THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (09/04/14)

The Right Reverend T. Larry Kirkland - Chair, Commission on Publications

The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher

The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder

1. TCR EDITORIAL – THE MOST VIOLATED COMMANDMENT:

Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III

The 20^th Editor of The Christian Recorder

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a proverb that's been around for a number of years. I understand the proverb to mean that if a person works all of the time and doesn't take time off, he or she will be dull and boring.

The Bible deals with work and rest in a no-nonsense way with the Fourth Commandment when God’s people are commanded to take a Sabbath rest. In the Hebrew “shabbāth,” literally means, "rest." In Judaism the Sabbath is a day of rest more than a day of worship.  

Let me see if I can make a distinction  

In Judaism, the Sabbath (sundown Friday – sundown Saturday) is a day of rest; in Islam, Salat al Jumah (Friday when the sun is at its zenith - around noon in most locations) is a time of congregational prayer and in Christianity, Sunday is a time for worship in celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A devout Jew can stay home on the Sabbath and not attend the Synagogue worship and would still be considered a devout follower of Judaism because the requirement for the 4^th Commandment is rest, not worship.

Not so for Christians!  Devout Christians celebrate the Resurrection in worship each Sunday and congregational worship is what is expected of Christians.  It is not unusual to hear someone ask, “Did you go to church on Sunday?”

Sabbath day Christians celebrate worship on Saturdays and follow the rest requirement of the 4^th Commandment, but Sabbath day church members are expected to attend worship and there is still the requirement for the Sabbath rest.

The Decalogue is a part of our liturgical heritage.  Many AME churches recite the Decalogue affirming our commitment to obey the Law followed by the Words of Jesus, which christologically summarizes the Law and by singing the Gloria Patri, which reaffirms the Trinity. Devout Christians are expected to observe the rest requirement of the 4^th Commandment and the Resurrection worship requirement.  

Most churches and pastors measure the effectiveness of their ministry by church attendance.  Sermons are preached about attendance and pastors chastise errant church members about their lack of faithful attendance. 

Books are written about how churches can increase worship attendance. The Christian Recorder has addressed worship attendance.  Bishops address the issue of the importance of worship attendance.  Pastors and members inquire of each other about how many people attend their churches. Parishioners display their pleasure or displeasure with the local church program by their attendance or lack of attendance.

We pay a lot of attention to church worship attendance, but we ignore …  

Where am I going with this thought?

I suspect the 4^th Commandment is the most ignored commandment of the Ten Commandments.  I suspect that it is ignored by laity and clergy, but, I suspect it is most ignored by the clergy.

We pay more attention to the other 9 Commandments because the consequences of disobeying them seem more catastrophic.

We know the importance and consequences if we don’t put God first, make idols, and we know the importance of honoring our fathers and mothers and the consequences of committing murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and covetousness. Commandments 6 – 10 can lead to incarceration.

But somehow the consequence of disobeying the Sabbath Commandment doesn’t resonate with us because it is so easy to ignore and the consequence of disobeying it doesn’t seem to cause harm; and in the 21^st Century world in which we live, the 4^th Commandment doesn’t seem relevant. We are so busy with so many things.  

Sporting events are held on Sundays and some people complain that Saturdays and Sundays are the only days they can catch up on things they have neglected all week.

So, people work Monday through Friday and then work on Saturdays and Sundays catching up on things they didn’t accomplish during the week. Parishioners end up working seven days a week - work to earn a living five days a week and work for themselves two days a week; and the weeks run together and we wonder where all the time has gone.  And, some are too busy to attend worship and the result is they do not worship and they do not rest.

And, even sadder, members of the clergy do not observe the rest requirement of the 4^th Commandment.  And, not only do they not observe the physical rest component, they neglect the “leisure rest” component. Relaxation is a component of rest and “rest and relaxation” go together.

Now, this is where I am going…

Let me say upfront that most of my comments are anecdotal; I have not done a formal study; but, having said that, I have been “around the block a time or two.”   

As a group, the clergy ignore rest and relaxation beginning with their “call to the ministry” all the way to the episcopacy and at all levels between. The sin of breaking the 4^th Commandment is committed by licentiates, local and itinerant preachers, pastors, presiding elders; general officers and connectional officers who are clergy and bishops; and especially bishops.  

I am going to address the laity, too, because I think the problem is endemic and negatively impacts the work of the ministry, but it starts with the clergy.

No matter how many times we recite the full Decalogue, the 4^th Commandment is violated week after week by the leaders of our Zion.

We, the members of the clergy have forgotten that the Sabbath-rest and relaxation help us to define our relationship with God and rest and relaxation allow us to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life and allow us to draw closer to God.

When we violate the rest Commandment, our families suffer.  When the 4^th Commandment is violated, both physical and mental health suffer, relationships suffer and the ministry suffers. I suspect some preachers are so busy they don’t have time refuel their spiritual lives and they are running on “depleted spiritual fumes.”  

I wonder how many bishops, presiding elders and pastors took real vacations this summer.  I wonder how many of the clergy spend good quality time with their families away from church.

I wonder how many of them have hobbies and take the time to enjoy their hobbies for a couple of hours each week or maybe every day.

In many churches, the worship service itself becomes work. Our connectional meetings and especially our annual conferences, from start to finish, model “hustle and bustle.”  We hardly have time to breathe.

I wonder how many pastors end up in the hospital and in poor health because they violate the 4^th Commandment.  I wonder how many families are destroyed because of the violation of the 4^th Commandment.

Let me give some examples…

To be continued in the next issue.

TCR Editor’s Note: See Article # 14 in this issue

2. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:

 

-- To the Editor:

RE: TCR Editorial –Troubling Statistics for the Ministry and the Community – One Can be Easily Resolved, the Other Cannot be Easily Resolved:

I would like to comment on the article on the debt pastors are in after going to higher education.  I am not a pastor but I think about my student debt too, that I am carrying for obtaining a master's degree and trying to repay it.

I am sure pastors may feel like I do on my job that I am not paid enough for what I do. But, when I accepted my job, I worked 35+ hours on that job.  How many pastors really work that many hours per week as it relates to the church?  I was not given an allowance for housing and transportation to work.  I had to pay for housing, transportation, school loans, etc. out of the salary they pay me.  When I go to conferences, I get transportation/mile and a set amount for food.

My child travels to work daily; her salary pays for her transportation to and from, housing, her student debt and somewhere to stay. 

Many of our pastors work two jobs, and I wonder which job is more important to them?  At pastor's appreciation, they get extra money. My job very seldom gets bonuses every year. I know some pastors get money for the collection that will be taken up during the conferences. 

When they preach tithing, 10% of our income, do they tithe on the money they received for their appreciation or income?

. 

As we pray for our pastors, don't forget our teachers and other parishioners. Many of the statistics you listed are very similar to the lay people of the church.  How can our needs and concerns be addressed too? 

As you talk about their problems; discuss the laity too, the ones that pay their salary.

