The
Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The
Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
1. TCR EDITORIAL – A JOYFUL
HOMEGOING CELEBRATION FOR THE REV. DR. ANDERSON TODD, JR.:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor
of The Christian Recorder
The Homegoing
Celebration of the Life for the Reverend Dr. Anderson Todd, Jr. was held at St.
John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday,
August 2, 2014 at 12 Noon. The Rev.
James E. Arnell, the pastor of St. John was the worship leader.
The Right Rev.
James L. Davis, Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District, was
traveling overseas. The Rev. Albert L. Hyche is the Presiding Elder of the
Montgomery-Selma District.
The Right Reverend
Philip R. Cousin, Sr., retired Senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, delivered a stirring eulogy that comforted the family and helped
the parishioners attending the service to have a deeper appreciation of Dr.
Todd’s ministry and an appreciation of Anderson Todd, Jr. as husband, father,
grandfather, uncle and “man of God.”
Bishop Philip R. Cousin, in his eulogy, likened Dr. Anderson Todd, Jr. to
the salt of the earth.
The Homegoing
Service was held at beautiful St. John AME Church and there was not an empty
seat; the sanctuary was full.
Family friends and
acquaintances from Episcopal Districts across the United States attended the
Celebration of the Life Service. Bishops, general officers, connectional
officers, presiding elders, pastors and laity gathered to honor Dr. Todd’s
ministry and work.
It was obvious that
Dr. Todd was a dedicated and
capable clergyman, but it was also evident that he was a man who was dedicated
to his family, to young people and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
His daughter,
Denise Todd Cottrell, said her father was committed to his family. She said, “Daddy loved my mother and his
children and he doted over his grandchildren. As we were growing up, he was a
stern disciplinarian, but he mellowed as he got older. Our mother used to say, ‘I am going to tell
your dad’ and that stopped any misbehavior.”
“Sometimes he appeared gruff, but he was always kind and loving,” she
said. Cottrell went on to say that her dad loved the AME Church and was a
statesman for the Ninth Episcopal District. He especially loved mentoring young
ministers.
The Reverend James
E. Arnell, pastor of St. John, was the chief celebrant and Dr. Joel
Jones served as the minister of music.
The Prayer of
Comfort was given by the Rev. Farrell Duncombe and the scripture lessons were
read by the Rev. Michael A. Todd, Sr., son of Dr. Todd; the Reverend Oliver
Allen; and Mr. James C. Bonner, Jr., President of the
Ninth Episcopal District Lay.
Ms. Fronzena W.
Webster and Mrs. Cherrye B. Todd sang solos. Mr. Winfred Nicholas, minister of
music at St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church-Avondale, Birmingham,
Alabama, accompanied Mrs. Cherrye Todd.
Reflections were
given by the Rev. Dr. Jerome V. Harris, Executive Director of Annuities
Investments and Insurance; the Rev. James E. Arnell; and Mr. Anderson Todd III,
son of Dr. Todd.
The celebration
ended with the singing of Andrae Crouch’s version of “Let the Church Say Amen”
The Trustees &
Stewards of St. John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church served as the
pallbearers.
His
life
The Rev. Dr.
Anderson Todd Junior was born in Birmingham, Alabama on May 28, 1929 to
the late Anderson and Annie Bell Murphy Todd.
Dr. Todd was
educated in the public school systems of Birmingham and received his Bachelor
of Theology degree from Daniel Payne College.
Dr. Todd was a
member of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church (Avondale) in Birmingham,
Alabama when he accepted “the call” to preach the Gospel of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. He was admitted to the North Alabama Annual Conference in 1956
and was ordained an Itinerant Elder by Bishop Carey A. Gibbs in 1959. His first
pastoral appointment was to Gaines Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Birmingham, Alabama in 1958
where he served for seven years. Dr. Todd was appointed to Greater St. Paul
African Methodist Episcopal Church in Florence, Alabama where he served for
over nine years. While at
greater St. Paul the Lord blessed his ministry as he led the congregation in
relocating to a new sanctuary and purchasing a parsonage.
In 1974, Bishop
Vinton R. Anderson (deceased)
appointed Dr. Todd to St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Montgomery. He served the congregation for 16½ years. His leadership and
dedication allowed the congregation to grow spiritually, physically,
numerically and financially. During those years, a new concept of stewardship
via tithing was implemented, the physical plant of the church was expanded, the
property adjacent to the sanctuary was purchased, extensive renovations were
made to the sanctuary and the parsonage was converted to the church annex. He oversaw the expansion of the Youth
Department of the church and the Good Samaritan Ministry Organization. Dr. Todd
also helped the congregation to grow spiritually as they grew in numbers.
While a member of
the North Alabama Conference Dr. Todd served as Treasurer of the Conference. He
also served as the accountant for the Ninth Episcopal District, was a member of
the Board of Directors of Daniel Payne College and served three terms on the
Episcopal Committee of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and as Vice-Chair
of the Commission of the Pension Department of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church.
In 1990, Dr. Todd
was elected to serve as a General Officer in the African Methodist Episcopal
Church in the position of Director of the Department of Ministerial Annuities.
He served ably and admirably in this position for 14 years. When he began his
tenure, the pension plan had 13 million dollars. Under his leadership, it grew
to 47 million dollars.
Early in his
ministry, Dr. Todd was the first African American appointed to the Florence
City Board of Education, serving terms as Vice-Chair and Chair. Dr. Todd’s
contributions in the community and the church afforded him recognition from the
House of Representatives of the State of Alabama, the City and County of
Montgomery, and the NAACP. He was recognized by that body for distinguished
service in 1974.
On November 27,
1964, Dr. Todd married Ms. Verla L. Marks. They would have celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary in November.
Dr. Todd
transitioned this life’s journey on Saturday, July 26, 2014, at South Haven
Health and Rehabilitation Center in Montgomery, Alabama.
A
testament of his ministry
Several Bishops and
General Officers who did not have an opportunity to speak at the Homegoing
celebration wanted to share their reflections about the Reverend Dr. Anderson
Todd, Jr. in the order received.
--
Bishop A. J. Richardson, Presiding Prelate of the 11th Episcopal
District
There
is no way, in my opinion, that anyone could have a legitimate beef with
Anderson Todd. He was gentlemanly, down to earth, conscientious about his work,
and serious about his faith. He had an enormous capacity for good humor,
especially with his seeming endless repertoire of stories about former presiding
bishops, presiding elders, and pastors in his beloved Alabama. Our gracious God
blessed him with a long and fruitful life. I am grateful for his service and
gift to African Methodism and consider my wife and me to have been among his
friends.
--
Dr. George F. Flowers, Executive Director of Global Witness and Ministry
Dr.
Anderson Todd, served the African Methodist Episcopal Church on many levels,
but his distinguished service record as Secretary-Treasurer of Pensions was
appreciated by many clergy and their families. He will be remembered for his
steadfastness to Christ and the church!
--
Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Executive Secretary, AMEC Sunday School Union
Dr.
Anderson Todd, Jr. was committed to insuring that ministers had the opportunity
to have a retirement income on par other denominations. He loved the ministry and cared for the
clergy and their families. His
commitment to clergy and their families was a blessing to the African Methodist
Episcopal Church.
--
Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Presiding Prelate of the 17th Episcopal
district and AMEC Endorsing Agent
Dr.
Todd had a genuine interest in the well being of pastor's and their families.
Constantly he reminded and admonished us to prepare for our and our families
futures. I thank God for his commitment and dedication to the well being of the
foot soldiers in our Zion. He has earned the reward of the faithful.
--
Dr. Jerome V. Harris, Executive Director, AMEC Retirement Services
Having
been lifelong member of St. John’s AME Church in Montgomery, Alabama; I was
privileged to know Dr. Anderson Todd, Jr. for many years, both as my pastor and
as my personal friend. He was a devoted servant of God that stood tall in
physical statue, but he stood even taller in the eyes of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church. Because of his influence throughout the church, as well as
his vast knowledge of the “inner workings” of the church, he was sought out by
many in the church leadership to be a wise advisor and a trusted confidant.
Over
the nearly 30 years of my ministry during which I was honored to serve seven
(7) churches as a pastor, Dr. Todd was always available to me as a caring
counselor and a much appreciated mentor. Ours was truly a friendship nurtured
by mutual admiration and respect one for another.
Upon
his retirement as a General Officer in the year 2000, it was largely because of
that friendship and his recommendation that I was chosen to be his successor
and was elected a General Officer and the seventh Executive Director of the department
in which I am now privileged to serve.
I
will forever remember Dr. Anderson Todd, Jr. and the positive impact that he
had on my life and my ministry.
And
as I write these few words, I am humorously reminded of the words of a favorite
expression that he would so often use: “I don’t make the news, I just report
it.”
Well
done thou good and faithful servant. Rest in Peace.
--
Bishop John R. Bryant, Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District /AMEC
Senior Bishop
It
was my pleasure to serve as Chair of Dr Todd's Commission for a Quadrennium,
and during that time I grew to appreciate what a gift he was to the
Connectional Church. He grew our fund from $40 million to over $70 million. He
did his job in a professional manner, and his financial ministry proved to be a
blessing to our entire Church.
--
Paulette Coleman, Ph.D., Retired General Officer
Dr.
Anderson Todd and I had offices that were down the hall from each other in the
Sunday School Union building. He was always encouraging and freely shared his
wit and wisdom.
Jamye
Coleman Williams, Ph. D. Retired General Officer
Sitting
quietly and sorrowfully in the celebration of the life of my General Officer
colleague and friend, I was comforted by Bishop Philip R. Cousin’s eulogy in
which he likened Dr. Anderson Todd, Jr. to the salt of the earth. The Anderson Todd I knew for a quarter of a
century impressed me as a Christian gentleman of unquestioned integrity, a
devoted family man, a loyal friend. His
memory is entrenched in African Methodist history because of his devoted
service as a successful pastor and his ministry beyond the walls. Although we are separated from him
physically, he will be with us in our memories as one who enriched our lives.
Dr.
Todd’s family legacy:
He leaves to cherish his
precious memories; a loving, caring, devoted, and faithful wife, Mrs. Verla L.
