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
February – Black History Month
January - Cervical Health Awareness Month
Lent 2012 begins on Ash Wednesday - February 22, 2012
Easter Sunday - April 8,
2012
1. EDITORIAL – WE NEED A GREAT
AWAKENING FOR THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH:
Dr.
Calvin H. Sydnor III,
The
20th Editor, The Christian
Recorder
The
African Methodist Episcopal needs a reawakening. Every organization needs, from
time to time, to take an introspective look at itself. This is a call for a
"Great Awakening” in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a call for
a return to our theological roots; and a call for authenticity and
denominational integrity.
Organizations,
families, churches, fraternities and sororities; and even denominations need
what the military calls a “stand-down” to review its core values and to be
certain that its constituency understand and adhere to the core values because
over time some of the core values might be lost. Not only are core values lost in
organizations, but they are lost in families too; and families need to sit down
together to review a family’s core values and direction.
A Great Awakening
When
I call for a “great awakening,” I'm not talking about a three-night revival
with some praise songs, a prayer, Scripture, a sermon, and an invitation to
discipleship. I am not referring the
order of worship and type of music sung by the choir. Many of the things I am referring to are not
things one can put his or hand on and touch, because I am talking about our
culture and our intrinsic values.
We
need “a great awakening” because I suspect that there are those among us who
may have forgotten that the roots of Methodism is holiness, which predates the
modern Pentecostal movement, which began with the Azusa Street revival at an
abandoned AME Church in Los Angeles, California in April of 1906.
Simply
stated, the holiness movement sees Christianity as living a personal,
practical, and life-changing life that involves being in fellowship and harmony
with one's fellow human beings. The attributes of holiness was, and is today,
regeneration by grace through faith, with the assurance of salvation by the
witness of the Holy Spirit; sanctification as a second work of grace, received
by faith, through grace, and accomplished by the baptism and power of the Holy
Spirit, which allows a person to live a holy life.
Holiness
is not a Sunday worship experience it is a Sunday through Saturday
life-changing experience. In Methodism,
the first work of grace is salvation from sin, and without grace, human effort
cannot achieve holiness because people are saved by grace through faith in
Jesus Christ who made atonement for human sins. The experience of
sanctification enables the believer to live a holy life. Methodism is a
holiness movement. We need “a great awakening” to remind our parishioners that
the African Methodist Episcopal Church is rooted in holiness.
The local church
The
local church needs to be a part of the “great awakening” because the life of
our Zion begins in the local church.
Many
of our churches are in a survival mode, which prohibits them from reaching
beyond the walls of the sanctuary and out to the wider community; and their
ministry, or lack of ministry is focused upon what happens within the physical
walls of the church. Methodism generally and the African Methodist Episcopal
Church specifically grew and expanded because of its evangelistic thrust. We
had tent meeting and revivals because we were an evangelistic church. We need
“a great awakening” to recapture our evangelistic thrust!
Some
of our churches do great ministry, but I suspect that an even greater ministry
can be done if local churches set higher standards for themselves. Too many of
our churches set goals that are too low to provide dynamic ministry and
evangelistic thrust.
The local church membership
The
church is made up of people and when we talk about the goals of the local
church it's not the building that has set its goals too low, but it's the
parishioners and the leadership of the local church that has acquiesced and has
become satisfied with low-goals and lukewarm ministry. We have too much negativity in too many of
our local churches; and it’s been that way for a long time. My first experience
as a young pastor was at the initial meeting and the officers began with, “We
can’t afford…, “We can’t do…,” “We have
never done it that way…,” “We don’t have but a few members…” We need “a great awakening” to rid our local
churches of negativity and low self-esteem.
We
need “a great awakening” to instill a positive attitude and spirit in the souls
of our pastors, officers and parishioners.
The Music
We
need choirs that will rehearse and take the time to select appropriate songs
that are theologically doctrinally sound that speaks to the minds and hearts of
those persons sitting in the pews.
Whether the songs are contemporary, traditional or hip-hop, they need to
be well-done and not as songs put together “on the fly.”
I
recently heard a choir sing, “God is Love” for eleven minutes: no other words,
just “God is Love.” That phrase is theologically sound, but eleven minutes for
a three-word phrase was a bit much and I could understand why the members of
that choir might not think they need a rehearsal. Thankfully, that choir was
not an AME choir; but sadly we have some choirs who are guilty of three and four-word
songs.
The
music is an important part of the worship experience and the presentation of
the music should be taken seriously; and pastors should choose hymns carefully
and coordinate with choir directors/musicians so that the music, liturgy, and
sermon have some relationship and continuity, which enhances worship.
The ministry
The
AME Church needs to find a way to “fire up” those who are in ministry.
It
seems that we have lowered our standards for accessioning applicants for
ministry and have watered-down the ordination process. I believe that AME History, Doctrine and
Polity need to be standardized because we are a Connectional Church.
There
was a time when itinerant credentials presupposed that the person ordained was
going into the itinerant ministry. But, somewhere along the way we have lost
our values and commitment to the itineracy and we have ordained individuals for
itinerant orders who have no intention of going into the itinerant ministry. In
many of our larger churches, and in some small churches too, we have pulpits
full of preachers who have itinerant credentials but are, in reality, serving
in local relationships. In many annual conferences, the itinerant ministry has
been compromised.
We
need “a great awakening” in the minds of those persons who have been ordained
for the itineracy and for those who are seeking to be ordained with itinerant
credentials in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. An applicant for
ministry has to decide whether he or she is going to be a “traveling” preacher
or a “local” preacher. It’s an integrity issue for one to accept credentials
that he or she is not going to legitimately utilize.
We
need “a great awakening” in ministry because it becomes an integrity issue and
it negatively impacts the ministry across our Zion when the itinerant system is
compromised. Ministry has to have integrity.