So, is my pastor more important than me?  Is a pastor more important than the laity?

Name Withheld

3. SAVE THE DATE – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FORTHCOMING:

2014 Fall Executive Board Meeting will be held November 20 – 22, 2014 at the Marriott Hotel, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The meeting will be hosted by the Seventh Episcopal District Lay Organization; Mr. Roger Cleckley is the President. Bishop Richard F. Norris is the Presiding Prelate of the 7th District.

Stay tuned for more Information...

4. CONTINUING MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE WESLEYAN / METHODIST FAMILY OF FAITH:

*Mr. John Thomas III

In September 2013, I shared with the readers of this paper my summer journeys as the Youth and Young Adult Coordinator of the World Methodist Council.   My responsibility in this role is to establish relationships with the Youth and Young Adult groups of the 77 member churches that compose the Council.    Last summer I traveled throughout the United States as well as Peru and Korea to represent the Council at gatherings of the Church of the Nazarene, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Methodist Church of Peru and the World Council of Churches.  I also visited London, England for our biannual World Methodist Council meeting.   Throughout all of these experiences, I have seen the diverse flavors of the Wesleyan/Methodist family while at the same time achieving a better understanding of our African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Again, this summer I found myself globetrotting to share with our Wesleyan/Methodist family of faith.  (As I write this I am on my way to share with the National Youth Pastor of the Methodist Church of Colombia).  In June, I visited the General Conference of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church in Baltimore, Maryland.  In July, I attended the Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly (GYPCLA) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the Philippines.   In both of these gatherings, I interacted with a wide variety of church officials to not only ascertain the status of youth and young adults in general but also the general situation of the denomination.    I continue to be amazed at the variety yet unity of purpose and witness displayed by the spiritual heirs of John Wesley.

The similarities between the CME and AME General Conference were striking.  The grand dais with the bench of Bishops, the Episcopal District delegate seating, the exhibit hall with vendors and the ubiquitous meeting bags all reminded me of home.  It is clear, however, that there are differences.  For example:

--There is only one microphone for the bishops and only the Presiding Officer speaks.  All other Bishops must be recognized and go to a separate microphone.

--Only delegates elected by the Annual Conferences can vote.   Bishops, General Officers, members of the Judicial Council are members ex officio but have no voting power.  Connectional Officers are recognized but only can vote if they are elected as delegates.

--All of the Episcopal Reports were issued in a single uniform booklet.

--General Officers and Bishops were elected on separate days with balloting was conducted by Scantron sheet.  Newly elected bishops were symbolically “elevated” and physically carried to the main stage.

--The “Daily Reports” were published by the official church newspaper, “The Christian Index.”

--There is no single “Revisions Committee” that handles all legislation.  Bills are referred by the Executive Secretary of the CME Church (a General Officer) to the various General Conference committees who then examine the bills, hold hearings and refer the bills to the General Conference with their recommendations.

--Young Adult (under 40) Clergy were active in the General Conference as orderlies (marshals) and full delegates.

--All CME-affiliated Colleges and schools were given an opportunity to present a full report and accounting to the General Conference.

While the highlight of the General Conference was the election of Bishops and General Officers, the delegates seemed genuinely engaged in the deliberations until the final day.  Of particular note was the candidacy of my University of Chicago colleague for Editor of The Christian Index. Though he polled second in voting after three ballots, the strong candidacy of a 25 year old layperson for a General Office showed that a new generation of CMEs was ready and willing to take up leadership in the denomination.  Also of great interest was the launch of revision process for the Articles of Religions adopted by the CME Church. This significant process is being spearheaded by CME academics and theologians both clergy and lay alike in order to provide a more relevant statement of faith for today’s time.  

The UMC Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly mirror the AME Church YPD Quadrennial.  Since 2006, it has been held every four years to bring together Youth (under 17), Young Adults (18-30), and Adult Youth Workers for fellowship, skill-building and to debate legislation for the UMC General Conference.  Every Jurisdiction (United States) and Central Conference (outside of the United States) is entitled to 5 youth delegates, 5 young adult delegates, 2 adult youth worker delegate and  a number of nonvoting delegates with voice.  The meeting is held outside of the United States because it is especially difficult for young people from developing countries to get American visas. 

On the first day of the meeting, Typhoon Glenda struck the Philippines and destroyed the majority of the convention center hosting the meeting.  No one was hurt, but the meeting was moved to a venue closer to the capital city Manila.  In spite of this hardship, I felt the same spirit of camaraderie and genuine love for Christ that I see not only in our YPD but in the Methodist/Wesleyan youth groups all over the world.  The worship experiences were an eclectic yet seamless mix of Filipino culture and Methodist tradition.

The assembly’s focus on forwarding petitions (bills) to the General Conference is designed to give youth and young adults an institutional avenue to have their voice and thoughts heard by the highest level of the denomination.  Issues ranging from human sexuality to ordination criteria to investment practices were debated by this Global body.  I could not help but wonder what our YPDers would come up with if they used a portion of the Quadrennial to debate bills for our General Conference.    I did notice that the meeting was openly driven by the older adult staff and there was no clearly empowered youth or young adult leader.  We take for granted in our denomination that the office of YPD President exists and the Director functions in a support capacity.   Also, while the meeting had great global diversity several key US UMC ethnic caucuses groups (African-Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans) were noticeably absent or not proportionally represented.

These two meetings both reminded me again of how similar we are as brothers and sisters in Christ who are inspired by John Wesley.   They also helped me to better understand ways that we can learn from others to improve key ministries in our Zion.  I hope that we will continue Richard Allen’s legacy of innovation and adaptation and realize that pride in our achievements does not mean that we cannot learn from others—especially our Methodist/Wesleyan family.

*John Thomas III is a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago.  He serves as an at-large member of the General Board and is the Coordinator of Youth and Young Adults for the World Methodist Council.

5. THE CALLING OF THE TWELVE:

The Rev. Warren Bolton

As one observer put it, “They are older and grayer, wiser, more experienced, and tested — and still walking with God.  Still on the battlefield, and still working to transform the world for Christ.” The Rt. Rev. Frederick Calhoun James dubbed them the “Magnificent 12.”

Such are the characteristics of the dozen men and women who, on Oct. 7, 1983, became forever linked by history, as they comprised the largest ordination class during the late Bishop Frank Madison Reid Jr.’s tenure in the Seventh Episcopal District.

That momentous day 30 years ago at Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greenville, South Carolina, was commemorated November 24, 2013, during a celebration observed as “The Calling of the Twelve.”

One by one, name-by-name, these men and women of the gospel who have led congregations throughout African Methodism were recognized for their consistent service to God and man. The 12 were the Rev. Phillip C. Anderson, the Rev. Ronnie E. Brailsford Sr., the Rev. Effson C. Bryant, the Rev. Wayman Coleman III, the Rev. Phyllis Dunlap, the Rev. James R. Glover, the Rev. Robert Johnson, the Rev. Moses Miller, the Rev. Carnell Morton, the Rev. St. Julian Snider, Sr., the Rev. Sandra Smith and the Rev. Phillip L. Washington.