Todd; five dedicated children: Anderson Todd III (Cherrye), Senora Lockett
(Joe), the Rev. Michael A. Todd, Sr. (Lorena); Selina G. Todd, all of
Birmingham, AL., and Verla Denise Cottrell (Curtis) of Nashville, Tennessee; spiritual son and
daughter: Ira Simmons and Joyce Simmons, Montgomery AL; five grandchildren:
Elena White (Kori) Birmingham, AL., Michael A. Todd, Jr. (Elida) Fayetteville,
NC., Anderson Todd IV (Stephanie) Charlotte, NC., Angela Williams, and Marlon
Todd, all of Birmingham; fourteen great grandchildren: Olivia White, Noah
White, Jonah White, Anderson Todd V, Greyson Todd, Zion Williams, Josiah Williams,
Sage Williams, Salah Williams, Zayla Knight, Karrington Todd, Michilie Todd,
Mykayla Todd, TaMarla Todd; niece: Malinda Todd, Chicago, IL, and a host of
extended family members and friends.
*TCR Editorial
– The Most Violated Commandment, Part
2 will be continued in the
next issue.
2.
PLAN TO ATTEND CONVO XVI ON NOVEMBER 17-18, 2014 - NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE:
Hotel:
Renaissance
Nashville Hotel
611 Commerce Street
Nashville, TN 37203
Group Rate:
169/night (Single/Double Occupancy)
Reservations:
Call (877) 901-6632
and reference the AME Church Rook Block.
Online reservations
can be made using the following link: Renaissance Hotel Online Reservation
The General
Conference Commission will start at 12 noon on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 and
end at Noon on Wednesday, November 19, 2014.
The WMS Quadrennial
Planning Committee will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 19, 2014.
-- The deadline to
make your reservation is October 15, 2014.
After that date the group rate can no longer be guaranteed.
3.
THE MCAM ATTEMPTING TO GET RADIO PLAY FOR ITS CD ACROSS THE COUNTRY:
The Music and
Christian Art Ministry (MCAM) recently released the historic first connectional
AME Mass Choir recording titled AME LIVE.
Please help MCAM
promote the CD by calling your local radio station and requesting them to play
the single release from the CD entitled, "Nobody like Our God"
featuring Myron Butler and International AME Church Mass Choir. The CD is available for your personal
listening pleasure via iTunes, Amazon.com,
Spotify and CD Baby.
Submitted by the
Rev. Anthony B. Vinson, Sr, Director
Music and Christian
Arts Ministry, AMEC
4.
THE CANADIAN ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
*Mr. George
Stephen
The 131st
Session of the Canadian Annual Conference was held in Windsor, Ontario August
7-10, 2014.
The Annual
Conference was hosted by Bethlehem Fellowship AME Church, the Rev. Larry Wilson
Jr., pastor; and Price Memorial AME Church, the Rev. Tracy Thomas pastor and
Presiding Elder.
Bishop John Richard
Bryant, Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District and Senior
Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church presided over the Conference
and greeted clergy and laity as he opened the session.
The conference was
organized with the appointing of the conference secretaries and marshals and
the finance and judiciary committees were put in place. The Rev. Cory Millben from Grant AME Church
in Toronto, Ontario addressed a piece of the new legislation that came from the
Canada Revenue Agency that affects the structure of the AME Church in
Canada. He went on to say that the physical
property of the church is to be treated as a non-profit entity and the local
church has to have its own Board of Directors, which must be made up lay
persons, no clergy.
The Bishop in his
address to the conference mentioned that the headquarters building of the
Fourth District office has been restored. During the Bishop’s overview of
upcoming events, he stated that the Fourth District Christian Education
Congress will not be held in 2015 due to the convening of the WMS Quadrennial. Bishop Bryant also said that we must pray
that God will raise up preachers with zeal.
He then spoke of the growth of the AME Church in India, which now has
105 churches.
Bishop Bryant
introduced the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams - Bryant the Senior Episcopal
Supervisor of the AME Church, who told us that the next Quadrennial will be
held in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2015. The Rev. "C" explained to us
in detail, what she is expecting from the Canadian Conference.
The speaker of the
“Hour of Power” was the Rev. Wayne Anthony Lewis from The Word Incorporated AME
Church in Malton, Ontario. The Rev.
Lewis gave a powerful word and moving sermon about trusting God, putting your
faith in God and not leaning on your own knowledge.
The reports from
the local churches were held following lunch.
The preacher for
the opening worship service was the Rev. Randolph Phillips from Robinson AME
Church in Montreal, Ontario, who preached on the topic, “How Thirsty are you?”
taken from John 4:14, based on the account of the “Woman at the Well.”
The WMS held a
fundraising walk-a-thon in support of Marissa Alexander, to assist with her
defence and legal fees prior to the start of the Friday morning session.
The Conference
Trustee Board met to deal with some of the topics at hand and we heard from the
Board of Examiners.
Brother Tommy
Wilson of Bethlehem Fellowship in Windsor, Ontario was presented to the
Conference to be considered for his second year and to be ordained a Deacon at
the Saturday Ordination Service. The Rev. Canute Davis was moved on to the 4th
Year Studies.
Friday’s noontime
"Hour of Power" was led by the Women In Ministry (WIM). The Rev.
Celia James from Robinson AME Church delivered a moving and powerful sermon.
Following the lunch
break we continued with reports. Bishop Bryant gave a brief report on Camp
Baber and encouraged church members and their families to make use of the
camp. The Rev Brian Warren reported on
the State of the Nation and the Rev. Denise Johnson reported on the State of
the Church.
Following the
reports the Bishop asked the Disciplinary Questions. Bishop Bryant directed all
the ministers who did not have an organized Lay Organization or Missionary
Society to return to their respective churches and see that they are established.
Friday evening Lay
Night service under the direction of Conference President, Sister Wendy St Cyr
was powerful and the Spirit was high.
We were blessed by
the music ministries from Robinson AME Church and the "Men of Praise"
from Grant AME Church in Toronto, Ontario.
The Rev Canute Davis ministered for the service and was recognized by
the Bishop for his willingness to serve and gifted ability to play the
piano. The speaker was The Rev. Cory
Millben from Grant AME Church who delivered an inspiring and moving sermon
entitled, "This is what I want."
The scripture was taken from Mark 10:46-52. He said when Jesus asked the
blind man, "What do you want me to do," the blind man said "Give
me vision." It is the vision of the
AME Church to get the Word of God to the people to fulfill the Commission of
Jesus Christ.
Raishaun Provo from
Grant AME Church in Toronto received a scholarship of $1000 from the Canadian
Conference Lay Organization Scholarship fund.
He sent a letter to the CCLO stating his appreciation, and thanks for
the scholarship. Nyah Hernandez from Grant AME Church also received a
scholarship of $1000 from the CCLO Scholarship fund and an additional $1000
from the 4th District Lay Scholarship Fund. The Fourth District Lay organization
President Sister Marge White presented the award. Nyah Hernandez offered words
of thanks and appreciation.
The WMS and YPD
Conventions were held Saturday morning at the same time as the Memorial Service
and Ordination.
The Memorial
Service was conducted by the Rev. Alcott Germany. The following dedicated
servants were memorialized: Bishop Vinton R. Anderson, Bishop Sarah Francis
Jackson Davis, General officer the Rev. Dr. Anderson Todd, and Episcopal
Supervisor Vida Bright.
The speaker for the
Ordination Service was the Rev. Lila Martin from the Michigan Conference. Her
text was from Matthew 10:16, and II Timothy 1:5. She spoke on the topic,
"À Charge to Keep I Have Even among Wolves." The Rev. Martin
expressed the thought of whatever you do and wherever you go, you must remember
that to be a minister is the highest calling.
On the afternoon of
Saturday August 9th, the Lay Organization met for their business meeting. The
Fourth District Lay President Madge White addressed the meeting and gave
remarks.
Daniel Brown,
President of the Canadian Conference YPD did an excellent job of presiding over
the Youth Night program. Bishop Bryant offered words of encouragement. The
young people from Montreal presented a skit and ministered through dance. Amara
Phillips delivered a powerful message to the youth. Shayne Lord from Grant
Church ministered with a piano selection. The youth from Bethlehem Fellowship
AME Church gave a presentation and Bible challenge and Ciara and Mariah Travis
from Campbell AME sang a duet. We then closed with the benediction.
Sunday August 10th
the closing worship service was held.
The letters that had been written by the WMS and others to the United
Nations in support of the return of the young girls taken captive in Nigeria
several months ago were blessed. Bishop
Bryant preached the closing message saying that when God is with you, God will
protect you. Jesus knows His intention for you, and it’s always greater then
our own intention for us.
Following the
offering by the finance committee, the Resolutions were read by the Rev. Alcott
Germany.
A summary of
statistics for the nine churches in the Canadian Conference were read.
Prior to the
reading of the appointments, the hymn, "Go preach my gospel" was
sung.
Bishop Bryant read
the appointments returning the Rev. Tracey Thomas as Presiding Elder for the
Conference year 2014 -2015. All pastors
were returned to their respective charges.
The service closed
with the benediction.
Mr. George Stephen
was a delegate to the Canadian Annual Conference
5.
RETIRED TEACHER, AN AME, HONORED AS CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY'S OLDEST ALUMNUS:
October 20, 2013
101-year old Vivien
Vance Cherry graduated from Cheyney in 1960. CUNAA honored her with an award as
CU's oldest alumnus at the President's Legacy Brunch on Sunday to conclude
Homecoming Week.
Vivien Vance Cherry
was honored by the Cheyney University National Alumni Association (CUNAA)
Sunday, October 20, for being the University’s oldest living alumnus. The
longtime Ardmore, PA native with a magnetic personality was unable to accept
the award in person but her nephew, Television Anchor Jim Vance, who graduated
from Cheyney in 1964, accepted on her behalf. He and his cousin, Cheyney
University Chief of Staff and Deputy to the President Sheilah Vance, have set
up a scholarship in their aunt's name to benefit Cheyney students.
“I feel very
fortunate to have reached this stage of the game,” the centenarian admitted,
when contacted by phone. "And I'm honored that Cheyney has given me this
award."
Looking back over
the years, Cherry has quite a story to tell. After graduating from Lower Merion
High School in 1929, she enrolled in West Chester State Teacher’s College
(known now as West Chester University) to pursue a teaching degree.
Unfortunately, she had to drop out of college after a year because of the Great
Depression.