One
area of the itinerant relationship that comes to mind is the election of
delegates to the General Conference. We have ministers who have been ordained
itinerant elders but serving in a local relationship, yet having the authority
to vote or not to vote for those persons seeking to be delegates to the General
Conference, who will have an impact at the General Conference upon the
itinerant ministry of our Zion. Local preachers and those in local ministerial
relationships, i.e., not serving as “traveling” preachers should not be allowed
to have input into policies that involve the itinerant ministry. Nurses and
physician assistants don’t have a vote on issues that involve medical
doctors.
Pastors
of larger churches with multiple itinerant ministers on the staff have an
advantage of having a better opportunity of being elected delegates to the
General Conference because they have access to additional voters.
Pastors
of medium or small-sized congregations who serve without itinerant elders on
staff are at a disadvantage because they have only one vote and the pastors of
larger churches who have multiple itinerant ministers on staff, theoretically,
have the votes of all of the ministers on his or her staff. In the interest of fairness, one church-one
vote would level the playing-field for pastors of small or medium-size
congregations. “A great awakening” might increase the sensitivity for fairness.
Integrity
We
need, as a denomination, a clarion call for greater integrity among both clergy
and laity.
The Clergy
A
great place to start would be with the “Pastor’s
Annual Report Blank” – nothing more needs to be written.
Another
example. There are two legitimate ways to receive a doctoral degree. A person
can go to school and earn a degree; or do something extraordinary or make a
large contribution and be awarded an honorary doctoral degree. Both ways are legitimate and accepted all
over the world.
There
are pastors wearing robes with doctoral chevrons who have not earned a doctoral
degree and have not had an honorary degree conferred upon them; that's an
integrity issue.
Some
pastors choose to be credentialed by degree mills and the parishioners in the
congregation, who have legitimate degrees, know the pastor’s credentials are
bogus.
Sermon
preparation is essential to the profession of ministry and one thing we can say
about the AME pastors of the past; both those who had formal ministerial
training and those who were not privileged to receive formal training; they
knew the Bible. Some of the most effective preachers I have heard have been
those who were not college or seminary trained. The old-school preachers were
biblical scholars.
We
hear often of preachers who use canned sermons they have gotten off the
Internet. Several years ago, the sermon,
“Good News from the Grave Yard” was
making the rounds.
Some
pastors, when assigned to a church are more concerned about “the package” than
they are about “the ministry.” We need a
“great awakening” for the clergy.
Technology
Technology
is here and it’s going to stay here; it’s not going anywhere. I bought gasoline
two days ago and paid $4-a-gallon.
Gasoline prices will not be going down to a couple of dollars a gallon;
the cost of fuel is going to remain high. With high fuel costs and
unpredictable weather, smart pastors and smart churches will transition to
increased use of teleconferences; it makes sense and since the technology is in
place, we may as well use it. Technology
is cost-effective and saves money.
Several
weeks ago I heard of a lay presentation where the presenter said she did not
believe in people using iPads and smartphones to read their Bibles. And, I have
heard about pastors who talk the same nonsense. The rotary phone is gone
forever and technology is here to stay and technological improvements are
updated daily. We need a “great
awakening” of the church to understand that technology is an effective
“vehicle” for evangelism. Growing
churches use technology and young people have embraced technology because
technology is the only thing they know.
The laity
There
are too many laid-back parishioners who care little or nothing about the local
church ministry. Too many parishioners
are content to let “others” do the work and they won’t volunteer to do
anything; they come and they leave.
There
are some parishioners in every congregation who are just mean-spirited against
their pastors; and those kinds of parishioners are mean-spirited against any
and every assigned pastor.
We
need a “great awakening” for the laity.
We need to return to our roots and aspire to live the “Invitation”
that’s extended for Communion: “You that
do earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and harmony with your
neighbor and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God…” We need a “great awakening” for the
laity.
Connectional meetings
We
need a Connectional “great awakening.”
Worship at Connectional meetings should be a model worship experience.
The worship and logistics should be flawless.
Bishops, General Officers, Connectional Officers, and program
participants should be able to get to their assigned seats with decorum and
dignity. The choir should be at its best, worship participants should be able
to read clearly and the sound system should operate efficiently. The Communion
service should be an AME Communion Service done with dignity and
precision. If the logistics will not
permit a dignified AME Communion Service, perhaps the Communion Service should
be omitted.
The Vendors
Certainly,
everyone understands the economics of having vendors at Connectional
meetings. But, allowing vendors to sell
pirated items should not be permitted because it’s illegal and unethical. Religious organizations must uphold the
highest moral and ethical standards.
Sadly, we have allowed vendors to sell pirated items at Connectional
meetings and probably at district meetings too. We need a Connectional “great
awakening” because the Church needs to model the highest moral and ethical
behavior.
Presiding elders
The
Role of the Presiding Elder is outlined in The Book of Discipline of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church 2008. Presiding Elders play an important role in the life of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church and it is important that they understand their
functions and responsibilities. The Discipline succinctly gives a
capsule overview of the responsibilities of a presiding elder. The
Discipline says, “The position of the presiding elder is administrative and
advisory through the District Conference and church school convention: an
inservice training for pastors, itinerant preachers, local preachers and lay
workers” and goes on to explain in detail the presiding elders’
administrative, supervisory and advisory functions.
Their functions are essential in the smooth
operation of an Annual Conference and of the Episcopal District. We need “a
great awakening” for empowering and re-empowering the position of the presiding
elders of our Zion.
The Bishops
We
need a “great awakening” in the way the African Methodist Episcopal Church
elects bishops. I was asked last week, “What does the Church get when
candidates have to spend thousands of dollars traveling from one end of the
church to the other; attend annual conferences and Connectional meetings; and
meeting people and spending more money; neglecting their families; wearing
themselves out to be elected as a bishop in this great Church?”
What
happens to the candidates who do all of the things needed to be a viable
candidate – do all the travel, bear the expenses, neglect their families during
the candidacy; and lose the election? What does it do to their families and to
their psyche? How does the Church minister to those who lose the election?
How
does the Church minister to outstanding potential candidates, who cannot afford
to “run” for bishop or who refuse to subject their families to the travails of
being a candidate?
We
need a “great awakening” to address our system of electing bishops.