Unfortunately, circumstances did not allow all to attend, but pastors Anderson, Brailsford, Bryant, Coleman, Johnson, Miller, Snider and Washington were on-hand for the spirited worship experience and recognition ceremony held at Bethel AME Church of Columbia, South Carolina, where the Rev. Dr. Brailsford serves as senior pastor.

The Rev. Sandy W. Drayton, Presiding Elder of the Columbia District of the Columbia Annual Conference, served as the worship leader and the occasion began with the Processional Hymn, "I am on the Battlefield."

Powerful prayers, words of commemoration and adulation and the presentation of plaques to each of the honorees helped mark the moment.

The Rev. Maxine R. Sumpter, Christian Education Director, Columbia District, read resolutions and special greetings sponsored or written by various dignitaries, including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, state Sen. Clementa Pinckney and Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Bobby V. Page, US Air Force Deputy Chief of Chaplains.

Amid the celebration, the ministry of music set a tone of worship and praise.

The Bethel A.M.E. Church Choir’s Spirit-charged singing of "Mustard Seed Faith" and “Order My Steps” and Sister Schkena Snider Coates’ booming, soul-rattling rendition of “How Great Thou Art" and Brother Andre C. Thompkins’ praise-filled presentation of "Through It All" prepared all hearts for the preached word.

The preacher for the day was none other than the Rt. Rev. James, the 92^nd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

The Rev. Dr. Brailsford presented Bishop James as an ecumenical theologian, political leader, servant, who at age 91 is still going strong.

Bishop James gave appointments or promotions to each of the 12 honorees during his tenure in South Carolina from 1984 to 1992.

Bishop James said it was a blessing from God to be a part of this celebratory moment. “I thank God for the bishop who ordained this magnificent twelve, Bishop Frank Madison Reid Jr,” he said. He noted that the pastors being honored were some of the best “I have had the privilege of leading and appointing.”

Bishop James then delivered a powerful message that not only reminded the honorees of the purpose of their calling but challenged those in attendance to cling to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Taking a text from Matthew 16:13-20, he explored the subject, “What Do You Say About Jesus?”

He said that since the day of their ordination, the 12 pastors had committed themselves and did not default on their vows. “These individuals were ready for ordination. They were morning stars,” he said, adding that they had never wavered from their calling.

Bishop James declared that Jesus and the disciples had an ordination experience. In the process, would ask his disciples a couple of challenging questions about the Messiah himself.  Jesus had gone about teaching and preaching, constantly addressing the multitude that followed him. Bishop James said that everywhere Christ stopped he established a seminary and a hospital. He fed 5,000 with a young boy’s lunch, among other wonders. The Bishop said that part of ordination is the charge to take responsibility to feed the needy, heal the sick and wounded and be a force on behalf of the disadvantaged.

During his time of addressing those in need and ministering to the people, Jesus had asked his disciples the question: “Who do men say that I am?” After hearing the faulty, third party answers, the Messiah asked a more personal question of his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon, a fisherman, answered. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Bishop James said that Jesus noted that flesh and blood did not reveal that to Simon. Christ would change Simon’s name, which meant shifting sand — one who couldn’t stand pressure — to Peter, meaning “rock” and signifying stability and strength. “What do you say about Jesus today,” Bishop James asked.

He said that it is of critical importance that a preacher be careful in delivering a word to the world today. Above all, the preacher must tell the world about Christ. No matter how great the delivery or how flowery the words, “He hasn't preached if he hasn't said ‘Jesus’,” Bishop James said.

He said all God’s people, not just preachers, are called to speak up, witness, and make a difference. They must explore the questions: What would Jesus have me to say? What would Jesus have me to do?

“There is a word about Jesus today,” Bishop James said.

It is a word the “magnificent 12” have been and continue to preach to the masses. They are older and grayer, but wiser, more experienced, tested — and still walking with God. Still working to transform the world for

Christ.

Today the ministers are still very active in their beloved Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and throughout the AME Church Connectional Church. 

The Rev. Phillip C. Anderson, pastor of St. James AME Church, Jedburg, SC; the Rev. (Dr.) Ronnie E. Brailsford Sr., pastor of Bethel AME Church, Columbia, SC/Candidate for Bishop in the AME Church; the Rev. Effson C. Bryant, pastor of Youngs Chapel AME Church, Irmo, SC / Staff Chaplain at Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC; the Rev. Wayman Coleman III, pastor of Flat Rock AME Church, Abbeville, SC; the Rev. Phyllis Dunlap, associate pastor of St. John & Grace AME Church, Abbeville, SC; the Rev. James R. Glover, Presiding Elder of the Lancaster District; the Rev. Robert Johnson,  retired AME Church pastor;  the Rev. Moses Miller, retired AME Church pastor; the Rev. St. Julian Snider Sr., pastor of Mt. Zion AME Church, Garnett, SC;  the Rev. Sandra Smith, Little Zion AME Church, Greenwood, SC and the Rev. Phillip L. Washington, Ebenezer AME Church, Mayesville, SC.

Almost seven months after the “Calling to the Twelve Historical Celebration,” on June 13, 2014, the Reverend Carnell Morton, senior pastor at Bethel AME Church, Anderson, South Carolina was called from “labor to rest.”  

The Reverend Morton was born on January 29, 1950, the son Mable Norman and the late Henry White. He was reared in the home of the late Ben and Mattie Morton. He was a 1968 graduate of Brewer High School. He attended Piedmont Technical College, where he received a degree in Human Services and also attended Erskine Theological Seminary, where he received a degree in Biblical Counseling. He was a servant leader at the following churches, Ebenezer AME, Mt. Pleasant AME; Little Zion AME and Pine Grove AME (Callison)-Greenwood Circuit; Poplar Spring AME; Flat Rock AME, St. Peters AME (Abbeville); Tranquil AME; St. Peters AME (Cameron, SC); and currently was serving Bethel AME (Anderson). 

He leaves to cherish his memories; his wife of the home for 44 years; five sons, Jerome (Lisa) Freeman, the Rev. Reginald (Carnetta) Morton, the Rev. Allen Wayne (Angela) Morton, the Rev. Michael J. Morton and the Rev. Marcus (Stephanie) Morton; his mother, Mable M. Norman; his mother-in-law, Evangelist Willie M. Williams; daughter-in-law, Paula James; two brothers-in-law, Marion (Regina) Williams, Minister Frank Williams; two sisters-in-law, Betty W. (Bill) Newson and Cheryl Calhoun; fourteen grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; god-daughters, Natasha Bennett-Moore, Whitney Nicholson, Jazmine Roundtree and Latrisha Harris; a colleague and special family friend, Tammy Mack; numerous aunts, uncles and a host of other relatives and friends to mourn his passing.

The Reverend Morton “We shall meet in the morning!”

6. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION...:

Dr. Phyllis Qualls-Brooks

--The AMEC Publishing House Has A New Neighbor…

The Largest Building Project in the State of Tennessee

In the real estate industry, you hear the term often, location, location, location.  These words resound loud and clear for the African Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday School Union Publishing House, located at 500 Eighth Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee.

The campus of the AMEC Sunday School Union is now neighbor to the coveted Music City Center, located in downtown Nashville. 

Dr. Johnny Barbour, President & Publisher of the AMEC Publishing House said, “We are delighted to be a neighbor to the largest building project in the history of the state of Tennessee, and have been pleased with our partnership since its inception.  It is a remarkable facility.”  Charles Starks, Executive Director of the MCC said, “This location has turned out to be outstanding for the MCC and we are pleased to have a neighbor like the AMEC.”  

“By opening the doors of a new downtown convention center, we have opened a new world of opportunity for Nashville’s hospitality and tourism industry,” Mayor Karl Dean said. “The Music City Center is an investment in our city and this investment will pay dividends for many years to come. I am convinced there is no other convention destination in the country as compelling as Music City Center.”

Mayor Dean delivered his State of the Metro address as part of the grand opening festivities, which was a two day event with stars from all music genres performing at the various events.

Construction of the $585 million facility began in March 2010 and was completed in April 2013.  The Music City Center celebrated its one year anniversary in May 2014 and officials say it was a great first year.

 MCC officials explained the year from an economic lens as being on sound financial footing. “We are extremely pleased with our first year. During fiscal year 2014, the Music City Center hosted 342 events which brought 491,352 visitors to the city, generating 272,917 hotel room nights and bringing in $243 million in direct economic impact to the city. We beat our budget for the year, while spending over 45% of our operating dollars with DBE firms,” said Starks.

Diversity Business Enterprise or DBE, is a certification that allows qualifying businesses to participate in DBE programs as outlined by individual states. Such programs seek to promote the inclusion of socially or economically disadvantaged organizations, such as women and minority-owned businesses, in the distribution of government subsidized contracts.

Most of the groups  we hosted this past year saw record attendance and the customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – they love the new facility and their attendees love coming to Nashville.”

Visitors to the City marvel at this facility. Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp said, “Reception for the Music City Center, Omni Hotel and expanded Country Music Hall of Fame has exceeded our expectations and we are working hard to keep up with demand. The new campus has attracted groups that had outgrown us and groups that wouldn’t have previously considered us, not to mention spurring property values, new restaurants, new hotels and jobs. The revenue streams created to pay the debt are far ahead of projections and tax collections continue to grow at a stellar rate.”

The Music City Center is an expansive campus, with 2.1 million square feet, which includes 1.2 million square feet of public space and a 900,000-square foot garage, which includes 1,800 parking spaces.

Bishop Clement W. Fugh,  who was elected and consecrated Bishop at the 2012 General Conference, held in Nashville,  formerly served as Secretary/CIO of the AME Church and knows the area well.  “I marvel at what has happened in this area.  For years the AME Church Publishing House and Book Concern, and Avery Apartments owned by the Church occupied this area. The Mothers and Fathers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church would marvel at the transformation,” he said.

The MCC makes it a part of their mission to focus on environmental sustainability and announced in April that they were awarded LEED Gold certification for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council. Features key to the Music City Center’s LEED Gold certification include a green roof, a rainwater harvest system and extensive LED lighting with specialized controls. LEED or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their project.  

 Minority contractors were an important part of the construction project. At the request of Mayor Karl Dean and Metro Council, the Convention Center Authority committed to spend at least 20 percent of the budget with minority, women, small and service disabled veteran owned businesses but expectations were exceeded and more than 30 percent of spending went to DBE businesses during construction.

Sharron Hurt, President and CEO of Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (JUMP), explained that a high priority was given to minority contractors. “JUMP’s workforce development program contributed 400 applicants who were hired and made up 20% of the workforce throughout the construction of the MCC.”   The versatility of the building was also evident in the inclusiveness of the work force. “We are proud of the contribution these companies made, which included Universal Electronics, headquartered in Nashville,” she added.

Joe Turner, president of Universal Electronics, Inc. and a lifelong AME member (Greater Bethel AME-Nashville) said “We had an extraordinary experience on this project and pleased to have been a part of this structural showpiece for the City of Nashville and the State of Tennessee.”

The building showcases a 57,500 square feet Grand Ballroom, the largest in the state.  Sixth Ave., a major thoroughfare, runs through the building, giving it a true unique flavor as well as uninterrupted access.

Another significant feature of the convention center is its public art. Dr. Calvin Sydnor, III, Editor of The Christian Recorder, the official newspaper for the AME Church said, “It is important that this building, known for its bricks and mortar, will also feature the cultural aspects of Nashville; and the strategic location of the AMEC Sunday School Publishing House is a visible cultural reminder of the significance of the AME Church’s contribution to the city of Nashville.

The Music City Center’s art collection features more than 100 pieces of art, including paintings, suspended pieces, new media, mosaics and light works. The majority of artists represented in the acquired art collection are from within the state and many from Nashville.

Dr. Richard Allen Lewis, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the AME Church, is a Nashville native.  “I am delighted to see Nashville continue to grow and become a beacon throughout the country.  The Music City Center goes beyond the physical structure; it is a statement of growth for this City.” 

The Music City Center is about three times larger than the Nashville Convention Center and will be able to host 75% of conventions in the country, compared to the 25% of conventions the city hosted prior to the building of the MCC.

“The inside of the Music City Center is breathtaking – it is filled with natural light, even in the wide-open exhibit hall, and has beautiful outdoor terraces, great artwork, a stunning grand ballroom and rolling roof,” Mayor Dean said. “The grand ballroom is one of my favorite spots in the entire building. It is visually stunning, and the acoustics are magnificent. The woodwork in the grand ballroom is artfully designed so that you feel like you are sitting inside a guitar,” he added.

The Sunday School Publishing House was built in 1977 by Bishop Henry Allen Belin, Jr. (retired), then publisher of the Sunday School Union.  “Bishop Belin’s insight then has proven to be a great asset to the AME Church,” said Dr. Barbour.

“My vision was for the AME Church to have a facility that was functional and representative of this great religious denomination,” said Bishop Belin. In 2007, Dr. Barbour purchased and renovated the building next door to the current location, further expanding the facility.

It was dedicated at the 125th Anniversary of the Sunday School Union.  “I am so proud of what Dr. Barbour has continued to do with the entire AMEC Sunday School Union Campus,” added Bishop Belin. 

With neighbors like the MCC, the AMEC Sunday School Publishing Campus is a signature piece of real estate for the world to see and behold.

“The Publishing House is in a great location and can only become an even greater asset to this area and the city overall, “said Dr. Barbour.