“No one could
afford college back then,” she recalls, especially an African American family
with so many children. She pursued a number of jobs after dropping out of
school, eventually settling in as a clerk for the U. S. government.
Then, in 1956, at
the age of 42, the wife and mother of two decided to fulfill her lifelong dream
of becoming a teacher. Instead of resuming her education at West Chester, she
decided to apply to Cheyney.
"I called the
Admissions Office and asked them if they would accept someone as old as
me," she recalls. Cheyney accepted all of her credits and Cherry spent the
next four years commuting back and forth from the Main Line to complete her
degree at America’s first institution for higher education for African
Americans. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Cherry
insists.
She went on to
become Upper Merion School District's first African American teacher. “I wanted
to help kids learn how to be better in the world,” she says, and that is
exactly what she did. Always upbeat and positive, Cherry taught for 18 years at
Candle Brook Elementary School in Upper Merion Township under Principal Shirley
Fine and Critic Teacher Carol Aaron, both of whom told the superintendent of
schools that Cherry was the best teacher in the building. Cherry retired from
teaching in 1977.
She has spent her
time since doing civic duties in her community, attending Bethel AME Church in
Ardmore where she was honored as Woman of the Year, cooking, knitting and
enjoying her family and friends.
On November 8,
Cherry will celebrate her 102nd birthday with her two surviving siblings—her 87
year old sister, with whom she lives, and her baby brother who is 80.
Funeral details:
Saturday, September
13, 2014;
Viewing from 9 a.m.
to 11 a.m.
Service at 11 a.m.
Bethel AME Church,
163 Sheldon Lane,
Ardmore, PA 19003
Cheyney University
National Alumni Association, Inc.
6.
LIFE MAY NOT SEEM FAIR, BUT GOD IS ALWAYS THERE - A PERUVIAN ADVENTURE:
*Jaevon Williams
This summer, I was
fortunate enough to be able to spend a few weeks in Peru to do lots of
community service projects and experience some of the Peruvian lifestyles. The
trip was definitely an eye-opening adventure.
I, along with 16
other students and 4 leaders, made our first stop in Iquitos for the first 8
days of this journey. Iquitos is a large city in Peru topped with an immense
amount of poverty. While in Iquitos, some of the service projects we embarked
on included bringing food and basic essential supplies / household items for
families in need, spending time at an all-girls orphanage, and we even bought a
house for a family.
One night we slept
in the slums of Bélen, one of the most impoverished and dangerous cities in
Iquitos, to fully experience how the Peruvians slept and lived.
The opportunity to
witness and experience with my very own eyes the way the poor lived in a
"third world country" was an experience I will never forget. That
night was extremely difficult for me in that cockroaches were climbing up the
walls, vicious hungry dogs were attacking the house the entire night and just
the fear of being in a very dangerous section of Peru constantly ran through my
mind. I realized that I had to dig deep within myself and pray that God would
protect me and allow me to make it through the night. I had the faith to know
that he would keep me out of harms' way and having that faith alone took all
the worry and fear out of me to make it through the night.
Once the night was
over and we were gathering our belongings and saying our goodbyes to the
families that allowed us to stay in their home, I realized just how blessed I
was. The one-night stay in the Bélen
home was just an “adventure” that I had to endure for only one night. Many
Peruvians live that life everyday with rarely any way to escape the poverty and
deprivation.
Those generous and
kind people did not choose their life-style, but they are doing the best to
survive and to provide for themselves and their families every single day. Life
may not seem fair, but God is always there; ensuring that those people might
see another day. Of course they have struggles beyond the capacity of our
imagination but they remain positive and know they can do something about their
lives, rather than mope around waiting for foreigners to give them a helping
hand. I admired the drive and determination of the Peruvians.
After leaving
Iquitos, we were able to do more of the adventurous activities of the trip. We
swam in the Amazon River, stayed in the Amazon rainforest and met the Bora Bora
Tribe. We even took a 22-mile hike on the Andes Mountains to see Machu Picchu,
one of the Wonders of the World. While on the 22-mile trek, I realized that I
was suffering from altitude sickness and it was only getting worse the higher
we got up the mountain. A constant and extremely painful headache formed and I
began to feel nauseous. I felt that at any moment I could break down into tears
from the severe headache or experience painful vomiting even though I had an
empty stomach. Mind you, it was below freezing weather and got colder the
higher we climbed.
The experience of
the hike up the Andes Mountain was the second time I had to dig deep during
this trip. I prayed for God to release me from the pain or at least keep me
from suffering and being too miserable throughout the entire hike and miss the
breathtaking landscapes. I knew that there were no hospitals for miles and I
also knew that there was not much I could do to treat the altitude sickness
except pray and hope for relief. I was able to push through a lot of the pain
with the help of Jesus and make it over the mountain peak where my altitude
sickness was at its worst. Once we started descending, the pain started to go
away and I felt a sense of accomplishment. Without God being beside me, I know
I could not have made it through those 3 days of hiking.
Overall, the trip
has only strengthened my relationship with The Lord and allowed me to have
faith that everything WILL work out in the end. It was a trip that I will hold
dear to my heart because my faith not only grew, but my compassion for the
Peruvians grew as well. I learned more from my own personal struggles on that
trip more than I ever imagined. In the end it was clear to me that life may not
seem fair, but God is always there
Jaevon Williams is
a 17 year old high school Drama Student at the University
of North Carolina School of the Arts (High School Program). He is the
son of Joy Curvan, a member at Mt.
Zion AME Church in Greensboro, North Carolina; the Rev. Henry Davis is the
pastor
7.
CELEBRATING SUCCESSFUL UNIONS IN THE PHILADELPHIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
By Angelena Spears
Philadelphia
Conference Reporter
When two become
one, it usually refers to a man and woman uniting in holy matrimony – but in
the Philadelphia Conference it also can mean the union of two congregations;
that is what happened when two churches – Disney AME and Ruffin Nichols AME
merged and were pronounced the new Disney-Nichols African Methodist Episcopal
Church.
The merger happened
18 months ago and just like successful marriages – it has taken a lot of hard
work and planning. Just ask the Rev.
Jacqueline Capers who serves as the pastor of the merged congregations.
Through her
experience in helping to steer the merger from conception to reality – she is
more than qualified to write a book on what makes church mergers successful –
and to offer important tips to other churches seeking “tried and true” advice.
Prior to the merger’s
conception, the Rev. Capers served as the pastor of Ruffin Nichols for five
years. During that time, the
congregation constantly struggled with how to maintain their 168-year-old
church building, located at 1108 Lemon Street in Center City, Philadelphia.
The Rev. Capers
said it was during this struggle that the idea first came to her to consider
selling the church building. However,
unconvinced that the members would embrace the idea, she didn’t act right away. It was when their then presiding elder, the
Rev. Dr. Vernard Leak, visited the church unannounced, that the confirmation
was clear. The Rev. Leak is now the presiding elder of the New Brunswick
District in the New Jersey Conference.
Pastor Capers says
that the Rev. Leak pulled her aside and asked her point blank, “What is the
Lord telling you to do?”
The Rev. Capers
says the Rev. Leak’s visit gave her the confidence to move forward and the
building was sold in October 2011. The
new owners eventually demolished the building and built several residential
structures on the site.
The Ruffin Nichols
congregation spent several months searching for a new church home. They
worshipped at the Waters Memorial Fire House and rented a church in the
Philadelphia area. Ruffin Nichols congregation even considered merging with
another congregation.
As Ruffin Nichols
continued looking for a permanent location, the Rev. Anthony P. Booker, pastor
of Disney AME Church, unexpectedly died – leaving that congregation without a
pastor. They were being shepherded by
their presiding elder, the Rev. Jocelyn K. Hart, who was leading their worship
services and providing pastoral support.
Presiding Elder
Hart had begun meetings with the Disney congregation to ascertain the overall
condition of that church. Disney was
asked how they saw their church moving forward and what they needed to maintain
and to grow their congregation. A series
of meetings were held to gather this information.
As a result of this
process, the idea was conceived to combine Disney and Ruffin Nichols. Presiding Elder Hart received permission from
Bishop Gregory G.M Ingram, Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District to
discuss the matter with the Rev. Capers who embraced the possibility.
Presiding Elder
Hart says the merger clearly met the needs of both congregations. Disney had members, a building and no pastor,
while Ruffin Nichols had a pastor, members and finances to move forward – but
lacked a permanent location.
Following a series
of meetings the officers of both churches met.
Presiding Elder Hart recalls that “a spirit of unity and love prevailed”
during those initial meetings. Later,
the concept of a merger was presented to both congregations. Time was allowed for questions and
discussions, after which both congregations voted for the merger.
The two
congregations began worshipping together in February of 2013. Over the next three months, the Rev. Capers
and Presiding Elder Hart worked together to submit the proper papers through
the channels of the Philadelphia Annual Conference, which included the
Department of Missions, Circuits and Stations and the Philadelphia Conference
Trustees. Once the merger had the
blessing of Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram and all of the documentation was
received -- the merger was official.
The Rev. Caper’s
extensive corporate background in system’s management has been an added asset
to the merger process. She works as an
SAP manager, project manager and consultant for various companies such as
Lockheed Martin, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Hibu, Price Waterhouse Coopers and
Aventis Behring.
The Rev. Capers
believes a successful merger involves several key phases, which she outlines as
the assessment, blueprint, feasibility and implementation phases.
Step One: The
Assessment.
The Rev. Capers
says the first step in considering a church merger is to carefully assess the
situation. She said prayer is a critical
part of the process because you need to have a clear vision of what God is
saying.
Step Two: Devise a
Blue Print.
This part of the process
includes drawing up a blueprint, meeting with the officials from both churches
to clearly define all of the pros and cons associated with moving forward in
the direction that has been outlined. The blueprint looks at the current state
and the potential future state as a result of the merger.
In addition, the
blueprint will project the number of people that will attend the new church,
what the congregation will look like and the potential new church name.
Step Three:
Feasibility Study and Template.
During the
feasibility study, the church must ascertain the cost of the project and have a
good idea of how much money will be needed upfront in advance of selling the
building. A good feasibility study
will project how much money will be realized from the sale and then outline
exactly how the church will use those proceeds.
The Rev. Capers says this is a crucial step, because it provides
accountability of all funds and charts the course for the merged congregations.
