for sending your payment and print-ready ad is February 1.
Rates:
Back cover $10,000 (event sponsorship)
Inside Back Cover $10,000 (event sponsorship)
Platinum Full Page $1,000
Gold Full Page $750
Silver Full Page $500
Bronze Full Page $300
Half Page $200
Patrons List $50
SEE:
Checks may be made payable to: "Eighth Episcopal
District" with "Retirement Gala" as the memo.
4. DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH:
*Brother Bill Dickens
This past weekend many churches across the US participated
in some type of birthday celebration for, easily, the most influential person,
white or black, of the 20th Century, Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Many AMEs are mute when asked about
the relationship between Dr. King and the AME Church. Dr. King was a frequent
speaker at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama and Clayborn Temple AME
Church in Memphis, Tennessee during the historic civil rights struggle in the
US. Another little-known fact is that Dr. King's epic speech,
"I Have a Dream" was inspired
by Archibald Carey, Jr., son of AME Bishop Archibald Carey, Sr. King was
a friend of the Rev. Archibald Carey and consulted with him during the
Montgomery Bus Boycott. The younger Carey gave a keynote address to the
GOP Convention in 1952 and in that speech ended with the now famous concluding
section about “Let Freedom Ring...”
Surprisingly, while King was awarded 20 honorary
doctorates for his distinguished service, not one AME academic institution
granted him an honorary degree. This
fact is embarrassing and shameful and I believe the African Methodist Episcopal
Church should correct for this blatant injustice by granting Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. a posthumous honorary doctorate from Wilberforce University, Payne
Theological Seminary or from Turner Theological Seminary. If Yale University and Jewish Theological
Seminary can award King an honorary degree, certainly the oldest black
denomination that professes to be the epitome of social justice can do the
same.
Dr. King's honorary degrees are listed below.
Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr Honorary Degrees:
1957: Doctor of Human Letters, Morehouse College.
1957: Doctor of Laws, Howard University.
1957: Doctor of Divinity, Chicago Theological
Seminary.
1958: Doctor of Laws, Morgan State College.
1958: Doctor of Humanities, Central State College.
1959: Doctor of Divinity, Boston University.
1961: Doctor of Laws, Lincoln University.
1961: Doctor of Laws, University of Bridgeport.
1962: Doctor of Civil Laws, Bard College.
1963: Doctor of Letters, Keuka College.
1964: Doctor of Divinity, Wesleyan College.
1964: Doctor of Laws, Jewish Theological Seminary.
1964: Doctor of Laws, Yale University.
1964: Doctor of Divinity, Springfield College.
1965: Doctor of Laws, Hofstra University.
1965: Doctor of Human Letters, Oberlin College.
1965: Doctor of Social Science, Amsterdam Free
University.
1965: Doctor of Divinity, St. Peter's College.
1967: Doctor of Civil Law, University of New Castle
Upon Tyne.
1967: Doctor of Laws, Grinnell College, Grinnell,
Iowa.
*Brother Bill Dickens is the President of the Allen
AME Church, Tacoma, Washington Lay Organization
5. ON MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, REMEMBER THE MESSAGE, NOT THE MONUMENT:
By the Rev. William Lamar,
I
am ambivalent about Martin Luther King Jr. being frozen in stone not far from
where we are sitting tonight. Although a resident of Prince George’s
County, I have not visited the memorial complex. Like the Laodiceans in
the book of Revelation, I am not hot about the monument nor am I cold. I
have driven past it on numerous occasions rubbernecking to sip its serene
beauty. But I have not been close to the soaring statue. My eyes
have not beheld it up close. My hands have not touched it. I have
yet to drink deeply from the monument designed to remind humanity that it is
possible to hew a stone of hope from the mountain of despair.
As
a child I was given a bust of Dr. King. When I got a little older I was
given Stephen B. Oates’ magisterial biography of Dr. King. Even now I am
reading Clayborne Carson’s edited volume entitled “The Autobiography of Martin
Luther King, Jr.” and Taylor Branch’s elegant trilogy on America during the
King years. I wanted to go to Morehouse College because that is where King earned
his undergraduate degree. I considered attending Boston University’s
School of Theology because that is where King earned his doctorate. I
guess I assumed that I would be endowed with his unswerving commitment to God’s
just reign and towering intellect by osmosis if I walked the hallowed halls
that he once walked.