I
wish that I had an answer, but I don’t have an answer.
I
suspect that there are some unresolved issues with those who are elected to the
episcopacy. Upon election, they are
faced with the relocation of their families; and in the case of U.S.
bishops-elect most likely have to live in another culture or be assigned as the
ecumenical officer. And in the case of a candidate who might have been elected
from a mega-church, he or she might face a salary cut. And, for others, their
personal finances might have taken “a beating” during their candidacy.
So,
even with those who are elected there are issues that might have to be resolved
that most of us do not have to think about.
We
need “a great awakening” to address our system of electing bishops.
And
yes, we need “a great awakening” for the African Methodist Episcopal Church!
Editor’s Note: We
invite persons to write op-eds.
2.
READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
- To the Editor:
RE:
Editorial – We Have the Responsibility to Tell Our Story
Thanks for pointing out the historical
fact that the AMEC was NOT founded in 1787! According to Richard
Newman's book Freedom's Prophet, Mother Bethel wasn't dedicated until
July, 1794 (p. 14). I have been making this argument about the founding
of the AMEC for at least a dozen years.
Too many of our members who defend 1787
are doing so out of nostalgic reasoning but it is nonetheless historically
inaccurate. The confusion is due to the historical mistake we made by
proclaiming the AME Bi-Centennial in 1987. The date, 1987 was only the
bi-centennial of the walk-out of St. George's Methodist Church. I
honestly don't understand why we can't look at the year 1816 as the legal founding
date of our Zion. It eliminates all confusion and is historically
accurate.
Bill Dickens
- To the Editor:
RE:
Editorial – We Have the Responsibility to Tell Our Story
You
know how we as AMEs are! We always like to claim being the first, whether
it is warranted or not. We had a Bicentennial in 1987 with
wonderful programming at the Kennedy Center and elsewhere to celebrate the
walkout from St. George's. Now we are having a Bicentennial in 2016 to
celebrate the incorporation of the AME church, the 50th session of
the General Conference which covers a 200 year time span and
essentially everything that happened between 1787 and 1816. It is
exciting, but confusing to outsiders so I call the 1787 date the conception of
African Methodism and 1816, the incorporation.
Thanks
for the correction.
Paulette
Coleman, Ph.D.
3. TCR OP-ED - MEDIUM
VS. MESSAGE – TECHNOLOGY IN THE CHURCH:
*Mrs.
J’Neese Jones
The
use of technological advances to enhance the Church’s ministry, mission and
Message is becoming a common practice today.
Church ministries are supported by audio and video sermons via internet,
electronic presentations, Bible Study online, Information downloads to iPods,
cell phones and PDA’s, Email and church websites, including social media such
as Twitter and Facebook. A mega-church
in my community recently announced its own mobile app for smartphone users.
Recently,
a pastor forbade the use of electronic Bibles on smartphones, eReaders, and iPads in the
sanctuary! The pastor’s rationale was
“…for the sake of others who are not familiar with modern technology”. The specific offense: the reading of the Scripture from a Bible app
for smartphones. A touch of the screen
opens the app; the books of the bible appear alphabetically on the screen. Touch for scripture, touch for verse.
The
Church embraced technology when we graduated from yelling across podiums to
using microphones and elaborate sound systems; from keeping financial records
with a pencil and ledger book to using computer spreadsheet programs; at
one time in the not so distant past this very message would have been sent through days-long postal
delivery instead of being sent instantly via e-mail. So why resist using the benefits of modern
technological tools to edify God and His Kingdom?
If
we are to see growth in our Church, we must not limit access to the Bible or
other religious resources to just one medium.
Those from a younger generation who have grown up with these tools and
devices will no doubt be discouraged by a church which prohibits their use as
Worship tools. Banning electronic media
puts us at risk of being perceived as a church that is too steeped in tradition
to be relevant in today’s world, and thus, causes us to neglect a large segment
of tomorrow’s church.
What
I saw during our most recent Annual Conference seemed to indicate that the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, as a whole, supports the use of
technological tools. The Preacher of the
hour delivered his sermon with the aid of an iPad. Between sessions, Bishops, Pastors and laymen
alike continued to scroll, tap and click!
I
would like to challenge our Church leaders to use every technological resource
available for Kingdom building. It is
imperative to recognize the difference between the medium and the Message, as
we harness technological advancements for the Church’s growth and advancement.
*Mrs.
J’Neese Jones is the Minister of Music at Union Bethel AME Church in Houston,
Texas
4. BISHOP JOHN R. BRYANT INVITES PERSONS
TO JOIN HIM IN INDIA FOR THE AME-INDIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
"I am
inviting you to join us for the 2012 AME-India Conference in Chennai, India,
which promises to be an awesome and enjoyable trip.
We will
depart for India on Friday, April 27, and return to the United States on May 5,
2012.
If you are
able to go, I would appreciate it if you would contact me by Wednesday,
February 29, so that I may forward to you all the specific details for the
trip. Our Ambassador for AME-India is
Mrs. Robin Tyson and her contact information is
Ame.travel.india@gmail.com. If your
schedule does not permit you to join us, would you please consider sending a
financial gift that would help us to host and underwrite the conference? Gifts may be made payable to the Fourth
Episcopal District Office and sent to:
5627 South
Michigan Avenue, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL
60637
Attn:
AME-India
Peace,
Power, and Love,
Bishop John
R. Bryant, Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District
Senior
Bishop, African Methodist Episcopal Church
First AME
Church in Las Vegas, Nevada honored the legacy of Richard Allen and Founder’s
Day by taking to the streets with clothing and food giveaway
First AME
Church in Las Vegas, Nevada and other churches across our Zion honored the legacy
of Richard Allen and Founder’s Day with charitable acts of kindness.
**Submitted
by Dr. Daryl Ingram, Secretary-Treasurer, Christian Education Department and
candidate for reelection.
5. NORDSTROM 2012 SCHOLARSHIP
INFORMATION:
Applications
for the 2012 Nordstrom Scholarship Program are available for deserving high
school juniors. The company will award eighty (80) college scholarships in the
amount of $10,000 each to students in states where Nordstrom has a store.