“Once you meet with
the boards and discuss how the funds will be utilized, they are more likely to
sign off on the project,” she said. “The
proof is in the paperwork and the paperwork provides an audit trail.”
In addition to the
feasibility study, a template needs to be drafted that includes a breakdown of
everything. This template should include
the church’s history, an outline of the membership, and how the church has
evolved over the years, etc. The Rev.
Capers said a good template is important because it provides the documentation
of the state of the church supports the need to merge and provides the required
documentation for the bishop’s office and Conference Board of Trustees.
Step Four: Implementation.
At the onset of the
implementation phase, decisions are made regarding which attorneys and
realtor(s) will be used. Any liens would
have been identified and addressed prior to the sale. And all required documentation is gathered
fro the Conference Board of Trustees.
Earlier this year,
just like successful marriages, the Disney-Nichols congregation celebrated
their one year anniversary. Their theme
was, “The Two Have Become One.”
Presiding Elder
Hart was the worship leader for the service that was attended by a host of
preachers, and current and former presiding elders and members.
Among those in
attendance were Presiding Elder Leak – who traveled from New Jersey, and
Presiding Elder Charles H. Lett, Sr., of the Mainline District of the
Philadelphia Annual Conference. Presiding
Elder Lett said it was important for him to be there because Disney had been
his first pastoral charge.
“I was so happy to
see many of the visions I had when I was the pastor, come true under the
leadership of the Rev. Capers,” said Elder Lett.
The preacher was
Bishop Ingram, who brought an uplifting and insightful message. He said, “It is not so much where you are
from – but where you are going, that makes the difference.”
“You don’t have to
have a big cathedral for God to show up,” said Bishop Ingram. And he reminded everyone that “the primary
purpose of the church is to save souls.”
“Don’t ever get to
a point where you are worshipping these walls,” Bishop Ingram cautioned.
During the
celebration, the church building was also dedicated. The Rev. Capers and the
Trustees spearheaded the renovation of the entire building using the proceeds
from the Ruffin Nichols sale. There are
plans to rename the third floor "the Nichols Hall" -- in memory of
the Ruffin Nichols church.
At the celebration,
several members were recognized for their dedication to their churches before
the merger and for the significant roles they played in the merger process.
Three women who
were singled out and given plaques of appreciation for the work of their late
husbands were: Sister Sheila Booker,
wife the Rev. Anthony P. Booker; Sister Emily Ransome, wife of the Rev. Percy
Ransome; and Sister Dannie Nesmith, wife of the Rev. James Nesmith, a former
pastor of Ruffin Nichols.
The Rev. Caper's
husband, Terrance, was also publicly thanked for his support of the ministry.
Behind the scenes, he stayed home many Sundays to help take care of his
mother-in-law who suffers from dementia and lives with the couple.
His support has
allowed the Rev. Capers to tend to the ministry at Disney, continue with her
full-time position as a traveling consultant, and also to spend time with her
father while he was battling brain cancer.
The Rev. Caper's dad died earlier this year.
The Rev. Capers
said some people thought the merger would not work, but it clearly has. More than 68 people have joined since the two
congregations united. Pastor Capers believes there is no secret what God can
do. And she declares, "He is worthy
of all the praise!"
8.
ST. MARK AME MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN CELEBRATES
145 YEARS OF MINISTRY AND SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN:
By Faithe Colas
One hundred and
forty five years ago St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal church was
established in Milwaukee. The first
African American church in Wisconsin, St. Mark AME has impacted not only it’s
congregation but the entire community of Milwaukee through ministry and service
to others.
Whether members of
St. Mark are providing schools supplies or coats for children or hosting a
financial planning workshop for congregation members and the public, serving
all God’s people is the mission.
“We are in the soul
saving business. We know in order to save souls and bring individuals and
families to Christ, we have to meet all their needs with open arms,” said
Darryl Williams, pastor of St. Mark.
Community leaders
including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett shared congratulatory messages to St.
Mark in a video, a commemorative video, and anniversary book.
In April, as part
of the 145th year celebration, St. Mark hosted an interfaith worship
service with St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Nearly 50 members of St.
Francis worshipped with members of St. Mark.
Father Mike Bertram shared the pulpit with Pastor Darryl Williams in a
joint message of universal love and caring for others.
The anniversary’s
grand finale celebration included a worship service featuring gospel recording
artist Phebe Hines, who shared her God given voice of music & testimony
with the St. Mark family.
Bishop Reginald
Jackson, the Presiding Bishop of the 20th Episcopal District and Ecumenical
officer of the A.M.E. Church, delivered an inspiring and motivational message
about “moving beyond the comfort of our present ministries in order to reach
phenomenal expectations.”
Bishop Jackson was
absolutely fantastic! He motivated all who were present to celebrate God’s
goodness but to never rest on one’s laurels. As a result, I and many others
were inspired to do more to carry on the rich and impactful legacy of St Mark
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Lastly, we at St.
Mark thank God for the leadership of our dynamic pastor, The Rev Darryl
Williams, who truly is the impetus behind our passion to make a difference!
9.
REACHING THE MASSES:
The question was
posed in 1 John 3:17, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother
in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in
him?"
Under the direction
of the Reverend Dr. Harry L. Seawright and the Reverend Sherita M. Seawright,
pastor and assistant pastor of Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
(UBAMEC) located in Temple Hills and Brandywine, Maryland,
One of the
non-profit organizations founded under their ministries, Bethel House, Inc. is
providing for the multitudes. Bethel House, Inc. established in 1993, is a
non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Brandywine, is showing the love of God and
“reaching the masses” by fulfilling their mission “to provide holistic care and
services to individuals and families by addressing the spiritual, physical, and
mental health needs of those who seek assistance.” Bethel House is meeting the
charge.
Recently the agency
received a $10,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Human Resources,
Office of Special Programs, to expand and enhance their food pantry. According
to Mrs. Ethel Shepard-Powell, Acting Executive Director and the Rev. Tsaka
Dutch-Malik, Director of UBAMEC's Outreach Ministry, “This award is another
step towards meeting the needs of those less fortunate and increasing the presence
of Bethel House and Union Bethel in Southern Maryland. Not only will this award
help individuals in need, it also will allow youth to assist with the food
pantry as a way of giving back to the community while earning community service
hours for school."
In addition to
further fulfill the mission; Bethel House was also recently awarded a grant in
the amount of $10,000 through the Walton Community Fund for Prince George's
County from the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region to provide
emergency assistance to families and individuals at risk of eviction,
foreclosure and loss of utilities.
Bethel House works
tirelessly to bless its community and is most appreciative of the support from
state, local agencies and community leaders in recognizing the impact and
importance of Bethel House, Inc. in their efforts in “reaching the masses.”
Bethe House, Inc.
services include feeding the hungry, pastoral counseling to victims of domestic
violence and sexual abuse, job skills training, rehabilitative services to
those suffering from alcohol and/or drug addiction, individuals suffering from
depression, disease, cancer, diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Bethel House's services meet the community's needs.
Bethel House
carries out its mission and vision through the following programs: Helping
Hands, Love in Action, Families in Healing, and Youth for a Positive Future. So
far, in 2014, Bethel House has received $107,250 for the "Love in
Action" program.
As Bethel House
continues to “reach the masses”, supporters of this monumental effort may make
donations through the Combined Federal Campaign (#19455), United Way (#8071),
through www.thebethelhouse.org, or by calling 301-372-1700.
The Reverend Kim
Hutchinson
Union Bethel AME
Church
Telephone: (516)
998-6359
10. A
PSYCHOLOGY AND ANTIDOTE OF RIOTING:
*The Reverend
Darryl R. Williams, Pastor of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The murder of
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri has stirred up a myriad of reactions. One
of the most common and the one I want to focus upon in this article is “Why are
persons choosing to respond by rioting, looting, and tearing up their own
community?” It’s to be noted that this question is usually asked by the “more
fortunate” middle to high income people denoting their failure to understand
the psychology or mindset of the powerless and poverty stricken in our society.
Some of the
conservative news channel commentators have been even more mean-spirited in
their analysis, referring to the rioters as “hoodlums.” While there may be some truth that there are criminals
that take advantage of these kind of situations, to dismiss all rioters as
“hoodlums” is just too easy and may be our way of turning a blind eye to what
is really being said when people riot.
The riots of
Ferguson that occurred in the aftermath of the tragic death of Michael Brown
were not simply the result of this one incident. Riots, as Dr. Martin Luther
King noted, is the “language of the unheard.” It is the reaction of a people
who feel helpless, hopeless, and un-empowered. They have suffered a series of
real or perceived injustices, and finally there’s one trigger incident that
pushes them “over the top.”
Riots have
everything to do with being keenly aware of the economic and social gap that
exists between the rioter and those who have more. In some cases the rioter
does not feel in charge of their lives and have little hope of changing their
circumstances. To prove this theory, it is interesting to note that people who
are part of the country’s mainstream do not riot, more often than not it is the
economically and socially oppressed who riot.
The helpless and
hopeless feel their only option is to resort to violence in order to get
attention; even if it’s violence to their own communities. The anger and
frustration of a rioter often reaches such a high level that any moral
reticence that an individual may have had is subordinated to the mindset of the
group, often referred to as the "contagion theory," which is why you
may see people who may not ordinarily engage in some acts alone find themselves
doing these acts when they are part of a group. Group behavior at times
supersedes individual behavior.
I am certainly not
trying to justify rioting; in fact it is counter-productive because it is
rarely effective.
Revolutions are
often successful because they are well thought-out and highly organized. Riots,
most often, are ineffective because they are fueled by emotions and lack
organization. The only benefit a rioter derives is some emotional relief for
some long-felt frustration and anger. Dr. King says rioters “know they cannot
win and that is precisely why they riot. It is not a response to "the
system," but a reaction. It is the way the powerless display frustration.”
I lift up the
psychology of rioters, not to justify their actions, but to help understand
them and seek ways to provide more healthy ways to combat am unfair system.
Is there also a
psychology of looting? Let’s be clear, looting is a criminal behavior.
But what is driving
the criminal behavior?
I know a person who
was fired from her job for taking items that did not belong to her. After it
happened, I asked myself “Why did she do it?”
I came to this
conclusion that she did it because she lacked education, saw items that she
wanted; but knew that she had no way to legally acquire the items. It didn’t
matter how she got them, but getting them made her feel powerful.