7. SOUTH MACON DISTRICT HOSTS THE CHURCH SCHOOL CONVENTION:

      

The Macon District African Methodist Episcopal Church held its Church School Convention at Adams Smith Tabernacle AME Church in Warner Robins, Georgia on Saturday, May 31, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The Reverend Jacquelyn Craig was the Host Pastor and the Rev. Alan Hale Wicker is the Presiding Elder of the South Macon District; the Reverend Caroline Adams serves as the Christian Education Director for the South Macon District; and Dr. Myldred Hill, serves ass the Church School Superintendant of the South Macon District. 

The Youth Theme: "Obey the Lord" and the scripture theme was Haggai 1:7-9. 

    

The schedule of activities began with the Morning Worship Service.   There was fellowshipping and Songs of Praises such as “Our God is An Awesome God,” which all preceded the soul-stirring sermon by Presiding Elder Alan Wicker.  His text was John 17 and his subject was, “Citizens of another World.”  He began his sermon showing the congregants his passport and explained how a passport is evidence of your home country.  It is proof that you are a citizen of the United States.  He continued, as Christians we should be able to identify who we are – a child of the King.  Our attitude comes from the Holy Spirit.  Our true home is Jesus' home – Heaven and we need to do Christ work in the world and be not conformed but transformed.  His soul-stirring message was, indeed, uplifting to all in attendance.

     

Dr. Myldred Hill conducted the Model Sunday School. 

Afterward, the youth were summoned by age group to their respective classes to elaborate on the Youth Theme: "Obey the Lord."

There were various youth activities which included essay writing and drawings related to the youth theme.  

Everyone reassembled and gave "echoes" from each class, followed by the awards/wrap up.  The youth were very enthusiastic about their Christian learning experience. 

The co-essay winners were Alexia Webb and Daniel Johnson III.  Alexia is a member of Webb, Gray Chapel AME Church in Macon, Georgia. Her essay was entitled, "Obey the Lord.”  The Rev. Sharon Homer is her pastor.  The co-winner, Daniel Johnson II of Belvin AME Church in Marshallville, Georgia essay title was, “Obey.”  His pastor is his father; the Reverend Daniel Johnson.

The winners of the drawings were Jaamal Huffins, Trevon Mitchell, and Kwaceen King, all of Saint Peter AME Church in Fort Valley.  St. Peter won the award for attendance.  A delicious closing fellowship meal was served.

    

The Macon District Church School Convention had a great attendance and turned out to be a worshipful learning event. 

8. MUSIC AND FINE ARTS – ALIVE AND THRIVING AT CAMP BABER:

Imagine a scene – situated in a tranquil and natural setting, surrounded by lakes and greenery, where sounds from musical instruments and beautiful singing, fuse with visions of dancers, painters and creative writers all about.  This is the scene, every day, during the week that the Beverly Thomas Fine Arts Institute convenes at Camp Baber in Cassopolis, Michigan.

The vision for a fine arts institute at Camp Baber was introduced in 1997, under the episcopal leadership of Bishop Robert Thomas, Jr. and his wife Beverly.   Initial funding for the camp was provided by a grant from the Kellogg Foundation and private donations from the Fourth District Women’s Missionary Society of the AME Church.  Ninety excited students attended the first fine arts camp and enrolled in band, strings and choir.  Over the years, the camp has had phenomenal growth adding classes in:  creative writing, spoken word, drama, dance, jazz, drum line, drawing and painting, quilting and film making.  Students now look to this summer camp program as a "Mecca" for training in the arts.

Always seeking excellence, its founder, Mother Beverly Thomas, understands the importance of the arts, in the lives of our youth, and as an educator and artist, firmly believes that participation in the arts can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.  Proficiency, through practice, can and does instill a sense of responsibility, dedication, teamwork, and respect for self as well as others.   Creating something beautiful also speaks to the spirituality within.  Any student, 12 to 19 years of age, with a minimum of 2 years of study in their performance area, is encouraged to apply. 

In order to continue this marvelous arts camp, fund raising is ongoing.,  We want to keep the camp affordable while being able to offer full and partial scholarships to students in need.  Tuition is $350 per student and includes dormitory accommodations, three healthy meals daily,  class instruction from stellar professionals, some private lessons, career seminars, concerts, worship and praise services, and supervised recreation including: swimming, basketball, softball.  Distinguished guests from concert stages, university campuses, and church pulpits have addressed and blessed our student body.  Appreciation and thanks must be expressed to contributors throughout The Connectional AME Church; to MCAM of the Christian Education Department; the Connectional WMS, and the Fourth Episcopal District Family whose financial gifts sustain and undergird us. We are blessed by God for the Episcopal leadership of Senior Bishop John Bryant and the Rev Dr. Cecelia Williams–Bryant whose unwavering support allows Camp Baber to flourish. Their understanding of the precious gifts within the ‘child vessel,’ motivates us all to protect, nourish, and sustain our youth.

Mother Beverly states with pride:  “Not many people know that the Beverly Thomas Fine Arts Institute, Inc. is the only USA music and fine arts institute founded and directed by an African American located on a state approved "A" rated camp site of 57 acres, owned and operated by African Americans (Fourth Episcopal District, AME Church).  We are compelled to give our young people our best; they are our hope and our future leaders in the church and communities they will serve.

Please visit www.bthomasai.com for additional information.  Like us on Face Book@ Beverly Thomas Fine Arts Institute.

Donate to the Beverly Thomas Fine Arts Institute – P.O. Box 21636 Detroit, MI 48221

9. CHURCH OFFICIAL GIVES BACK:

AME pastor will start appointed role this fall.

The Rev. Earl G. Harris of the Greater Allen AME Church in Dayton will assume a new title as presiding elder of the AME 3^rd Episcopal District this November.

By Pamela Dillon

As a 25-year senior pastor of the Greater Allen AME Church in Dayton, the Rev. Earl G. Harris has distinguished himself as a leader. The administrative body of the African Methodist Episcopal Church has recognized his accomplishments with an appointment as the presiding elder of the 3rd Episcopal District. He’ll assume that full-time job in November.

“What I’ll miss the most about being a pastor is working with people. Twenty-five years is a long time, and next month I’ll be conducting the wedding of a young lady that I baptized as a child,” said Harris. “My new role is a supervisory position providing counsel, expertise and resources and helping new pastors in smaller churches.”

A celebration honoring his 25 years of service to Greater Allen and the Dayton Community was held on Aug. 16 at the Holiday Inn, Fairborn.

“It’s hard to compress 25 years into two hours, but I am so appreciative of what they are doing for me,” said Harris, who lives in Kettering with his wife Jeanette. The couple shares a blended family of six children and 12 grandchildren.

Harris knows a lot about growing a church into and beyond a community. In 1991, he founded the West Dayton Church Caravan as four churches worshiping together during Holy Week: Greater Allen AME, Bethel Baptist, McKinley United Methodist, and Zion Baptist. The Caravan has grown to 21 congregations in the Dayton community composed of several Methodist, Baptist, Apostolic, Catholic, Lutheran and Episcopal Churches.