Please
share widely with your network or with anyone who knows of a young person who
plans to attend college. (Civic Groups, Churches, Fraternities /Sororities,
etc).
Link to Info: www.nordstrom.com/scholarship
6. CHICAGO CONFERENCE WOMEN IN
MINISTRY SAYS MIGHTY BE OUR POWER!
By the Rev.
Donna Anderson, M.Div
The Chicago
Annual Conference Women In Ministry joyfully came to its Hour of Power during
the 129th Session of the Chicago Annual Conference to stand in solidarity
with our sisters in the ministry. We were ushered into the presence of the Lord
as our 4th Episcopal District Supervisor, the Rev. Dr. Cecelia
Williams Bryant, who led us in prayer. We joined in an illustrative song “How
great is our God,” praise danced by Sister Brenda Armstrong and sung by the
Women In Ministry Choir. We celebrated as the Rev. Frederick Mc McCullough,
pastor of Wayman AME Church St Louis, Missouri sang, “We need a Word from
You.” We shouted with them and stood to
our feet saying, “God’s going to turn it around, it's gonna work in your favor”
as Psalmist Jeff Sparks led us in praise and worship on his saxophone by
playing, “We're Blessed”. But it wasn’t
until the appointed preacher of the hour, Presiding Elder E. Anne Henning Byfield,
ascended to the pulpit that we received our clarion call to action as she
proclaimed the preached Word of God, “Mighty Be Our Power!”
We listened
to our Scripture-text Psalm 149:6: “Let the high
praises of God be in their mouth,
and a two-edged sword in their hand,” God’s messenger, Presiding Elder E. Anne Henning Byfield brought the
Word of God to the very place where the people of God are living. We were
reminded of how fickle the world acts, changing from moment to moment. We
collectively reflected as we heard how certain groups within our society have
moved themselves from the fringes of life to the forefront of power; strongly
endorsing those who support them and their lifestyles, and how these same
groups quickly destroy and derail anyone who dares to speak out against them.
Presiding Elder Byfield
explained to us that, “The Word of God is a two-edged sword which cuts our
enemies just like it can cut us and that we have been given the Word to do the
work and the will of God with power. Yet
we, the people of God, cower in our churches afraid of the world, when we
should be out there turning the world around for God.”
Presiding
Elder Byfield encouraged us to pick up our swords and be the church we are
called to be. She empowered us from the words of Nobel Peace Prize Winner,
Leymah Gbowee’s book, “Mighty Be Our Powers” telling us about this mighty woman
of God who organized and led the Liberian mass-action for peace by seizing the
Word, their community, and their children, and taking control of their destiny.
We were challenged by Presiding Elder Byfield to take our rightful place in the world as the people of God by picking up our swords, which is the Word of God, and coming out from behind the walls of our churches to build up our communities and find ways to make a better future for all of God’s people. Thank you Presiding Elder Byfield!
After
the Hour of Power we had a “Concert Luncheon” in which the ladies were
serenaded by the spiritually silky smooth sounds of the anointed saxophonist Brother
Jeff Sparks.
We
had special guests from a local Domestic Violence Shelter Crisis Center of
South Suburbia, who we were honored to fellowship with us in worship as well as
the luncheon. They were truly blessed by
the full-day worship experience. We blessed them with love gifts and donations
for the crisis center. We honored our immediate past Conference Coordinator,
the Rev. Cynthia Johnson who relocated back home to Florida.
The
Lord is awesome and moving in the hearts and spirit of the Chicago Conference
Women in Ministry. We look forward to a
blessed year in ministry!
Chicago
Conference Women In Ministry Coordinator, the Reverend Lisa Marie Thomas; Herstoriographer, the Reverend Donna
Anderson, M.Div
Additional Information:
The Rev. E.
Anne Henning Byfield is the Presiding Elder of the North District of the
Indiana Annual Conference. Her address
is P.O. Box 55106 Indianapolis, IN 46205 phone: (317) -283-0140.
For a copy
of the DVD contact Du Page AME Church Media Ministry- info@dupageamec.org
For a copy
of the CD “Love, Life, Soul” by Psalmist Jeff Sparks can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/Love-Life-Soul-Jeff-Sparks/dp/B0037RBWS2
7. ST. PHILIP AME CHURCH DEDICATES
CARVER COMMONS PROJECT:
-- God Has
Done, is Doing, and Will do, Great Things at St. Philip AME Church in Savannah,
Georgia--
St. Philip
AME Church, where the Rev. Dr. John Foster serves as Senior Pastor, was honored
during the Sixth Episcopal District 2012 Founder’s Day Observance in dedicating
the Carver Commons Project on February 17, 2012. “I am so proud of what God has
done at St. Philip through the leadership of Dr. John Foster and Sis. Mary Ann
Foster”, says retired Bishop Frank Curtis Cummings, who consecrated the Carver
Commons Project during the dedication service (Bishop Cummings presided at
Founders Day due to the recuperation of Bishop William Phillips DeVeaux).
St. Philip
AME Church – located on 613 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd – has undergone a
historic series of facility improvements through the Carver Commons Project.
The enhancements include the following items (1st time in the
churches history):A paved-parking lot which accommodates 150 cars, a garden
marquee area and a courtyard picnic area, which are all located adjacent to the
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor. “The days of parking on grass and
gravel are over at St. Philip on the Boulevard” says Dr. Foster, “We are
overwhelmed by God’s majesty and blessings on us. The blessings are indeed in
the ministries” he said.
The Carver
Commons Project primary focus was the creation of a new building (Carver State
Bank and a grocery store). In order to meet the City of Savannah requirements,
St. Philip entered into a lease arrangement which constituted the new
facilities. A direct result of this agreement was upgrades which provided a
magnanimous uplift to the entire area.
As part of
the dedication service, Bishop Frank Curtis Cummings read, “In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we dedicate the Carver Commons
Project - Parking Lot, the Margaret J. Williams Garden, the Mary Ann Foster
Courtyard, Carver State Bank and Grocery Building - to the praise of Almighty
God. We dedicate the Carver Commons Project to the cause of a greater religious
ministry.”