She made bad
choices, but there are people who didn’t make the bad choices she made, who are
still unemployed or underemployed, and who feel powerless and because of that,
given the opportunity such as in the mass confusion of a riot, would be tempted
to resort to this kind of behavior.
The Church’s
Response
Psychology and
theology are connected in this sense: If we can understand someone’s behavior,
there is hope that we can find the corrective action to treat it.
Our response as
African Americans should not be to simply dismiss rioters as hooligans, thugs,
and opportunists, but to understand what is “being said” by their rioting and
looting.
The theme that I
continue to put forth is that they riot because that is how some
disenfranchised, oppressed, and un-empowered people express themselves.
I am reminded that
Jesus took twelve un-empowered Jewish men who, along with the people of their
society were being oppressed by the Roman government. Jesus empowered them and
taught them a higher way of living and the men did not negatively react to the
government nor to their Jewish authorities; they responded by staying true to
the principals and truths instilled in them by their Jesus. The result: They
turned the world upside down!
Too many of our
people today feel that they are hopeless and helpless victims of their
circumstances and rather than embarking on the journey to better themselves, or
constructively engage social systems that seek to keep them down; they do what
hopeless people do, they riot and loot.
If hopelessness is
the root cause of this kind of behavior then don’t we, the church, have the
proper antidote? We do and it's not criticism and judgment, but Jesus Christ!
I’m not suggesting
that giving them Jesus Christ means just a message on Sunday, but it also means
offering them literacy and GED programs. It means job training, teaching them
about their African heritage and the contributions of their fore parents. It’s
teaching them how to be responsible parents. It’s loving them for who they are
and showing them how to be politically engaged. It is teaching them to respect
themselves and others. It is teaching them about the truths of the Resurrection
of Jesus Christ: followers of Jesus Christ have hope because life always wins
out over death, victory over defeat, and light over darkness.
As Bishop Reginald
Jackson often says, “A world at its worst needs a church at its best.”
We can do it! The
future of our people offers us no choice!
*The Reverend
Darryl R. Williams, Pastor of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
11.
DOMESTIC ABUSE – THE AME CHURCH POLICY
The Rev. Velma E.
Grant, M.Div., Th.M
Professional
football player Ray Rice was recently dismissed from the National Football
League team, the Baltimore Ravens because of domestic violence. U.S. District
Court Judge Mark Fuller was arrested in Georgia on August 9, 2014 for beating
up his wife at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Atlanta. A few years ago the
entertainer Chris Brown was arrested for beating his then girlfriend
Rihanna. Televangelist Juanita Bynum was
the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her then husband Bishop Thomas
Weeks, III. This article will not rehash
the much publicized events particularly the Ray Rice situation but highlight
the importance of the Church’s obligation to address matters that are critical
issues in society and ultimately affect members of the Church.
The above incidents
are not the only publicized reports of domestic abuse, but they involve high
profile individuals who were either caught on video displaying despicable
behavior or were arrested because of such violent behavior. One wonders if some
despicable behavior were not caught on camera if the world would have been
privy to the abuse and violence that seems part of the ordinary chain of life
events for some individuals.
Although domestic
abuse takes many forms (psychological, emotional, financial) it is the violent
action that gets the most attention or publicity because the scars from
violence are more obvious and life threatening than the other forms of domestic
abuse.
Domestic violence
should never be condoned by anyone and no excuse should be tolerated. Excuses
such as “he/she provoked me,” “it was an accident,” “it’s a private matter
between a couple,” and the most devastating excuse “I deserved it.” These are
just a few that have been uttered as a means to justify the abusive behavior
but certainly not an exhaustive list of all explanations or excuses.
In the above-mentioned incidents, all of the
victims are females and the abusers are males.
In the 21st century, men are both abusers and victims and similarly
women are both victims and abusers but the statistics are greater with women as
victims. Domestic abuse is wrong and is a criminal act whether or not the
abuser is female or male. An abuser should not “get a free pass” because of
their gender, status, political influence or financial resources.
Rarely do victims
of domestic abuse report the abuse or the abuser to the church, law enforcement
officials or even family. A certain shame as well as guilt accompanies those
that are being abused. Sometimes it seems that to live in silence is the only option,
but the result of that is that the victim also becomes another statistic in the
growing number of victims killed by their abusers.
The AMEC Discipline explicitly addresses the
issue of domestic violence on page 288-89 of the 2012 edition. The Discipline addresses the repercussions
facing both clergy and any lay member. In the case of any clergy person the
Discipline states “…having been conclusively and finally adjudicated guilty by
a court of law of violence against a household or family member shall be
referred to either the Ministerial Efficiency Committee or the Judicial
Committee….action which may include expulsion.” The section addressing any
layperson is somewhat similar with the exception of the referral to the
Ministerial Efficiency Committee. The lay member is instead referred to the
“…church conference for disciplinary action which may include expulsion.”
Most AMEC members
both clergy and layperson are familiar with the denomination’s stance on sexual
harassment but not so with domestic violence. The increased awareness about
sexual harassment is probably due to the frequent mandatory sessions on the
topic, which more than likely was propelled by the vast number of sexual
harassment lawsuits affecting the church.
What then is the
responsibility of the AMEC and its members to this epidemic that is no longer
silent or assigned to remain behind closed doors? The responsibility is to be
vigilant, be aware of the warning signs of domestic violence, and conduct
workshops to make members aware of these signs. Conduct workshops that will
teach individuals how to communicate effectively and teach how to manage anger.
Anger or other psychological issues are often
the root cause of abusive actions. In those cases, it will usually take more
than “take it to the Lord in prayer” but will require counseling from a
licensed professional as well as prescribed medication to help the individual
deal with emotional outburst and abusive behavior.
Have adequate
resources and or referrals readily available to assist the victims who with
help and care can become survivors. Be caring and emphatic particularly if you
are a clergy, if someone reports that they are in an abusive relationship by no
means assign blame to the victim or send the individual back with instructions
“not to provoke the abuser” or “to be submissive.” That potential death
sentence will not only destroy one life but two lives and perhaps an entire
family.
Just as both clergy
and laity are informed and drilled about the consequences of sexual harassment,
make sure that members are informed about the AMEC’s stance on domestic
violence. Section XVIII. C. (page 288-289) details the church’s stance that
does not only apply to matrimonial relationships but also to those who are
dating or engaged. The policy should also apply to teenage couples in a
relationship. Teenaged couples experience a high incidence of abuse that
usually is unreported. The teens and young adults should be aware of this
policy, and should be taught how to handle life issues without contemplating
violence or harm to someone else.
There are enough
violent events occurring in society and if the church can be the vehicle to
promote healthy and safe relationships between individuals then the time and
the effort will be well worth saving relationships and saving lives. The AME
Church has already taken a stance by including the above policy in its Doctrine
and Discipline, now let us move a step further and make policy a living reality
for those who are abused and for those who need help/deliverance from their
abusive practices. In the words of the great reggae singer Bob Marley “one
love, one heart, let’s get together and feel alright.”
The Rev. Velma E.
Grant, M.Div., Th.M. is President, Women In Ministry Sixth Episcopal District and
Associate Pastor First Saint Paul AME Church, Lithonia, Georgia
12.
POLICY STATEMENT FROM THE KENTUCKY COUNCIL OF CHURCHES ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
-- Adopted on
October 24, 1990
It is
not enemies who taunt me-
I
could bear that:
it is
not adversaries who deal insolently with me-
I
could hide from them.
But
it is you, my equal,
my
companion, my familiar friend,
With
whom I keep pleasant company.
Psalm 55:12-14a, NRSV
The Psalmist
captures the feelings of many victims of domestic violence: the pain of being
betrayed and injured by a loved one.
Basically, there
are three kinds of domestic violence, violence against children, violence
against partners, and violence against the elderly. This violence can be physical, sexual, or
emotional. Any such violence has
long-lasting and devastating effects on the victims; for example, many victims
are unable to leave a violent relationship because of their economic dependence
upon their batterers.
We, the Kentucky
Council of Churches, deplore all kinds of domestic violence, proclaim the worth
of each person as a child of God, created in the image of God, and affirm the
right of each person to be safe from attacks (verbal and physical) by family
members.
In I Cor. 6:19-20,
Paul reminds us of the sacredness of the human body: Do you not know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and
that you are not your own? For you were bought
with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. (NRSV)
The Christian
tradition does not advocate or excuse domestic violence. We confess, however, that churches have too
often misused scripture to justify, condone, and ignore physical and sexual
violence against women and children.
Although some men are battered by women and many elderly men are abused,
the vast majority of abused adults are women.
One scripture that
is commonly used to justify the beating of children is Proverbs 13:24:
"Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are
diligent to discipline them." (NRSV)
(Often misquoted "Spare the rod and spoil the child.") This verse must not be construed to support
beating children; the rod referred to is the rod used by shepherds to guide and
direct the sheep and to protect the sheep from wild animals, never to beat the
sheep (cf. Psalm 23:4b: "...your rod and your staff--they comfort me"
NRSV). The proverb is an exhortation to
parents to discipline their children to guide them and lead them in the right
way; it does not give parents permission to beat their children.
The writer of
Ephesians cautions: "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
(NRSV) Although children who are beaten
often feel they have done something to deserve such treatment, certainly few
things can anger a child like being abused by a parent.
Perhaps the most
commonly cited passage to support wife abuse is Ephesians 5:22-23: "Wives,
be subject to your husbands, as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just
as Christ is the head of the church..."
These verses do not advocate the domination of wives by husbands. Rather they provide a model for the way men
are to relate to women; the way Christ relates to the Church, being a servant,
giving himself up for his followers, never threatening, abusing, coercing,
hitting, or intimidating anyone. The
passage goes on: "Husbands, love
your wives, just as Christ loved the church..." No man who takes that verse seriously could
ever abuse his partner. This is
re-emphasized in Col. 3:19:
"Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly."
(NRSV)
Intimate
relationships are intended by God to be mutually responsible and respectful: The husband should give to his wife her
conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her
own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority
over his own body, but the wife does. (I Cor. 7:3-4, NRSV)
What Paul had in
mind was not one partner forcing the other to engage in sexual activity, but
two persons in a mutual relationship of respect, choice, and regard for one
another.
The incidence of
elder abuse is increasing. Scripture
exhorts us to honor our mothers and fathers (Ex. 20:12). Honor does not include physical harm, threats
of harm, forced isolation, deprivation of adequate medical attention,
over-medication, or financial exploitation.