The
first church trip that I was privileged to lead as a pastor was a pilgrimage to
the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in
Atlanta. And I can say that I am a pastor today largely because of King’s
ministry. A ministry that proved that preachers don’t have to check their
brains at the door of the sanctuary nor abandon the ministry of justice while
serving the flock of Christ. I have been challenged by the legacy of King,
soaked in his words, and baffled by his unswerving commitment to justice.
Some people are bibliophiles. Some are anglophiles. I am a
Kingphile.
But
I remain lukewarm about King in stone. Why? Americans are people stricken
with amnesia. We forget history, especially when it is convenient to do
so. We banish suffering and strife and violence from our collective
memory without realizing that our struggles become more intractable when wed to
silence. Why am I lukewarm? Because Americans would rather glaciate
our Martin Kings in monuments surrounded by flora and fauna than deal with the
harsh, prophetic realities that made them both attractive and repulsive to the
body politic. I am afraid that if I cling too closely to the monument,
King’s heart of flesh that often offended us will become a heart of stone that
comfortable middle-class blacks like me and Democrats and Republicans and
others can manipulate and smash into pebbles of convenience.
Cornel
West talks about the santaclausification of Martin Luther King. According
to Dr. West with our vapid celebrations of King, “He just becomes a nice little
old man with a smile with toys in his bag, not a threat to anybody, as if his
fundamental commitment to unconditional love and unarmed truth does not bring
to bear certain kinds of pressure to a status quo. So the status quo feels so
comfortable as though it's a convenient thing to do rather than acknowledge him
as to what he was, what the FBI said, "The most dangerous man in America."
Why? Because of his fundamental commitment to love and to justice and trying to
keep track of the humanity of each and every one of us.” West also says,
“[I]n the market-driven world in which celebrity status operates in such a way
that it tries to diffuse all of the threat and to sugarcoat and deodorize what
actually is rather funky.”
Indeed
we have sugarcoated and deodorized King. Every year this time I grow weary of
hearing about his dream. Those on the right use this dream language as a
pretext to talk about colorblindness without talking about justice and the
enduring legacy of American apartheid and structural racism. Those on the left
go to marches or sponsor a day of mercy while eschewing the hard work of
justice.
It
is hard to say what King would be doing and saying if he were alive. But
preachers traffic in imagination. So let me imagine based on my study of
the man’s life and legacy. He would not be very popular among the educated
black middle class because he would remind us of our entanglement in the
trappings of success and material excess while neglecting the dire educational
and economic straits faced by millions upon millions of our people. He
would not be popular among the corporatocracy (the powerful oligarchy of
corporations, banks, and governments that control finance and economics and
therefore politics) because he would call out their unchecked greed,
astronomical salaries, and their erosion of the protection and prosperity of
workers. He would not be popular in the White House because American
muscular militarism has not yielded to peaceful ways to resolve conflict and
the era of government by and for the haves to the exclusion of the have-nots
seems uninterrupted. Neither Democrats nor Republicans utter the word
poverty and the middle class they fetishizes with rhetoric and neglect with
policy shrinks every second. He would not be popular with the self-centered,
culturally accommodated American church. He would remind us that we exist
to serve, not to be served.
A
frozen Martin Luther King is not what we need. A sweet, saccharine a historical
Martin Luther King is not what we need. We need the King who died unpopular
among blacks and whites because he was more concerned with truth and justice
than popularity and access. The King who said no to Vietnam. No to
American empire. No to a silent, lethargic church. We need the King who
said yes to the dignity and humanity of the poor. Yes to the personhood of
people of every race, gender, and socioeconomic status. We need the King
who knew that the parched land of America needed the waters of justice in order
to bloom into what the founders envisioned even in their brokenness.
I
may get to the monument. But I won’t stay long. Can’t stay
long. The living, breathing King will be beckoning me away from the
mountain and into the valley where there is work to do.
Rev.
William Lamar is senior pastor at Turner
Memorial AME Church in Hyattsville.