In addition
to the parking lot the Margaret J. Williams Garden presents a beautiful décor
with a garden area, while the Mary Ann Foster Courtyard provides a
well-manicured picnic area for up to 120 persons. Margaret J. Williams is a
renowned educator in the Savannah community and a Trustee at St. Philip. Mary
Ann Foster is the 1st Lady of St. Philip and the Connectional 1st
Lady of the Connectional Ministers’ Spouses Widows and Widowers Organization
Plus Preachers Kids (Conn-M-SWAWO Plus PKs) for the 2011-2012 term. “These
enhancements will be a blessing to St. Philip AME Church for years to come,”
says Dr. Foster.
“God is
blessing us right here at St. Philip” says Bro. Judge Oliver – Steward Pro Tem
at St. Philip, “The Rev. Foster and Sister Foster have been a ‘sho-nuff’
blessing to us since 2004 and we are very pleased.”
Another
blessing – not formally part of the Carver Commons Project – is the enhancement
of the education center at St. Philip. The church now has a formal conference
room and administrative area consisting of a new pastor’s office and
administrative center. A tour of all facilities was given at the conclusion of
the dedication service. “All who went on the tour were surely pleased” says
Sis. Foster who led the tour.
Congratulations
to St. Philip “On The Boulevard” and “Praise
God From Whom All Blessings Flow!”
The Rev.
Dr. John Foster holds an earned Ph.D. from Stanford University in Electrical
Engineering. He also earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Turner Theology
Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
8. PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ‘THEOLOGY,’ IN
HIS OWN WORDS:
TCR Editor’s Note: The
Christian Recorder does not endorse political candidates. We encourage our
subscribers and those who read The Christian Recorder to read and to
listen to all of the political candidates and make your own decision; but, when
we see and hear political foolishness from candidates, from whatever political
party, we have to say enough is enough! The “Birther” foolishness of
President Obama’s birth certificate and questioning whether President Obama is
a Christian is foolishness. We encourage all candidates to be moral,
ethical and truthful when making political speeches and to hold to the same
principles when they release advertisements.
To balance
what we consider being foolish and unfair political rhetoric we are sharing the
article written by Daniel Burke, Religion News Service writer that appeared in The
Washington Post.
President
Obama’s ‘theology,’ in his own words
By
Daniel Burke| Religion News Service, Updated: Tuesday, February 21,
4:59 PM
In recent
days, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum has criticized President Obama
for having a “phony theology” not based on the Bible, and prominent evangelist
Franklin Graham has said he does not know if Obama is a Christian.
“You have
to ask him. I cannot answer that question for anybody,” Graham said Tuesday
(Feb. 21) on the MSNBC program “Morning Joe.” On the other hand, Graham said
that he believes Santorum is a Christian because “his values are so clear on
moral issues.”
Even as a
significant percentage of Americans falsely believe Obama is Muslim, the
president has spoken of his Christian faith with increasing fervor during his
three years in the White House.
Here’s a
sample, in reverse chronological order, of five of Obama’s most personal
statements on Christianity:
From the
Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Dec. 2, 2011
“More than
2,000 years ago, a child was born to two faithful travelers who could find rest
only in a stable, among the cattle and the sheep. But this was not just any
child. Christ’s birth made the angels rejoice and attracted shepherds and kings
from afar. He was a manifestation of God’s love for us.
“And he
grew up to become a leader with a servant’s heart who taught us a message as
simple as it is powerful: that we should love God, and love our neighbor as
ourselves. That teaching has come to encircle the globe. No matter who we are,
or where we come from, or how we worship, it’s a message that can unite all of
us on this holiday season.”
From an
Easter Prayer Breakfast on April 19, 2011 at the White House
“I wanted
to host this breakfast for a simple reason — because as busy as we are, as many
tasks as pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there’s something
about the resurrection — something about the resurrection of our savior, Jesus
Christ, that puts everything else in perspective.
“We all
live in the hustle and bustle of our work. And everybody in this room has
weighty responsibilities, from leading churches and denominations, to helping
to administer important government programs, to shaping our culture in various
ways. And I admit that my plate has been full as well. The inbox keeps on
accumulating.
“But then
comes Holy Week. The triumph of Palm Sunday. The humility of Jesus washing the
disciples’ feet. His slow march up that hill, and the pain and the scorn and
the shame of the cross. And we’re reminded that in that moment, he took on the
sins of the world — past, present and future — and he extended to us that
unfathomable gift of grace and salvation through his death and resurrection.”
From the
National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 3, 2011
“And like
all of us, my faith journey has had its twists and turns. It hasn’t always been
a straight line. I have thanked God for the joys of parenthood and Michelle’s
willingness to put up with me. In the wake of failures and disappointments I’ve
questioned what God had in store for me and been reminded that God’s plans for
us may not always match our own short-sighted desires.
“And let me
tell you, these past two years, they have deepened my faith. The presidency has
a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray. Abe Lincoln said, as many
of you know, ‘I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming
conviction that I had no place else to go.’”
From an
Easter Prayer Breakfast on April 6, 2010 at the White House
“For even
after the passage of 2,000 years, we can still picture the moment in our mind’s
eye. The young man from Nazareth marched through Jerusalem; object of scorn and
derision and abuse and torture by an empire. The agony of crucifixion amid the
cries of thieves. The discovery, just three days later, that would forever
alter our world — that the Son of Man was not to be found in his tomb and that
Jesus Christ had risen.
“We are
awed by the grace he showed even to those who would have killed him. We are
thankful for the sacrifice he gave for the sins of humanity. And we glory in
the promise of redemption in the resurrection.”
From the
National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 6, 2009
“I was not
raised in a particularly religious household. I had a father who was born a
Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were non-practicing Methodists
and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical of organized religion, even as she
was the kindest, most spiritual person I’ve ever known. She was the one who
taught me as a child to love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I
would want done.