And yet such abuses occur at an alarming rate. In 1986, over one million elderly persons
(one of every twenty-five) reported having been abused. [Mary Jo Quinn and Susan Tomita, Elder Abuse
and Neglect.]
The responsibility
for the elderly does not fall exclusively to the family; in fact, the entire
community is warned against abusing those who cannot defend themselves: You shall not wrong or oppress a resident
alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to
me, I will surely heed their cry..." (Ex. 22:21-23, NRSV)
Therefore, as the
Kentucky Council of Churches;
We call on all
pastors and other church people to break the silence about domestic violence
through preaching, education, and advocacy.
We exhort churches
to help break the cycle of abuse by sponsoring self-help groups, opening
safe-houses, studying the issues of violence, financially supporting services
to families in crisis and agencies which respond to domestic violence, and
advocating legislation to prevent abuse and to provide services to victims and
rehabilitation to perpetrators. We
appeal to churches to emphasize a ministry of healing and to work toward a
renewal of family life which enhances the value of all family members, especially
those most vulnerable (specifically women, children, the elderly and persons
with disabilities).
We encourage our
legislators and other public officials to initiate and to work for policies
which can provide increased economic opportunities which can lead to economic
equality for women, adequate funding for shelters and victim assistance, legal
protection from batterers, and mandatory treatment for those persons convicted
of domestic violence.
We urge all
manifestations of the legal system to take this issue seriously and to treat it
a violent crime rather than as "a family matter." We encourage families in crisis to seek
professional help. We urge all church
members to work toward a just society which discourages (1) all types of
violence, (2) oppressive institutions, (3) media portrayals which degrade
women, and (4) violence in television programming.
We celebrate God's
gift of intimacy, the image of God in each person, the inherent right of each
person to health, wholeness, and safety, and we commit ourselves to working
toward the elimination of domestic violence.
13.
CBC CHAIR CONDEMNS ATTEMPTED ARSON ATTACK ON CONGRESSMAN EMANUEL CLEAVER’S
OFFICE:
WASHINGTON, DC
(Link) - Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) released
the following statement condemning the attempted arson attack on Congressman
Emanuel Cleaver’s (MO-05) office in Kansas City, Missouri:
“This morning
around 3 a.m., a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the office window of
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. No one was hurt and an investigation is underway.
“The Congressional
Black Caucus strongly condemns this type of vandalism targeted at Congressman
Cleaver, and denounces any act of violence towards Members of Congress. This
type of abhorrent behavior is the most ineffective means of voicing discontent
or disagreement.
“I expect a speedy,
full, and thorough investigation into this incident by law enforcement, so that
those responsible are swiftly apprehended and prosecuted. The person or persons
responsible for what happened this morning must be punished to the fullest
extent of the law.”
Bishop Reginald T.
Jackson, Chair of the AMEC Social Action Commission and Ms. Jacquelyn
Dupont-Walker, Director issued a joint statement: "We join with the Congressional
Black Caucus chair, Congresswoman Marsha Fudge in condemning the Molotov
cocktail incident. This effort at
intimidation should only serve to re-double our efforts to appropriately
express our voices at the polls on November 4th and to continue finding ways to
match the vision of the United States with the actions of those who are charged
to protect that vision."
14.
"THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT: A LONG STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM" EXHIBITION OPENS
AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS:
An exhibition
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 opens today at
the Library of Congress.
“The Civil Rights
Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom” is located in the Southwest Gallery
on the second level of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E.,
Washington, D.C. The year-long
exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. It closes on Sept. 12, 2015.
More than 200
items, including correspondence and documents from civil-rights leaders and
organizations, photographs, newspapers, legal briefs, drawings and posters are
on view.
Audio-visual
stations throughout the gallery feature 77 clips showing dramatic events such
as protests, sit-ins, boycotts and other public actions against segregation and
discrimination. Eyewitness testimony of
activists and participants who helped craft the law is included.
The exhibition also
features two videos co-produced with HISTORY®.
An introductory film narrated by Julian Bond, a political and
civil-rights leader and professor at American University and the University of
Virginia, focuses on the significance of the Civil Rights Act. The second film explores the impact of the
Civil Rights Act and features interviews with Taylor Branch, author and
historian; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; U.S. Rep. John
Lewis, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement; and Risa Goluboff, professor of
law at the University of Virginia.
The Civil Rights
Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or
national origin. It banned
discrimination in public accommodations, such as hotels, restaurants, theaters
and retail stores. It outlawed
segregation in public education. It
banned discrimination in employment, and it ended unequal application of voter-registration
requirements. The act was a landmark
piece of legislation that opened the doors to further progress in the
acquisition and protection of civil rights.
The exhibition
highlights the legal and legislative struggles and victories leading to its
passage, shedding light on individuals—both prominent leaders and private
citizens—who participated in the decades-long campaign for equality. There are six thematic sections in the
exhibition: Prologue, Segregation Era, World War II and the Post-War Years,
Civil Rights Era, Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Impact.
The materials are
drawn primarily from the NAACP Records in the Library’s Manuscript Division and
its Prints and Photographs Division.
A preview of the
exhibition can be viewed online at http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-rights-act/. A more complete
version of the exhibition, including all of the objects, timelines and some
audio-visual components, will be available by the end of September.
“The Civil Rights
Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom” is made possible by a generous grant
from Newman’s Own Foundation, with additional support from HISTORY® for both
audio-visual and educational content and outreach.
“By funding this
exhibition, we proudly continue Paul Newman’s commitment to the empowerment of
individuals,” said Robert H. Forrester, president of Newman’s Own
Foundation. “We hope that the strength
of the human spirit as reflected in this exhibit will inform people’s
understanding of the present and provide inspiration to help create a better
world for tomorrow.”
The Library of
Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest
library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages,
disciplines and formats. The Library
serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on
Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.
15. LITANY FOR PASTOR APPRECIATION:
*Mrs. E. Ann Clemons
LEADER: Holy
God, we praise You for Your wisdom in gifting the church with pastors. We thank
You for giving us a pastor after Your own heart.
PEOPLE: We give You Thanks, oh Lord.
LEADER: We
thank You for our pastor, who labors in the Word of God to preach and
teach—rightly dividing the Word of truth. Thank You for our pastor’s diligence
in preaching and teaching the Word in season and out of season.
PEOPLE: We give You Praise.
LEADER: We
thank You for guiding our Pastor throughout the years. How beautiful are the
feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good
things.
PEOPLE: We give You Thanks, oh Lord.
LEADER: Oh,
how good and pleasant it is when brethren live together in unity!
PEOPLE: We give You Praise.
ALL: Truly the
pastor’s work is great and many times is beyond our understanding, but
You have told us in Your Word to honor those who work hard for You,
giving spiritual guidance to Your people. Help us to acknowledge, appreciate,
respect, and overwhelm our pastor with love for the sake of Kingdom
building. We give you thanks and praise! Amen.
*Mrs. E. Ann
Clemons is a member of Greater St. Joseph AME Church in Autaugaville, Alabama©
16.
THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
The Rev. Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical
Text: Luke 10:40: “But Martha was
distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and
asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by
myself? Tell her to help me!"
Women’s Day at
Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church, like many of our churches, is
the culmination of a whirlwind of activities. Much work has gone into the
planning and the results have been magnificent. At each event there has been
women serving and there have been women sitting. I began to think, there must
be a lesson here.
It is a fact that
the assignments that life presents us keep us very busy. However, many times we
are busy in just a repetitive sort of way. Think about it, we wake up at the
same time every morning and go to the same job. We do things on our job at the
same time in the same way and then we clock out at the same hour. We come home,
eat dinner at the same time, watch some of the same things on television for
the same amount of time and go to bed after the same show. We start the same
routine all over again at the same time the next morning.
That routine is not
bad however we have to admit that it is easy to get so caught up in the
repetitive responsibilities of our routine that we miss the most important
moments. We are sometimes so programmed that we overlook the life-changing
moments that can serve to restore and renew us. We run the risk many times of
missing the very things in our life that will revitalize our otherwise mundane
existence. We are just too busy to “be still.”
We find in our text
that is the problem Sister Martha had. Martha, like many of the committed
Sisters on each of the committees, was a dedicated and devoted worker. You
could count on Martha to get the job done and done well. Sister Martha could
juggle the busiest of schedules ensuring that every detail was addressed and no
stone was left unturned.
Martha was like the
energizer bunny. Whenever Jesus and the disciples visited she would wash their
clothes. She prepared meals and tended to the individual needs of her guests.
No doubt, each time Jesus and his ministerial staff of twelve left, Martha was
exhausted.
As I watch the
ladies working in the kitchen and serving in the Fellowship Hall I wonder to
myself, as they tend to the concerns of our guest are they really too busy to
enjoy them? I wonder if when the dinner was over and all the guests were gone
home, did some of the women find themselves wishing that more could have been
done ahead of time so they could enjoy the fellowship. It occurred to me that
was probably how Martha felt when she saw Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus
while she, was doing all the work. Martha would have liked to sit and listen to
Jesus talk about the scriptures, but somebody had to take care of the physical
needs of the guests. Isn’t that right?
I realize I am
treading on dangerous ground. I might as well go in further. Let me point out
that Mary didn’t even belong in the same room with those spiritual men. Mary’s
place was in the kitchen with Martha. Women belonged in the kitchen. They
weren’t aloud to attend classes with the men in the temple. What was on Mary’s
mind? There was all this work to be done and Mary was sitting while Martha was
serving. Martha wasn’t having it! The Bible says that Sister Martha rushed into
the room where the men were gathered and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my
sister has left me to serve alone?”
“No Martha didn’t,
barge into the room and chastise Jesus for allowing a woman to listen to His
teachings!” Oh yes she did, and as I think of the women serving in our church I
can name several who feel just like Martha. I am talking about women who busy
themselves with every detail of the work of our boards and auxiliaries,
spending countless hours planning, developing, arranging and scheduling. These
are fine women of God who believe whole heartedly that nothing would get done
according to their high standards if they didn’t oversee every aspect of the
ministry project themselves. After all, it is all about serving, isn’t it?