“As a fellowship of churches, we cross the Christian spectrum,” said Harris.

The caravan’s contributions, matched by an anonymous donor, raised $105,000 to pay the senior tuition for 55 students at Central State University so they could graduate in 1996.

“Reverend Earl Harris is a recognized leader in urban education,” said Anthony Fairbanks CSU vice president of Institutional Advancement. “As founder of the state-recognized Richard Allen Schools, he provides exemplary opportunities for students to succeed. Through the utilization of innovative academic curricula, his schools prepare young people for the rigors of a Central State University education.”

Harris was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Wilberforce University in 2006. Through his leadership, more than $250,000 has been raised over 16 years for the university.

Read More: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/lifestyles/church-official-gives-back/nhBgQ/

10. "SAVING THE ITC" CAMPAIGN RAISES $1.3 MILLION FOR THEOLOGICAL CENTER:

ATLANTA, GA. -- The Interdenominational Theological Center has announced that its Constituent Seminaries have pledged $1 million to support one of America’s most important institutions of theology. Combined with contributions from individual donors and congregations, more than $1.3 million has been pledged to help ITC.

“We are grateful that our Constituent Seminaries have stepped up to each pledge $200,000 in addition to the funds they already generously provide to support our institution,” said Bishop Adam Richardson, chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee of the ITC Board of Trustees and an African Methodist Episcopal Presiding Bishop of Florida and the Bahamas (the AME Church Eleventh District). “This gift will ensure that ITC ends the year with a balanced budget and reaches its goal for the ‘Saving the ITC’ campaign.”

Early this year, ITC announced its “Saving the ITC” initiative with the goal of raising $2.5 million to eliminate a budget deficit and alleviate accreditation concerns about the institution’s financial stability. Church congregations, clergy, alumnae and others have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the effort, in addition to the $200,000 gifts from four Constituent Seminaries.

On June 25, more than $70,000 was raised at a luncheon hosted by Ambassador Andrew Young and attended by the Rev. C.T. Vivian, Dr. Joseph Lowery and other prominent ministers and leaders.

“Nothing is more important than the goal of saving our ITC,” said Dr. Charles J. King, Jr., chairman of the Board of Directors. “Over the nearly six decades of existence, this institution has sent legions of well-educated ministers into pulpits across the United States and the world as preachers, pastors, scholars and change agents. Thankfully, the gifts we are receiving from our constituent seminaries, as well as from alums and friends, will encourage external organizations and individuals to recognize the importance of our institution and to help sustain the irreplaceable work of the ITC.”

The ITC, founded in 1958, is a national resource supporting the Black church’s role in renewing American society. It is a graduate-level theological seminary with the mission to educate and nurture women and men who commit to and practice a liberating and transforming spirituality.

It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada to offer a three year residential and online programs of study earning the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Education; and a two-year program for the Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Theology in Pastoral Care and Counseling degrees.

With an annual enrollment of 375 and a goal of 500 students, the ITC draws students from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean and some Asian countries. Numerous ITC alumni have excelled to the office of bishop, president of conventions, moderators and other high levels of the church hierarchy in their denominations and are making vital contributions as leaders in the church and community across the nation and the world.

ITC is a consortium of six seminaries representing different denominations: Gammon Theological Seminary (United Methodist), Morehouse School of Religion (Baptist), Turner Theological Seminary (African Methodist Episcopal), C.H. Mason Theological Seminary (Church of God in Christ), and Phillips School of Theology (Christian Methodist Episcopal) along with the Harry V. Richardson Fellowship (an alliance of non-constituent affiliated students at The ITC).

Individuals and organizations desiring to make a gift to Save Our ITC may make your gift online at www.itc.edu.com or mail your gift to ITC c/o Save Our ITC Campaign. All gifts will be received and acknowledged.

11. GRAVES INSTALLED AS 7^TH GIRLS PREPARATORY SCHOOL HEAD

Anne Exum

Photo Credit: Lane Brown Park

"My name is Autumn Joy Adkins Graves, and I am the seventh Head of Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I proudly proclaim – I will lead like a girl!" With those words at the conclusion of her installation as GPS’s Head of School, the audience of friends, family, faculty, trustees, parents, alumnae, and students rose to their feet and offered their heartfelt affection and appreciation in a loud and lengthy ovation.

Alternately described as a joyous occasion, historic event, and new chapter in the school’s great history, the Installation ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 28, was all of those things, according to a spokesperson for the school. Chair of the Search Committee, Lizzer Graham ’77, welcomed the crowd and traced the steps of the Head search, noting that they were seeking a person with a contagious passion for girls’ education and a deep and authentic love of learning.

Senior speaker Ragan Foley assured the new Head that the students “cannot wait to share our school with you,” including the big things like the longstanding Honor Code and the little things such as the girls’ nickname for their uniforms, potato sacks.

After an a capella rendition of the song “Brave” by the GPS Singers, Dr. Graves was installed by Board Chair Chris Benz Smith ’72 and then introduced by longtime friend Bruce Stewart, the former Head at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. Now a resident of Chattanooga, he said, “Your next Head of School will be an example of excellence serving excellence.”

Using a phrase popularized by New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Dr. Graves began her address by noting a “conspiracy of love,” acts of “strong enthusiasm and concern for the wellbeing of the students” that brought everyone together for “this particular moment.” She called the students “my girls,” and said, “I know that none of you would be here if there was not one person who has been a champion in your life…one, or an army of people who have been working together for the same result – to make sure you have a school experience that challenges your mind, body, and spirit to grow into the version of your best self.”

Dr. Graves traced her personal “conspiracy of love” through several generations of family members with “intellectual power and work ethic,” and who “saw women as equal to men,” and then reflected on the Founders of GPS who created GPS “because of their love or concern for the well-being of others.”

Among her stated ideas for the future of GPS are a recommitment to the ideals espoused by the Founders, a partnership with parents to educate well-rounded and balanced young women, and a partnership with others to teach GPS girls and the girls of the Chattanooga community how to be social entrepreneurs that will “create solutions for education, health, economic, environmental and civic problems.” Dr. Graves also sees GPS as being a resource for alumnae, “a place where graduates can convene to discuss topics like health and wellness, personal finance, and how best to serve our communities.”

She called for supporting the faculty to be “nationally recognized educators” with a curriculum that is “just as innovative and transformative as the curriculum our Founders designed” in their era. “GPS,” she said, “will be a leading voice in local, national, and global movements that will change the negative connotation of doing something like a girl into something that is positive and valued.”

About Girls Preparatory School

Founded in 1906, Girls Preparatory School stands among the nation’s top independent girls’ schools. GPS is dedicated to creating leaders by engaging the mind, stimulating the spirit, instilling values and self-confidence, and challenging girls to recognize their membership in the global community.  GPS prepares girls to be as comfortable with technology as with classic literature and to become leaders for a new generation of active and ethical world citizens. GPS instills high principles of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence.  For more information, visit www.gps.edu, ‘like’ Girls Preparatory School on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @GPSBruisers.