“I didn’t
become a Christian until many years later, when I moved to the South Side of
Chicago after college. It happened not because of indoctrination or a sudden
revelation, but because I spent month after month working with church folks who
simply wanted to help neighbors who were down on their luck — no matter what
they looked like, or where they came from, or who they prayed to. It was on
those streets, in those neighborhoods, that I first heard God’s spirit beckon
me. It was there that I felt called to a higher purpose — His purpose.”
9. A NEW PACKAGE FOR OLD GARBAGE:
*Dr. Joseph
A. Darby
The story
told in the sixth Chapter of the Prophecy of Daniel is instructive in the
current political season. When an exiled Jew named Daniel rises to a position
of political authority in the Persian empire, the jealous racists of his day
seek a way to bring him down and put him in his “place.” When they find that
Daniel is thoroughly trustworthy and can uncover no evidence of scandal,
negligence or corruption to use against him, they finally say, “We won’t find
any fault in Daniel unless we can find something to use against him from his
religious practice.”
GOP
Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum and the “Reverend” Franklin Graham took
pages from that ancient playbook in the week preceding this column. Graham
offered lukewarm acknowledgment of President Barack Obama’s Christianity, while
tactically noting that he had ancestors of Muslim heritage. Mr. Santorum
tepidly noted the President’s Christianity, but also said that the President
embraces a “phony Theology.” Mr. Santorum’s saying so invites an evidence-based
exploration of his own “Theology.”
“Theology”
generally describes how we view the Creator’s work in this world. For
Christians, the way that we practice our Christianity reflects our Theology and
how we answer the contemporary question, “What Would Jesus Do?” By that
standard, Mr. Santorum’s Theology may not be “phony” but is troubling at its
best and scary at its worst.
Jesus
championed the well being of those that he called “the least of these.” Mr.
Santorum has offered positions that are fuzzy at best and that favor the
“haves” over the “have-nots.” Jesus affirmed the worth of and offered aid to
all that He met – even those who were looked down upon by the “righteous”
people of His day. Mr. Santorum has made statements that are demeaningly
prejudicial toward women, openly hostile to those with alternate gender
lifestyles, and has said, “I don’t want to give black people other people’s
money, I want them to make their own money” – a statement that ignores the
reality that most American recipients of public assistance are white.
Jesus said
that we should not judge unless we’re prepared to be judged. Mr. Santorum has judged
the President and those who support him to be on false religious ground, made a
veiled comparison of the President to Adolph Hitler, and judged those who don’t
share or subscribe to his rhetoric to be “a bunch of snobs.” Mr. Santorum has
said and done all of those things while implying that the solution to America’s
ills can be found in his narrow religious views and by allowing the “free
market” – an amoral concept – to be America’s guiding light. Reverend Graham,
who was reluctant to acknowledge the President’s Christianity, said of Mr.
Santorum, “…his values are so clear on moral issues, no question about it … I
think he is, no question, a man of faith.”
The
Theology espoused by Mr. Santorum and Reverend Graham is crystal clear. It’s
the Theology of those who raped the continent of Africa of its resources and
culture in the days of European colonialism under the false and hypocritical
cloak of Christian missionary enterprise. It’s the Theology of those who
kidnapped and dehumanized Africans to work as slaves on America’s plantations,
who tried to justify their deeds by saying that their were making Christians
out of slaves, and who vainly tried to teach those enslaved Africans that it
was God’s will for slaves to obey their masters.
Their
Theology is the Theology of those who sang about the love of Jesus but called
police to arrest African-Americans who dared try to worship in their churches
in the days of legal segregation. It’s the Theology of those who engaged in
rape, lynching, property seizure and other atrocities to keep African-Americans
“in their place” in early 20th Century America while calling themselves the
“Christian” Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
Mr.
Santorum and Reverend Graham seek to claim moral high ground, but what Jesus
said 2,000 years ago is still true – our authentic religion is evident in the
fruit that we bear and in the way that we treat our neighbors. By that
standard, the Theology of Mr. Santorum and Mr. Graham is a mean and perverse
abomination well described by a song of my ancestors in the faith – “Everybody
talkin’ ‘bout heaven ain’t goin’ there!
*Dr. Joseph
A. Darby is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina
10. A LETTER TO YOUNG ADULTS BY THE
REVEREND DR. HARRY L. SEAWRIGHT:
Dear Young
Adults,
I recently
read an article that presented grave statistics for young adults' participation
in old-line religious denominations. That article caused me to think about the
church I feel called by God to serve. Although I am uncertain about the stats for
the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), I do have a heart for youth and
young adults. However, in this letter, I will focus on young adults.
Growing up
in my home church in South Carolina, young adults were welcomed to serve. From
the age of 18 until I accepted God's call to ministry at age 20, I served as
Chairman of the Trustee Board and President of the local Lay Organization. This
made a positively lasting impression on me.
At all my
pastoral assignments, I involved young adults. I believed then (and now) that
young adults have natural God-given gifts and formal training from which the
church can benefit. Their creative energy allows them to attempt what other
groups dare not try. At Union Bethel, I partnered young adults with persons in
leadership positions, appointing them as Stewards, Stewardesses and ministry
heads and nominating them as Trustees. In the latter category, many young
adults served on Trustee Board #2; but eventually their dedication landed them
on Trustee Board #1. The task of matching young adults with gifts and mentors
is not difficult, but it does take time. Doing so has been a key part of my
ministry.
At Union
Bethel, Brandywine and Temple Hills, Maryland, young adults are active in our
ministries. We teach them that their personal experiences and professions are
not accidents or coincidence; God can use them to enhance the church. For
example, accountants are a part of the finance ministry. Our HIV/AIDS Ministry
was created by a member who had regular contact with persons infected and
affected by the virus—an HIV nurse now coordinates the ministry. A nurse
founded the Medical Wellness Ministry. An attorney made his legal expertise
available. Professional drivers started the Transportation Ministry, and a
military veteran pilot developed the Aviation Ministry. I also encouraged
several young adults to start their own businesses. Several Union Bethel
members became entrepreneurs in photography, landscaping, Information
Technology, clothing, catering, meat processing and a cleaning business.