Read more in The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/on-martin-luther-king-day-remember-the-message-not-the-monument/2012/01/11/gIQAx2YXrP_story.html
6. PASTOR CLAUDE RAY JAMES HONORED FOR 30 YEARS OF PASTORAL MINISTRY:
On November 19, 2011, members of
historic First AME Church, Athens, GA, celebrated the 30 years of Pastoral
Ministry of their pastor, Rev. Claude Ray James. Individuals traveled long
distances to celebrate with their former pastor, mentor, friend and colleague.
The evening was designed to celebrate, roast and toast the outstanding career
of Pastor James. Over eighty people enjoyed the program that was divided into
three parts: Presiding over the Blaze, Fanning the Flames, and Fiery Response.
During the “Presiding over the Blaze,”
speakers “lightly roasted” Pastor James.
During the “Fanning the Flames” segment, speakers toasted the Rev. James
for his many accomplishments. Some of the comments were: Pastor James is a
biblical scholar. His Bible Study
classes are excellent. His sermons are biblically based and well-structured;
Pastor James is a lover of humanity. He relates well with people from all walks
of life; and Pastor James is a no nonsense pastor. He is well disciplined and
well prepared.
Pastor James began his ministry in
1982.
In 1982-1986, he pastored St. Paul AME
Church in Covington, Georgia; and from 1986-1993, he pastored First AME Church
in Athens, Georgia. After leaving Athens, he pastored Bethel AME Church in
Albany, Georgia. In 1993, he was assigned to Allen Temple AME Church in
Atlanta, Georgia.
He made history in 2009, by returning
to First AME Church in Athens, Georgia for a second pastoral assignment.
He has revived a ministry with the
Bethel Town Village community which is adjacent to the church. In addition to many other initiatives, he has
re-established the church Food Bank which serves over 50 families per week.
Perhaps the most ambitious initiative
is the Nehemiah Project, which is designed to raise $100,000 as “seed money”
for renovation of Historic First AME Church; $81,000,000 has been raised to
date.
The evening also included a liturgical
dance by the First AME Liturgical Dancers, which was organized by Pastor James.
A spectacular video presentation with
photos of Pastor James from infancy to present day was a delight for everyone
in attendance.
The guests enjoyed a bountiful
multi-tiered buffet of delectable food.
It was mentioned during several presentations that Pastor James loves to
eat and he was not disappointed during the evening.
During the “Fiery Response,” Pastor
James thanked the group for coming; he was most gracious for the years of
friendship with those in attendance.
To commemorate this milestone in his
career, Pastor James was given an engraved crystal Bible and an engraved pen
and pencil set.
The evening concluded with a formal
toast to Pastor James. Everyone stood with cider filled glasses and toasted Pastor
James.
Pastor James conducted a tour of the
historic church for some of the guests.
7.
SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZES MINISTERIAL EXCEPTION TO EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
CLAIMS:
The First Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses bar suits brought on behalf of ministers against their churches that claim termination in violation of employment discrimination law.
The Sixth Circuit recognized the existence of a ministerial exception rooted in the First Amendment, but concluded that it did not apply to a complainant who claimed her church discriminated against her because she did not qualify as a "minister" under the exception. In Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, No. 10-553 (U.S. January 11, 2012), the Supreme Court reversed holding that the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses bar suits brought on behalf of ministers against their churches that claim termination in violation of employment discrimination laws.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod classifies its school teachers as either "called" and "lay." "Called" teachers are regarded as having been called to their vocation by God. The complainant was a called teacher who taught a religion class, led her students in daily prayer and devotional exercises, and took her students to a weekly school-wide chapel service. The complainant developed narcolepsy and began the 2004-05 school-year on disability leave. In January 2005, she notified the school principal that she would be able to report to work in February. The principal responded that the school had already contracted with a lay teacher to fill the complainant's position for the remainder of the school year and expressed concern that the complainant was not yet ready to return to the classroom. The congregation subsequently offered to pay a portion of the complainant's health insurance premiums in exchange for her resignation as a called teacher. The complainant refused to resign and threatened legal action. In due course the school terminated the complainant. The complainant filed a charge with the EEOC claiming that her employment had been terminated in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The EEOC brought suit against Hosanna-Tabor alleging that the complainant had been fired in retaliation for threatening to file an ADA lawsuit. The complainant intervened. Invoking the "ministerial exception," Hosanna-Tabor argued that the First Amendment barred the suit because the claims concerned the employment relationship between a religious institution and one of its ministers. The District Court agreed and granted Hosanna-Tabor summary judgment. The Sixth Circuit vacated and remanded. The Supreme Court reversed the Sixth Circuit.