12. THE EASTERN SHORE DISTRICT CONFERENCE WAS AN EXCITING EVENT:

The Norfolk Eastern Shore District Conference will be held on Friday, September 12-13, 2014 at New St. John AME Church in Virginia Beach Virginia. The Rev. Dr. Orin E. Gill Sr. is the pastor. 

Clergy and laity from more than 30 churches will participate in the District Conference. 

The mission of the African Methodist Church is to minister to the social, spiritual, and physical development of all people.  “As a connectional church, conferences allow us to learn, fellowship and grow closer to Christ,” stated the Rev. Dr. Orin Gill Sr, pastor of the host church.  He went on to say, “We are extremely excited to welcome the conference and our acclaimed Bishop William P. DeVeaux and Episcopal Supervisor Dr. Pam DeVeaux.” 

The conference theme is “Effective Christian Leadership: Empowered by Prayer, Praise & Proclamation.” 

We look forward to workshops, worship services and a high time of praise!

13. THE UPCOMING RETIREMENT OF ELDER ALFRED J. BAKER:

By Rev. Salatheia Bryant Honors

The 42-year-ministry of Presiding Elder Alfred J. Baker was celebrated recently over a two-day period by clergy and laity of the North Houston District as well as members from around the Tenth Episcopal District, including Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie.

Well-wishers came from near and far to celebrate Baker’s upcoming transition in service.

Baker, the presiding elder of the North Houston District, will officially retire during the 148^th Session of the Texas Annual Conference that will be held in October. His experience includes being a pastor, starting a new church work and serving 20 years as a presiding elder with his first appointment of the Bay City District. Baker is 75.

It was a grand weekend of reflection and rejoicing as the district paid homage to this “son of the Texas soil” who is known for his signature deep voice. 

The retirement events – a worship service and banquet - were held at St. Paul AME Church on August 8 and August 9. The theme for the celebration was “The Work is all Divine.”

“I have been doing some reflecting and it looks good,” Elder Baker told those gathered at the Friday night worship service. “I’m not going to find a corner and waste away. I am going to serve God.”

In his retirement souvenir journal that chronicled his childhood and ministry he wrote: ”As the Lord saw fit to conclude 42 years of witness on this level, I joyfully await the next level...I do thank him for the churches and communities he has allowed me to pastor and for all of the love I received from them in return.”

The Friday night service brought Baker back to his roots.

His Morehouse classmate – the Rev. Dr. Benjamin J. Martin was the guest preacher for the service. During their college days he and Baker travelled many miles together singing with the Morehouse choir. At the Friday night worship they both joined the district choir lending their voices to the bass section on one of the selections. Elder Baker’s distinctive voice could be heard.  His favorite hymn “Once to Every Man and Nation” was sung as the opening hymn.  Baker spent most of the worship service seated next to his wife, the Rev. Dr. Ida Baker.

The events were the culmination of months of planning by a designated committee of clergy and laity led by the Rev. Roderick Dawson. The Rev. Dawson said the district wanted to reflect through the celebration its appreciation for Elder Baker’s labor in ministry.

“The North Houston District’s desire was to give honor to a well-deserved servant whose mission in life is to serve,” said Dawson. “He has served us well and in return we wanted to honor him well. Our goal was to bless him during this season of transition, to make sure that even in retirement, ministry is still rewarding.”

On Friday night the Rev. Benjamin Martin preached from the text II Timothy 4:6-8. His title was “Reflecting on a Life.”

“Paul is reflecting on his experiences. Paul had all these experiences that helped him be a better minister. Paul says ‘I’ve done my best. I got talked about. I got whipped. I didn’t quit. I stayed with it,’” preached Martin. “You are called to be faithful. No matter what happened I was faithful. I stayed with it from beginning to end. I passed on the faith to someone else. Therefore he says I have no regrets. It is good to come to retirement and say, I have no regrets.”

On Saturday night the district gathered for a catered banquet. Elder Baker sat at the head table looking out on the “sea” of family, friends and other presiding elders. Bishop McKenzie and Episcopal Supervisor Dr. Stan McKenzie were both in attendance for the banquet. The banquet was sold out.

The banquet featured a light-hearted “roast and toast” of Elder Baker.

His brother Isaac Baker recalled their childhood growing up in a sizeable family in a small three room house as a child. Isaac Baker said sometimes his brother was sidetracked by fishing.

 “He would miss church in order to go fishing. God told him to be a fisher of men. He thought God told him to go fishing. But it’s difficult to roast a friend like my brother is to me,” he said.

He presented his brother with a gift of a fishing rod.

The Reverend Theo Mays also had an opportunity to roast him to which he said: “I’ll call you next week to really tell you what I want to say.”

But in the end, Mays lauded him for his leadership.

“Thank you for being my friend and serving this Zion well and as a presiding elder traveling up and down the highway. Enjoy your retirement,” he said. “Thank you for your leadership, dedication and your faithfulness.”

Before the preaching moment a soloist sang “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Bishop McKenzie preached “This is my Story.”  McKenzie illustrated the importance of our personal stories.

“Everybody has a story to tell. Life is a story. Sometimes our story has more twist and turns than “Law and Order.” If you really want to know somebody you’ve got to know their story. Alfred Baker is a Morehouse man, the preacher, the pastor, and most importantly Dr. Ida’s husband, a father and grandfather. Jesus used stories to comfort, confront and inspire.”

Bishop McKenzie used the Apostle Paul’s life to demonstrate his faithfulness to the work. She said God uses us in spite of our faults and failures.

“It’s an undeserved privilege to handle the gospel of Jesus Christ, to rightly divide the word of truth, to bring good news to the poor and set the captive free,” said McKenzie.

Bishop McKenzie said because it is a privilege then we all are called to do our best. She said God does not train us to fail - “I dare you not do what God has called you, what he’s equipped you to do. God has granted you an undeserved privilege,” she said. “Your appointment is at the hand of Jesus Christ. It is an appointment I cannot retire you from. This is your story. This is your story serving a God who will give you strength, who will make wrong right, what others mean for evil he can turn it around for good that’s a blessed assurance.”

It was a message that brought the crowd to its feet including Elder Baker.

 “I want you to know that I have kept the faith,” said Elder Baker. “You just preached me out of my shell tonight. I’m changing my course just a little I am still going to serve the Lord.”

Elder Baker came from humble beginnings. Born the sixth of seven children, his life started on a small farm in Washington, Texas. The Baker family would eventually move to Houston where they settled in the Acres Homes area. He accepted Christ and received his early Christian training at Greater Ward. Years later as an adult he joined Evangelist Chapel.

“The first Sunday I came I sat on the back row. The next time I came I sat in the middle and the third Sunday I sat on the front row and joined the church,” said Baker.

But it was in the fall of 1971 during Bible study of the parable of the sower that Baker’s heart was stirred to accept his “call into the ministry.” On January 8, 1972 he preached his trial sermon that focused on Acts 1:8.