I believe
the AME Church has the platform from which young adults can develop a strong
relationship with Christ. According to our Zion's vision "At every level
of the Connection and in every local church, the AME Church shall engage in
carrying out the spirit of the original Free African Society, out of which the
AME Church evolved: that is, to seek out and save the lost, and to serve the
needy. It is also the duty of the Church to continue to encourage all members
to become involved in all aspects of church training." Young adults please
know that you do play a vital role in helping our church realize our vision.
*The
Reverend Dr. Harry L. Seawright is a candidate for Episcopal Service and is the
pastor of Union Bethel AME Church in Brandywine & Temple Hills, Maryland
11. LENT:
What is Lent and why does it last forty days?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Lent is a time of repentance, fasting
and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection.
In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism.
Lent is a
season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and
ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten,
which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus
spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan.
Lent is a
time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a
time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a
time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on
their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to
volunteer and give of themselves for others. Sundays in Lent are not
counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a
"mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful
anticipation of the Resurrection.
**Article written by
the Rev. Penny Ford the pastor of
a small UMC church in Carrollton, Alabama. Used with permission form the
UMNS
12.
MEDITATION ~BASED ON LUKE 9:18-23:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the
Lenten season, when we reflect on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and consider
what and how we should sacrifice to give thanks for God’s grace.
One of my former co-workers always piously
announced to the office that he was giving up smoking for Lent. New
employees were impressed, but veteran employees weren’t surprised - we knew
that he didn’t smoke, so he wasn’t really giving anything up. Another
co-worker gave up sweets annually, reminded us daily of her sacrifice, and
counted the days until she could have an entire German Chocolate Cake for
Easter Sunday dessert!
Those humorous examples of misplaced Lenten
sacrifice are instructive as we enter another Lenten season. Giving up
destructive habits is commendable, but resuming those habits after Lent ends
does us little good. The Lenten season is most meaningful when we opt not
for symbolic, short term sacrifice, but prayerfully make meaningful sacrificial
choices that lead to enduring change, sacrifices that aren’t necessarily what
many consider to be “sins of the flesh.”
The
Lenten season offers a good opportunity to give up a little time each day to
pray with new regularity or to read and study God’s Word or to go beyond Sunday
worship to explore and get involved in the weekday ministries of the
church. The Lenten season is a good time to reflect daily on our
blessings and consider ways and means that we can more actively live our faith
and a good time for busy people to carve out daily “family time” to talk with
and listen to each other.
Consider those alternatives and make Lenten
sacrifices that lead to changes that last beyond Easter Sunday. You can
then find new direction, new spiritual strength and a new appreciation for why
Jesus said in Luke’s Gospel that those who follow him must carry their crosses
not annually, but daily.
Get Ready for Sunday --
Join us for Worship at 10 am on the Fourth
Sunday in February, when we’ll also celebrate NAACP Sunday. The Combined
Choir, Mime Ministry and Young Adult Choir will offer praise and Charleston NAACP
President Dot School will bring the NAACP Day Message.
Sunday’s Scripture Lessons are:
Amos 5:18-24
Ephesians 6:10-20
Matthew
25:31-40
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby, Pastor of
Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina
13. THE DEATH OF THE
REV. DR. GEORGE L. BLACKWELL, RETIRED GENERAL SECRETARY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
OF THE AMEZ CHURCH:
We
are saddened to announce the death of the Rev. Dr. George L. Blackwell, retired
General Officer of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church, who
served as the General Secretary of Christian Education.
Let
us keep the Blackwell family in our prayers.
The
wake will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, February 24, 2012
Manson
Mortuary,
415
Washington Street
Williamston, North Carolina 27892
Office
phone: 252-792-4390
FAX:
252-792-1370.
The
homegoing celebration will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday,
February 25, 2012 at Cedar Hill Baptist Church, 2131 Rodgers School Road, Williamston, North Carolina, 27892. The Rev. Roy Gray is
pastor and his telephone number is 252-792-6544.
**Submitted
by Dr. Mary Love, Editor, AMEZ Department of Church School Literature
14. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
We announce
with regret the passing of Sister Rosa Hayesworth, the mother of the Rev.
Randolph Jackson, and mother-in-law of the Rev. Tonya Jackson. The Rev.
Randolph Jackson is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Lewisville, Texas.
Homegoing
Celebration:
Friday, February
24, 2012 - 11:00 a.m.
Bible Way
Church
Chief
Apostle Huie L. Rogers, Presiding Bishop
1100 New
Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington,
D.C. 20001
Condolences
can be sent to:
Bishop
Frank W. Jackson & Family
3000 M.
Place S.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20019
Phone:
(202) 582-6551
Or
The Rev.
Randolph and the Rev. Tonya Jackson & Family
5015
Courtside Drive, #188
Irving,
Texas 75038
Home
Telephone: (972) 659-0557
Cell: (469)
337-2475
Email: vogrjackson@gmail.com
15. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
We regret
to inform you of the passing of Mr. Selmer McCollins, the brother of the
Reverend Gregory McCollins, pastor of Wrights Chapel AME Church, Arlington,
Tennessee. Mr. Selmer McCollins a member of New Allen AME Church, Memphis,
Tennessee passed away suddenly, on Saturday Evening, February 18, 2012.
Services
for Brother Selmer McCollins:
Wake:
Friday, February 24, 2012, Time: 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Joe Ford
Mortuary
1616
Winchester Road
Memphis,
Tennessee 38116
Phone: (901) 345-6075
Fax: (901)
345-6077
Funeral:
Saturday, February 25, 2012, Time: 11:00 am
Morningview
Baptist Church
1626
Carnegie Street
Memphis,
Tennessee 38106
Telephone:
(901) 942-2013
The Rev.
Alvin Flemings, Pastor
Expressions
of condolence may be sent to Joe Ford Mortuary (address above):
The
Reverend Gregory McCollins, pastor
Wrights
Chapel AME Church
4594
Brunswick Road
Arlington,
Tennessee 38002
And to:
The family
of Mr. Selmer McCollins
c/o New
Allen AME Church
1559 South
Third St.