The First Amendment provides, in part, that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Since the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other employment discrimination laws, the Courts of Appeals have uniformly recognized the existence of a "ministerial exception," grounded in the First Amendment that precludes application of such legislation to claims concerning the employment relationship between a religious institution and its ministers. The Supreme Court agreed that there is such a ministerial exception. Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister, or punishing a church for failing to do so, intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision. Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs. By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group's right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments. According the state the power to determine which individuals will minister to the faithful also violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government involvement in such ecclesiastical decisions. Moreover, any suggestion that Hosanna-Tabor's asserted religious reason for firing the complainant was pretextual misses the point of the ministerial exception. The purpose of the exception is not to safeguard a church's decision to fire a minister only when it is made for a religious reason. The exception instead ensures that the authority to select and control who will minister to the faithful is the church's decision alone.
The Court emphasized that it is only holding that the ministerial exception bars a minister's employment discrimination suit challenging her church's decision to fire her. The Court expresses no view on whether the exception bars other types of suits.
View this post online <https://ogconline.navy.mil/forum/communities_of_practice/cops_civilian_personnel_law/b/cplcopblog/archive/2012/01/13/supreme-court-recognizes-ministerial-exception-to-employment-discrimination-claims.aspx>
The First Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses bar suits brought on behalf of ministers against their churches that claim termination in violation of employment discrimination law.
The Sixth Circuit recognized the existence of a ministerial exception rooted in the First Amendment, but concluded that it did not apply to a complainant who claimed her church discriminated against her because she did not qualify as a "minister" under the exception. In Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, No. 10-553 (U.S. January 11, 2012), the Supreme Court reversed holding that the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses bar suits brought on behalf of ministers against their churches that claim termination in violation of employment discrimination laws.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod classifies its school teachers as either "called" and "lay." "Called" teachers are regarded as having been called to their vocation by God. The complainant was a called teacher who taught a religion class, led her students in daily prayer and devotional exercises, and took her students to a weekly school-wide chapel service. The complainant developed narcolepsy and began the 2004-05 school-year on disability leave. In January 2005, she notified the school principal that she would be able to report to work in February. The principal responded that the school had already contracted with a lay teacher to fill the complainant's position for the remainder of the school year and expressed concern that the complainant was not yet ready to return to the classroom. The congregation subsequently offered to pay a portion of the complainant's health insurance premiums in exchange for her resignation as a called teacher. The complainant refused to resign and threatened legal action. In due course the school terminated the complainant. The complainant filed a charge with the EEOC claiming that her employment had been terminated in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The EEOC brought suit against Hosanna-Tabor alleging that the complainant had been fired in retaliation for threatening to file an ADA lawsuit. The complainant intervened. Invoking the "ministerial exception," Hosanna-Tabor argued that the First Amendment barred the suit because the claims concerned the employment relationship between a religious institution and one of its ministers. The District Court agreed and granted Hosanna-Tabor summary judgment. The Sixth Circuit vacated and remanded. The Supreme Court reversed the Sixth Circuit.
The First Amendment provides, in part, that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Since the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other employment discrimination laws, the Courts of Appeals have uniformly recognized the existence of a "ministerial exception," grounded in the First Amendment that precludes application of such legislation to claims concerning the employment relationship between a religious institution and its ministers. The Supreme Court agreed that there is such a ministerial exception. Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister, or punishing a church for failing to do so, intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision. Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs. By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group's right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments. According the state the power to determine which individuals will minister to the faithful also violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government involvement in such ecclesiastical decisions. Moreover, any suggestion that Hosanna-Tabor's asserted religious reason for firing the complainant was pretextual misses the point of the ministerial exception. The purpose of the exception is not to safeguard a church's decision to fire a minister only when it is made for a religious reason. The exception instead ensures that the authority to select and control who will minister to the faithful is the church's decision alone.
The Court emphasized that it is only holding that the ministerial exception bars a minister's employment discrimination suit challenging her church's decision to fire her. The Court expresses no view on whether the exception bars other types of suits.