Not as much as you
think! There is more to serving than the planning, developing, arranging and
scheduling. I realize that someone reading has decided at this point I have
lost my mind but it is not all about serving. It is about reaching a balance
between our serving and our sitting. I submit to you that is what Mary was
doing. Like many of us, Mary needed to take time out to sit at the feet of
Jesus. Thus we find that while Martha was scurrying about earning stars for her
crown, Mary was sitting at the feet of the Master feeding her soul.
The text lets us
know that while Martha was serving, Mary was sitting. What we need to
understand as we work to reach our balance between serving and sitting is that
while Martha was working, Mary was growing. We must guard against our being so
busy serving Jesus that we don’t take time to know Jesus. We must carefully
balance our time between working for and studying Jesus. It is critical that we
don’t get so caught up doing that we have no time to listen to what Jesus has
to say! Working with our spiritual ears closed is the fastest way to inhibit
our Christian growth.
When you take a
moment to look around at Bible Study or any church training session you will
see several people who are listening intently and taking notes. These are the
people who have taken a breather from their repetitive schedules to “listen to
Jesus”. These represent the Mary’s in the congregation. Interestingly, the folk
who are absent may well be dedicated church workers. The folk not in attendance
may be the ones who are busy with all the details of ministry. These folk may
have even planned the seminar however, in far too many instances these are the folk
who put more priority on the business of service than they do the nurturing of
their soul. So much goes into the work that they are too busy to pause and
listen to what Jesus has to say.
Martha raises her
concern to Jesus and believes she has a good reason to be angry. However, when
we read Jesus’ response to Martha’s question, we see that He is actually
chastising Martha. Jesus was well aware of the fact that she was envious of
Mary for having the courage to break with social custom and sit at his feet. He
knew also that Martha was probably angry with herself for over-planning her day
not leaving enough time for Jesus. Jesus intended to set Martha straight. He let Martha know then and wants us to know,
“You work hard tending to every detail as though it was a matter of life and
death, but you miss the one detail that really matters. What you miss is the most essential part.”
When we allot so much of our time and energy
working to exhaustion we so many times neglect the most essential part which is
the nurturing of our soul. We could very well end up frustrated like Martha. We
may even find ourselves nearing burnout in our service to the Lord. Yes, the
Bible admonishes us to be not just hearers but doers of the Word however, there
has to be in each of our lives a balance between our serving and our sitting.
Our effective doing is contingent upon our hearing. Kingdom building would be
seriously threatened if all of the workers decided that they had heard all they
need to hear from Jesus. The point is we must sit long enough to hear what the
Lord says about what we should do. We will then be equipped to serve
effectively enough to make a difference in our community and in the world.
We are admonished
that, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But, the seventh day is a
Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work.”
Monday through
Saturday are serving days, and Sunday is “sitting day.”
Sunday is the day
God set aside to revive us and renew us. Missing our “sitting day” causes our
“serving days” to become ineffective. A hymn writer penned, “Be still and let the Spirit speak: The
Spirit unto you will give, the knowledge that you need and daily you will grow
in grace, if you the Spirit heed.”
Let me add, we
cannot go wrong by including a few more hours of sitting (learning) on our
schedule. We can spend some time sitting at Church School and Bible Study. We
must recognize that we cannot teach what we don’t know or lead where we refuse
to go. As we mature we will realize that it is in our serving that we work out
our soul’s salvation, but it is in our sitting that we are reenergized as we
replenish our spiritual reservoir. We must strive to reach an appropriate
balance between our serving and our sitting. Our serving allows us to share the
love of God and glorify God. It is in our sitting at the feet of the Lord that
we strengthen that love and purge ourselves of sinful desires as we fellowship
with Him. As we serve we are able to spread the truth of the grace and mercy of
God. When we sit at His feet we are able to shore up our own beliefs, and ask
forgiveness for our own failings.
We should not be
afraid to assess for ourselves if we are in fact serving too much and sitting
too little. We must ensure that we are not neglecting the most essential part.
To be constantly and steadily filled with the Spirit of God let us sit a while
at Jesus’ feet. “Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the
heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown A.M.E. Church in
Charleston, S.C.
17.
GETTING TO ZERO: CLARION CALL TO HELP:
*The Rev. Dr. A.
Oveta Fuller
--
Letter from the Executive Director of the Consortium of Universities for Global
Health:
Re: The Ebola
Outbreak
The Ebola crisis in
West Africa is rapidly worsening. As of the writing of this note, over 3,500
people have been infected with the virus and over 1,700 people have been
killed. Alarmingly, the disease is spreading into densely populated urban
areas.
There is an acute
shortage of medical supplies, experienced healthcare workers, and funds in the
region. Doctors without Borders has been bravely shouldering the greatest
responsibility to not only care for those infected with Ebola, but also treat
people affected with the numerous other diseases and health challenges in this,
one of the poorest regions of the world.
We at CUGH are
trying to help MSF and USAID identify individuals with the experience and
skills needed to stop the spread of this virus and provide essential medical
care in the affected countries. Please see MSF's request by clicking on this
link and USAID's request by clicking on this link and share these with your
colleagues widely. Help us identify individuals who can address this crisis
before it spreads much further and advocate for greater funding to purchase
essential supplies.
We have also been
engaging with the State Department and other US government agencies to address
this crisis. Please see my Op-Ed in the Toronto Star on a civil-military
humanitarian relief effort to urgently save lives and stop the spread of this
deadly disease.
Thank you for your
assistance,
Keith Martin, MD
Executive Director
Consortium of
Universities for Global Health
Comment
from "Getting to Zero" Columnist: "The clarion call above issued by USAID and
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is for persons who have some prior medical or
sanitation training to handle biohazards. Though the need is dire, the call
here is for those with required pre-training. They will be screened and further
prepared so they might work effectively in the affected communities. It is a
SPECIFIC request made through castings a wide net so to get to those few
persons who might qualify.
It would be risky
for anyone not trained, and thus risky for the overall global strategy to
contain Ebola virus, to have well meaning volunteers who are not well trained
and highly disciplined to follow that training.
With the call for
specific biohazard trained personnel understood, providing funds to purchase
and ship food and medical supplies to the countries, and prayer for those in
the area are in order from everyone."
*The Rev. Dr. A.
Oveta Fuller is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and
Faculty of the African Studies Center at the University of Michigan and Adjunct
Faculty at Payne Theological Seminary. An Itinerant Elder in the 4th
Episcopal District, she conducts HIV/AIDS prevention research in Zambia and the
USA. She lived in Zambia for most of 2013 as a J. William Fulbright Scholar.
18.
iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 - HOPE FOR TOMORROW
- JEREMIAH 31: 31-37:
Bill Dickens, Allen
AME Church, Tacoma, Washington
If given a choice
most of us prefer something new compared to something old. We like new homes
relative to older homes. We enjoy owning
new cars compared to older cars. We make
no apologies for wanting a new job with better pay and benefits compared to our
incumbent professional positions. A new
place to live sometimes allow us to restart our career goals by helping us
reach our creative potential. It’s in
our DNA; new is preferred to old.
Our preference for
“new” things does not go unnoticed by God.
Since God is omniscient it should come as no surprise that He knows our
preference for new things. Our lesson
today depicts God providing us with "something new" – a new
covenant.
The existing
covenant God provided the Jewish nation was filled with numerous contractual
breeches of obedience, faith and spiritual fidelity by the Jewish nation. A new covenant is promised that will offer
hope and reconciliation. Like any
enforceable contract, both parties have to agree to specific terms and
conditions. God has clearly articulated
God's terms and conditions. Do we
reciprocate or continue down the path of underachievement and unfulfilled
blessings due to disobedience, selfishness and sin? Jeremiah Chapter 31 offers a roadmap to
answer this fundamental question.
Jeremiah
31:31-37 - A New Paradigm
The words are
addressed to a people in exile, far from home and bereft of hope. The covenant
between God and Israel, the covenant made so long ago at Sinai, is (or so it
seems) broken. God has not protected Israel from harm and they have been taken
into exile. Into such a situation, the
prophet speaks words of promise. But he frames those promises in terms of the
very relationship in question. The prophet speaks of a covenant -- like the one
made at Sinai -- between YHWH and Israel. "The days are surely coming,
says YHWH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the
house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31).
Just so, in this
new covenant, God promises, "I will be their God, and they shall be my
people" (Jeremiah 31:33). The relationship is not new. Israel knows this
God, and God knows this people. The promises Jeremiah speaks build on a long
and shared history between YHWH and Israel, a history marked by wavering on the
part of the people and by faithfulness on the part of YHWH.
Life
Application
“Out with the old,
in with the new” is a popular expression that captures the zeitgeist for many young people.
The old is seen as inefficient, time-consuming technology resistors to
change. Old ways and habits are not
receptive to change and this can create friction and discord among those eager
for a different (read: new direction) course of action.
Peter F. Drucker,
renowned business management expert, once stated, “If you want something new,
you have to stop doing something old.”
Doing something new
involves risk. We like doing “old”
things because there is less risk and greater familiarity with the “old.” However, we forfeit rewards when we eschew
risk. A fundamental law in financial
economics teaches that prudent risk is associated with stable long-term
rewards. This is why people invest in
the stock market.
In our Christian
experience we encounter risk when we develop and implement evangelism
programs. Doing things the “old” way can
sometimes result in forfeiting blessings and opportunities God has promised
us. Everything “old” is not necessarily
bad. Likewise, everything
"new" should not be rejected simply because we have no prior
experience with the alternative.
Resisting new approaches and ways to normalize our daily decision-making
activities can diminish our opportunity set.
God desires us to reach for the stars to maximize our God-given talents
and abilities. Nobody can reach for the
stars with their hands in their pockets.
*Brother Bill
Dickens is currently the Church School Teacher at Allen AME Church in Tacoma,
Washington. He is currently a member of
the Fellowship of Church Educators for the AME Church
19.
MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 37:
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby
I’m a “night owl”
who enjoys late night TV commercials that are sometimes unintentionally funny
because of the things they advertise.
One of my current favorites notes that the federal government mandates
broadcasters to send their TV signals over-the-air and encourages listeners to buy
a device that, when installed, allows the user to watch broadcasted digital TV
shows in High Definition without signing up for cable or satellite TV.
The commercial
amused me, because I immediately realized that the “new” device is actually a
modern version of and old device - a TV antenna. Before the advent of cable and satellite TV,
most homes either had roof antennas or “rabbit ears” on top of the TV to
receive local TV broadcasts.