Memphis,
Tennessee 38106
The Rev.
Agnes M. Henderson, Pastor
16. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
We regret
to inform you of the passing on February 17, 2012 of Brother Thomas Stewart,
the husband of the Rev. Rose Stewart, pastor of Warren Chapel AMEC, Fremont,
Ohio.
The service
is as follows:
Memorial
Service:
Saturday,
February 25, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Payne
Memorial AME Church
209 South
King Road
Holland,
Ohio 43528
The Rev.
Charlotte Evans, Eulogist
Pastor
Regena Mangrum, Officiant
Condolences
and expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
The Stewart
Family
135 Carol
Lane
Toledo,
Ohio 43615
Cell Phone:
(419) 343-3104
Home
Phone: (419) 531-6557
Email
Address: Revrose135@yahoo.com
Final
Arrangements have been entrusted to:
Tate
Funeral Services
3302
Lagrange Avenue
Toledo,
Ohio 43608
Phone:
(419) 254-9307
17. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
We regret
to inform you of the passing on February 20, 2012 of Mr. Leon Felder, of
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Brother Felder was a very active member of Greater
Second Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee where the Rev. Steve Caudle is
the pastor.
Brother
Leon Felder is the brother of the Rev. Nigal D. Felder and brother-in-law to
the Rev. Lindoria B. Felder of Embry Chapel AMEC, Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
The
Celebration of Life for Brother Leon Felder is as follows:
Wake and
Family Time:
Friday, February
24, 2012 at 6:00-8:00 p.m.:
Greater
Second Baptist Missionary Church
810
Shallowford Road
Chattanooga,
Tennessee 37411
The Rev.
Steve Caudle, Pastor
Phone:
(423) 629-6248
Homegoing
Service:
Saturday,
February 25, 2012 at 12:00 Noon:
Greater
Second Baptist Missionary Church
810
Shallowford Road
Chattanooga,
Tennessee 37411
Condolences
and expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs.
Christine W. Felder, Mother
1108 Line
Street
Chattanooga,
Tennessee 37404
Or to:
The Rev.
Nigal D. and the Rev. Lindoria B. Felder
211
Marksfield Circle #4
Louisville,
Kentucky 40211
Email: dwaynenikinelle@aol.com
18. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
Sadly we announce
the death of Brother Carthy B. Morgan, father of retired Itinerant Elder Annie
P. Morgan of the 5th Episcopal District, Midwest Conference.
Brother
Morgan was a member of the Mt. Olive African Methodist Church, North Memphis
District of the West Tennessee Conference, 13th Episcopal District,
for 73 years. During his life he served as a Steward and as Pro-Tem of the
Trustee Board.
Brother
Morgan or "Buck" as he was known to his friends and family loved his
church and did everything in his power to make sure that the church stood
strong financially, as well as structurally. He did most of the repairs
himself. Brother Buck served faithfully until his health failed. He wanted to
be at the church’s Centennial celebration in June, but God had a different
plan.
In lieu of
flowers please send all donations to the “Mt. Olive AME Church Centennial
Celebration” C/O Dorothy McFarland, 828 Archie Street, Memphis, TN 38127.
Arrangements
for Brother Carthy Morgan:
Wake:
Tuesday February 28, 2012, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Jefferson
Mortuary
7788 Church
Street
Millington,
Tennessee 38053
Phone:
(901) 872-8800
Fax: (901)
872-4722
Email: jeffersonmortuary@yahoo.com
Homegoing
Service:
Wednesday
February 29, 2012, 11:00am
Mount Olive
AME Church
8803 Wells
Road
Millington,
Tennessee 38053
Interment:
Memphis National Cemetery
Condolences
and expressions of Sympathy may be faxed to:
Jefferson
Mortuary, Fax: 901-872-4722; or the Rev. Annie Morgan, Fax: 913-371-2845
Or
expressions of sympathy may be emailed via: revmorgan47@msn.com
19. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
We regret
to inform you of the passing of the Rev. Voyrd E. Paden, who served as a Local
Elder for over 30 years at Ebenezer AMEC in Rahway, New Jersey.
The
following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing and
Funeral - Friday, February 24, 2012:
Viewing:
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral:
11:00 a.m.
Ebenezer
AME Church
253 Central
Avenue
Rahway, NJ
07065
Telephone:
732-382-0541
Fax:
732-587-6178
Email: Office@EbenezerAMEChurch.com
The Rev.
Erika Crawford, pastor
Condolences
may be faxed or email to the church:
The family
of the Rev. Voyrd E. Paden
C/o
Ebenezer AME Church
253 Central
Avenue
Rahway, NJ
07065
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
We are in
bereavement with our Missionary sister, Mrs. Mamie Hamler, in the loss of her
sister, Mrs. Lula Madison Poe, on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Mrs. Hamler is the President of the East
Tennessee Conference Branch Women's Missionary Society and a steward of St.
Paul AME Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee where the Rev. Kenneth Love serves as
pastor.
Services
for Mrs. Lula Madison Poe:
The Mass of
Christian Burial/Homegoing Celebration)
Monday,
February 27, 2012 at 11:00 a.m.
Seven
Delors Catholic Church
731 Pierre
Manhattan,
Kansas 66502
Father Joe
Popelka, officiating
Telephone:
785-565-5000
Fax:
785-565-5003
Graveside
Service at 1:00 p.m.
Kansas
Veteran Cemetery
Services
entrusted to:
Irvine-Parkview
Funeral Home
1317 Poyntz
Avenue
Manhattan,
Kansas 66502
Telephone:
785-537-2110
Fax:
785-537-2535
Expressions
of sympathy may be sent to the family of Mrs. Lula Madison Poe, funeral home
& church addresses above.
Online
condolences may be sent to the family of Mrs. Lula Madison Poe
Or emailed
to Mrs. Mamie Hamler: mamiehamler@comcast.net
21. 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
22. 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.
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
22. 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.
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