View this post online <https://ogconline.navy.mil/forum/communities_of_practice/cops_civilian_personnel_law/b/cplcopblog/archive/2012/01/13/supreme-court-recognizes-ministerial-exception-to-employment-discrimination-claims.aspx>
TCR Editor’s Note: It appears that this U.S.
Supreme Court decision has stated that churches can fire ministers and other
employees without being concerned about a discrimination lawsuit. Terminated
ministers and people who work for religious institutions may be able to file
other types of lawsuits, if they apply; but they cannot file a discrimination
lawsuit. It’s also interesting that the United Methodist Church is rethinking
and is considering making changes to the coveted “Security of pastoral
appointments.”
8. THE 2012 ANNUAL
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FOR 16TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:
Bishop Sarah Frances Davis, Presiding Prelate
Mr. Claytie Davis, Episcopal Supervisor
FEBRUARY 2012
01 Haiti WMS
Convention, Mariani AME Church; Host, Venue: Mary Beckett AMEC
02-05 Haiti Annual Conference, Mariani AME Church, Hosting, Venue:
Mary Beckett AMEC
08 Dominican Republic
WMS Convention, La
Romana, Impacto
Davida AME Church,
Bishop Preaching
Night in White
09-12 Dominican Republic
Annual Conference, La
Romana, Impacto
Davida AME Church
15-17 Global Development
Executive Meeting,
Johannesburg,
South Africa
29 Suriname/Guyana WMS
Convention, Nu
Bethel, Suriname
MARCH /APRIL 2012
01-04 Suriname/Guyana
Conference, Nu Bethel, Suriname
07 Windward Islands WMS
Convention, Metropolitan AME Church, Port of Spain,
Trinidad
08-11 Windward Islands
Annual Conference, Metropolitan AME Church, Port of Spain, Trinidad
21 Jamaica WMS
Convention, Chapel of Christ, Kingston, Jamaica
22–25 Jamaica Centenary Annual Conference, Chapel of Christ Our
Redeemer, Kingston, JA
28 Virgin Islands WMS
Convention, Bethel AME Church, Christiansted, Virgin Islands
29– Virgin Islands
Annual Conference, Bethel AMEC, Christiansted, Virgin Islands
April 1
APRIL
13 AMEC CONNECTIONAL DAY
OF PRAYER
19 European Conference
WMS Convention,
Nouvelle Alliance AME Church, Lyon, France
20- European Annual
Conference, Nouvelle
22 Alliance, AMEC, Lyon,
France
25-27 Bishop and Presiding Elders Planning Meeting,
Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
9.
CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT:
-
Bishop Samuel Lawrence Green Sr., Presiding Prelate Twelfth Episcopal District
Announces "How I Got Over" CD wins two Stellar Awards
The CD recorded at the 12th District
Holy Convocation in 2010, Smokie Norful and the 12th District AME Church Choir,
"How I Got Over: Songs that Carried Us", won two Stellar Awards
Saturday night for Traditional Male Vocalist and Traditional CD of the Year. I
thank Smokie Norful for selecting the 12th District AME Church Choir to be the
featured Choir for this project. Special thanks to all the Artists who
participated on the Album, Ken Pennell and EMI Gospel for producing this
project with Smokie & TREMYLES Music and the members of the 12th Episcopal
District who participated on the CD.
Thank you 12th District for allowing
God to take you beyond the boundaries of Oklahoma and Arkansas to another level
to minister to the world through song. 12th Episcopal District I am
proud of you and excited about what God is getting ready to do! To God be the
Glory, the best is still yet to come.
Bishop Samuel Lawrence Green Sr.
P. O. Box 147
Little Rock, AR
72203-0147
Telephone: 501-375-4310
FAX: 501-375-0306
10.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to inform you of the
passing of Mrs. Elaine Tyler, the mother-in-law of AMEC preacher's kid, Mr.
William W. Easley, III and the mother of Mrs. Sonja Elaine Tyler Easley, the
son and daughter-in-law of Dr. William W. Easley, Jr., pastor of Taylor Chapel
AME Church, Bowling Green, Kentucky and Mrs. Ora L. Easley, Administrator, The
AME Clergy Family Information Center.