I “Googled” the
device and found numerous complaints from dissatisfied buyers who found that
the picture wasn’t always good and that they could only receive a limited
number of channels - just as was true with old antennas. Those hapless buyers acted on the “sales
pitch,” purchased what they thought was a cheaper option for watching TV and
overlooked the word “broadcast” - which applies only to TV stations in their
local areas. They learned an old lesson
- what sounds and looks good sometimes doesn’t live up to expectations.
The commercial
appeals to our natural human desire "to get something for
nothing." Frugality is a good thing
and extravagance isn’t a virtue, but we all sometimes take frugality to the
limit and go after what we want in this world in the easiest ways available and
with the least possible expenditures of time, effort or money. Doing so, however, can often leave us
disappointed, down and dissatisfied when we discover that what looked and
sounded good doesn’t leave up to our expectations and leaves us feeling incomplete
and with troubled minds and burdened spirits.
That’s why it’s
good to let the God who made us guide us. God knows us better than we know
ourselves and, although God doesn’t always lead us down the easiest path, God
always leads us down the right path - God’s way is always the best way.
Take the time each
day to call on the Lord and to let God order your steps and guide your
feet. You’ll find what you need in life
- right on time - and know why one modern Gospel sons says, “Nobody told me
that the road would be easy, but I don’t believe God brought me this far to
leave me.”
This Meditation is
also available as a Blog on the Beaufort District’s Website:
www.beaufortdistrict.org
On Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/BeaufortDistrictAMEC
Get Ready for
Sunday, and have a great day in your house of worship!
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby is the Presiding Elder of the Beaufort District of the South
Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church
20.
CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS:
--
Congratulations to Navy Chaplain LT Nancy F. R. Crews on new assignment as the
Chaplain for 5th Battalion, 11th Marines
Congratulations to
LT Nancy F. R. Crews on her assignment as the chaplain for 5th Battalion, 11th
Marines! Chaplain Crews is a Navy
Chaplain from the 3rd Episcopal District and the first woman to be assigned to
this position in the history of this Marine Corps unit.
(LT Nancy F. R.
Crews)
--
101st Birthday Celebration of the Reverend Henry J. Legolie,
Presiding Elder Emeritus
The Cape Annual
Conference joins the Legolie family in celebrating the 101st birthday
celebration (31 August) of superannuate minister the Reverend Henry J. Legolie,
emeritus presiding Elder.
We have nothing but
thanks and praises unto God for this servant of the most high, still busy with
the task of awakening souls for the Kingdom with the preached word.
Belated birthday
greetings to the Rev. Henry J. Legolie, Presiding Elder Emeritus, can be sent
via:
--
The Reverend Kenneth J. and Mrs. Dianna B. Golphin proudly announce the Birth
of their first Grandchild
The Reverend
Kenneth J. and Mrs. Dianna B. Golphin proudly announce the birth of their first
grandchild, Evalynn "Eva" Niriah Golphin, born on September 2, 2014
at 4:01 p.m. to their oldest child, Chastity Renee Golphin. Eva entered the world at 6-lbs 2-oz, 19½
inches long; and has already captured the hearts of Pawpaw and Granny!
Chastity is a
winter 2009 graduate of Northern Kentucky University with a BA in Political
Science and is employed with Homewood Suites by Hilton.
The Reverend
Kenneth Golphin is pastor of Youngs Chapel AME Church in Louisville, KY. In addition to being the First Lady of Youngs
Chapel, Dianna Golphin is the President of the 13th Episcopal
District MSWAWO+PK's. Pastor Golphin can
be reached at PastorGolphin@aol.com and Mrs. Golphin
can be reached at MrsGolphin@aol.com. Mailing address for all is PO Box 746,
Versailles, KY 40383.
21.
EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to
announce that Attorney Marcus Scott died on Monday, September 8, 2014 after a
very short illness. Marcus Scott was the
husband of Attorney Kris N. Henning, brother-in-law
to Kyle M. Henning (Justine), and nephew to Dr. Herman W. Henning and Dr.
Cynthia Henning; Bishop C. Garnett Henning and Supervisor Ernestine Lee
Henning, Former Supervisor E. Yvonne Henning Parks, Anna Armita Henning, and
Presiding Elder Anne Henning Byfield and Ainsley Byfield.
The celebration of
life service will be Saturday, September 13 at 10:00 a.m. The service will be held at: Metropolitan AME
Church, 1518 M St NW, Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: (202)
331-1426.
Fax (202) 331.0369
The Rev. William
Lamar, Pastor
The Rev. Ronald
Braxton, Presiding Elder
The Rt. Rev.
William DeVeaux, Presiding Prelate
In lieu of flowers,
Marcus would be honored to have you donate to one of two causes he cared about:
The Ride To Conquer
Cancer - 9/13-9/14 - Funds raised in The Ride to Conquer Cancer will support
breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care made possible
through Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Sibley Memorial and Suburban
Hospitals. http://www.ridetovictory.org/site/TR/Events/2014WashingtonDCpx=1221472&pg=personal&fr_id=1070
Walk to End
Alzheimer's - Hector's Pup Team Page - Walk is 10/25/14. The walk is to raise awareness and funds to
advance research to treat and prevent Alzheimer's as well as provide programs
to improve the lives of millions of affected Americans. http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2014/DC-NationalCapitalAreapg=team&fr_id=4996&team_id=235263
Expressions can be
sent to the following:
22.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of the Rev. Maria Pinkie Tjale, pastor of the MM Mokone
Annual Conference, pastor of RC Kgopong AME Church, Harrieswich in the
Polokwane District.
The Rev. MP Tjale
passed away on Wednesday 3rd September 2014. The Rev. MP Tjale was ordained
Itinerant Deacon in 1988, Itinerant Elder in 2008. She has pastored three
churches in the Polokwane District, viz. Machaka, Molepo and Harrieswich and
one in the Vhembe District.
The Rev. PM Tjale
is survived by both parents, a 15 year-old daughter and three siblings.
The funeral service
will be held on Thursday 11th September 2014 at 6 a.m. at Lefiso AME Church in Marapyane,
RSA. The Rev. Modise Daniel Thabo Makhene, PE will be the worship leader.
Condolences may be
sent to:
Ms Esther
Phone: +27 84 651 3202
The Rev. MDT
Makhene, PE
Phone: +27 82 357
7149
Bishop Paul JM
Kawimbe is the Presiding Prelate of the 19th Episcopal District.
23.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Mr. James Hudson, the father of the Rev. Jamie Hudson,
pastor of Great St. James and Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal
Churches in Fairfax, South Carolina, Beaufort District, South Carolina Annual
Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church.
Per Mr. Hudson's
request, he was cremated.
A Memorial Service
will be held at the Mary McLeod Bethune Center in Mayesville, SC on October 25,
2014.
Expressions of
sympathy may be sent to:
The Rev. Jamie
Hudson
1353 Knotts Haven
Loop
Lexington, SC 29073
Telephone:
803-808-4058
Cell: 803-497-9815
24.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Sister Oria Williams, the spouse of the Rev. Joseph
Williams, pastor of Gaines Chapel AME Church in Atmore, Alabama.
Sister Oria
Williams' Celebration of Life:
Saturday, September
13, 2014
11:00 A.M.
Saint Stephen AME
Church
2707 Josephine
Street
Mobile,
Alabama 36617
The Reverend Dane
Robinson, Pastor
Professional
Services Entrusted to:
Memorial Funeral
Home
1302 Saint Stephens
Road
Prichard, Alabama
36610
(251) 457-6440
Expressions of
sympathy may be sent to:
The Rev. Joseph
Williams
2411 Pine tree
Drive
Mobile, Alabama
36617
Telephone: (251) 457-6900
25.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to
announce the passing of Mr. Henry T. Beaman, Sr., the brother of the Rev.
Silvester S. Beaman, pastor of Bethel AMEC, Wilmington, Delaware (Delaware
Conference, Wilmington District). The following information has been provided
regarding funeral arrangements.
Thursday: September
11, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.
(Viewing: 9:00 a.m.
- 11:30 a.m.)
New Hope Baptist
Church
1122 Buffalo Avenue
Niagara Falls, NY
14303
Telephone: (716)
282-8118
Expressions of
Sympathy can be sent to:
The Beaman Family
C/O Williamson
Funeral Home
635 Main Street
Niagara Falls, NY
14301
Telephone: (716)
284-6712
Fax: (716) 284-6780
26.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Third Episcopal
District Office sorrowfully announces the passing of Mrs. Nellie Hughey, widow
of the Reverend U. A. Hughey, on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. The Rev. U. A. Hughey was the former
President of Payne Theological Seminary also pastored many churches throughout
the Third Episcopal District.
Arrangements for
Mrs. Nellie Hughey are as follows:
Homegoing
Service:
Tuesday, September
9, 2014
Viewing: 10:00 am
until time of service
Service: 12:00 noon
United African
Methodist Episcopal Church
286 East Church
Street
Xenia, OH 45385
Telephone: (937)
372-3366
Fax: (937) 373-3327
The Reverend Dr.
John Freeman, Pastor and Eulogist
The Reverend Dr.
Betty W. Holley, Presiding Elder
Bishop McKinley
Young, Presiding Prelate Third Episcopal District
27.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of passing of Mr. Thomas Jefferson Rivers, the husband of the Reverend
Sonja M. Rivers, pastor in the Southwest Georgia Conference and an officer in
the Southwest Georgia Conference WIM.
Services
arrangements for Thomas Jefferson Rivers are as follows:
Visitation:
Saturday, September
6, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.
Lewis Mortuary
1248 US Hwy East
Georgetown, Georgia
Telephone: (229)
334-8923
Funeral Service:
Sunday: September
7, 2014 at 3:00 p.m.
Shady Grove AME
Church
831 Hwy 39 South
Georgetown, Georgia
39854
Expressions of
condolences may be sent to:
The Rev. Sonja
Rivers
4133 Pickering
Drive
Columbus, Georgia
31907
Telephone:
706-718-7987
28. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley,
Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family
Information Center
Web page:
http://www.amecfic.org/
Telephone: (615)
837-9736 (H)
Telephone: (615)
833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
29. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the
Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend T. Larry Kirkland; 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.
Did someone you know pass this copy of The Christian Recorder to
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