William W. Easley, III and Sonja Elaine Tyler Easley are members of Reid
Temple AME Church, Glenn Dale, Maryland; Dr. Lee P. Washington, Pastor.
Mrs. Elaine Tyler, the wife of Mr.
Larry Tyler, mother of Daphne Pryor (Kenneth), Erik Tyler (Victoria), Sonja
Easley (William), and grandmother of 10 grandchildren; of Washington, DC passed
away peacefully and quietly in her sleep following an extended illness.
Service arrangements for Mrs. Elaine
Tyler:
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Viewing: 10:00 AM
Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 AM
St. Gabriel Catholic Church
26 Grant Circle N.W.
Washington, DC 20011
Office: (202) 726-9092
Fax: (202) 291-0334
Email: info@stgabrieldc.org
The Rev. Fr. Agustin Mateo Ayala,
Pastor
Professional services are entrusted
to:
Marshall's Funeral Home
4217 9th Street NW
Washington, DC 20011-7298
Phone: (202) 723-1250
Fax: (202) 829-1432
Expressions of sympathy and messages
of condolence may be sent to:
Mr. and Mrs. William W. (Sonja)
Easley, III
1612 Monarch Birch Way
Bowie, Maryland 20721
(301) 925-8749
Email Addresses:
(Sonja Tyler Easley) So_bo@hotmail.com
(William W. Easley, III) weasley3@gmail.com
Or to the funeral home (address is
above)
And to:
Mr. Larry Tyler & Family
807 Underwood Street, NW
Washington, DC 20012
11.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the
passing of Sister Geneva G. Deal, the mother of Mrs. Marjorie Deal Brown who is
the widow of the Rev. Levi Brown. The members of the Ministers' Spouses, Widows
and Widowers Organization, Plus P.K.'S of the Second Episcopal District African
Methodist Church extend sympathy to their Historiographer in her loss.
Services for Sister Geneva G. Deal:
Viewing & Funeral Service:
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Viewing: 12:00 noon - 12:55 P.M.
Service: 1:00 P.M.
Chambers Chapel Baptist Church
Chambers Chapel Circle
Glen Alpine, NC 28628
Professional Service Entrusted to:
Ebony Funeral Services
220 Avery Avenue
Morganton, NC 28655
Phone: (828) 437-2864
Internment: McElrath Chapel A. M. E
Cemetery
Expressions of sympathy may be sent
to:
Mrs. Marjorie D. Brown
2709 Kendall Drive
Charlotte, NC 28216
Email: madb38@aol.com
12.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the
passing of the Reverend Jared L. Graves, Sr., pastor of Franklin AME Church,
Niles, Michigan, South District, Michigan Conference. Please keep the family of
the Reverend Jared L. Graves lifted in prayer.
Funeral service:
Friday, January 20, 2012
Family Hour: 9:30 AM
Service: 11:00 AM
Union Memorial AME Church
911 South Crystal Avenue
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
Phone: 269-927-2219
Dr. Michael C. Carson, Pastor
Condolences and Expressions of
sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs. Joyce A. Graves (wife)
1919 Broadway
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
Phone: 269-363-4159
Or to:
Mrs. Carolyn A. Graves (mother)
1974 E. Britain Ave. #2
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
Phone: 269-925-6963
Email: cargo48@sbcglobal.net
13.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the
passing of the Reverend Oltha Thomas Austin, Jr., son of the Reverend O. Thomas
Austin, Sr., retired minister in the Tenth Episcopal District, North Texas
Conference, and Mrs. Verdene Kirven Austin, former 10th Episcopal District
M-SWAWO + PK'S president. The Reverend Oltha Thomas Austin, Jr. passed away,
Friday, January 13, 2012.
Funeral arrangements for the Rev. O.
Thomas Austin, Jr. are as follows:
Wake: Wednesday, January 18, 2012,
7:15 - 8:15 P. M.
Golden Gate Funeral Home
4155 South R. L. Thornton Freeway
Dallas, TX 75224
Telephone: (214) 941-7332
Funeral Services: Thursday, January
19, 2012, 11:00 A. M.
New Mt Zion Baptist Church
9530 Shepherd Rd
Dallas, TX
Condolences may be sent to:
The Rev. and Mrs. O. Thomas Austin,
Sr.