“I was concerned that I’d be out there trying to preach without the Holy Spirit,” he said. “When I walked from the pastor’s study to the pulpit it was like walking on air. I stood behind the pulpit and felt like I was 10-feet-tall. I preached and I forgot myself.”

14. SELF-CARE IS NOT SELF-ISH:

By Kate Rugani

-- Caught up in the day-to-day demands of ministry, clergy often find it difficult to take time to attend to their health. But in North Carolina, UMC clergy are learning that it’s more than OK to care for themselves.

-- United Methodist clergy in North Carolina have significantly higher rates of chronic disease than other state residents, according to new research by the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School. The findings could be illuminating for others in ministry as well.

When the Rev. Jeanette Hicks graduated from seminary in 2010, a mentor cautioned her about overwork. A retired pastor, the mentor hoped that Hicks and other young clergy would do better at staying healthy over the long run than she and her contemporaries had done.

But just six months later, Hicks, a United Methodist pastor then serving in the Kentucky Conference, was a sleep-deprived wreck, surviving on sugar-fueled energy and calorie-dense church meals. Despite the good advice and her best intentions, she was a walking portrait of exhaustion, with dull hair, brittle fingernails and dark circles under her eyes.

“I’ve always been a physically healthy person,” she said. “But many days I’d look at the clock, and it’d be 3 p.m. and I hadn’t eaten yet. If I took time to eat, well, that was time away from getting something done.”

Hicks’ experience is not unusual. Even with the best intentions and all the knowledge and advice in the world, clergy of all ages often find it difficult to take care of themselves, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative has found. On the long list of items that must be done every day, they often put themselves last.

Many pastors misunderstand self-care to mean “self-ish,” said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, the initiative’s research director and assistant research professor at the Duke Global Health Institute.

“Clergy recognize the importance of caring for themselves, but doing so takes a back seat to fulfilling their vocational responsibilities, which are tantamount to caring for an entire community,” Proeschold-Bell said. “They feel they need permission to take the time to attend to their health.”

As a participant in Spirited Life, the Clergy Health Initiative’s wellness program, Hicks is learning how to give herself that permission. A two-year program of intervention services -- part of a broader study of clergy health among UMC pastors in North Carolina -- Spirited Life emphasizes stress management and healthy eating, underscored with scripturally based reasons for taking care of oneself. The initiative has found that this scriptural connection is essential for clergy, for it makes the practice of caring for themselves a part of their calling, not an additional task to complete.

Now an associate at Trinity UMC in Jacksonville, N.C., Hicks is making an effort to set boundaries and create time to care for herself and her family.

As the Clergy Health Initiative learned in a series of clergy focus groups in 2008, pastors can get caught up in trying to meet what may be unrealistic expectations -- both the congregation’s and their own. One of the most pervasive and damaging is the notion that clergy should be available around the clock, seven days a week.

“I can’t tell you how many times people say to me, ‘Well, I know Friday is your day off, but …,’”Hicks said. “I know maybe two clergy that I think of as being good at [setting] boundaries, and they get a lot of flak about it.”

In the face of such expectations, it’s easy for pastors to fall into the trap of feeling guilty when they take time to care for themselves.

“When you do take care of yourself, there’s a sense that you’re not taking care of other people,” Hicks said.

Hicks points out that even when she’s not at work, she is still caring for others. Each evening, she returns home to find her four children and husband waiting for her attention.

Back in Kentucky, fatigue became a huge factor as she felt pressure to do ever more. As each new task presented itself, she felt compelled to address it immediately. Otherwise, it would take time away from her family later.

In the clergy focus groups, the Duke researchers found that many pastors believe that church members do not understand the breadth and depth of pastoral ministry. One pastor remarked that congregants “are aware we work one hour on Sunday, and they don’t realize [we work] the whole rest of the week. There’s no such thing as a 40-hour week.” Another pastor pointed out that “every person sitting in the pew has a separate job description for our job, and when you put it all together, it’s an impossible task.”

Only a few months into a new appointment -- his first as a solo pastor -- the Rev. John Michael McAllister is already beginning to feel the weight of such expectations.

In July, McAllister became pastor of Trinity UMC in Raleigh after four years as an associate at a larger church across town. After 10 years of declining membership, Trinity had asked for a younger pastor to help them identify ways to be engaged in the community. As their new pastor, McAllister wants to deliver.

“There’s a real vibe here that we are ready for some change, to have someone who is keen on making some connections in the community,” he said. “I’m really trying to capitalize on the new-guy, new-thing capital that I have right now.”

In his first month at Trinity, McAllister held 45 meetings with community leaders, made at least as many pastoral care visits, and wrote and delivered four weeks’ worth of sermons. He knows his pace isn’t sustainable, but he’s not quite sure how to cut back when the time comes.

Eventually, he hopes to return to a pattern that worked well for him at the church where he was an associate. There, the senior pastor made sure everyone understood that Fridays were the pastors’ official day off. McAllister also set aside Saturdays for Sabbath and time with his wife, a practice that he says is “not really optional” for sustaining his mental health. He spent the first half of the week on visits and administrative tasks and used Thursdays for writing his sermons.

The schedule worked, but like many pastors, McAllister still felt strong pressure -- from both himself and others -- to put other people first. And also like many pastors, he felt deeply rewarded whenever someone praised him for going above and beyond.

Fortunately, McAllister has a team of supporters who help him fight the guilt and resist the temptation. His wife and a covenant group of other pastors help him remember to set boundaries.

It can be easier for other people -- especially people who know and care about you -- to see when life is starting to get out of balance, McAllister said.

But it’s not enough to just set boundaries. You also have to keep them. When church members call about non-urgent matters on his day off, McAllister has been kind but firm, asking them to wait.

“Just because you can always reach me in an emergency doesn’t mean that I’m available 24/7,” he said. “Some people get that inherently. Some people do not.”

At the same time, self-care doesn’t mean pastors have to set impregnable boundaries. Hicks, for example, found that she was able to integrate self-care into her ministry, engaging the congregation in the process.

Realizing that her own guilt would make it impossible to schedule time just for herself, she looked for ways to incorporate those opportunities into her ministry. During Lent, she taught yoga to her congregation as a discipline of body, mind and spirit.

“I was surprised by how many people came and how readily accepted it was,” she said.

As instructor, she would move around the room and, when necessary, ask participants if she could guide their bodies into more effective positions. The class -- and the connections it forged -- became an unexpected and effective opportunity for ministry.

Moving the participants into a new yoga position, she could often feel the tension in their muscles, and when she commented, they would inevitably tell her about some stressful event that had happened recently.

“When I just see people on Sunday, I don’t have that interaction with them,” she said. “There was a surprising amount of vulnerability.”

More than just a health class, the yoga group became a spiritual experience. The group incorporated communion and prayer into some of the sessions and ended each session in silence.

“People would really talk about the inner peace that that gave them and how God spoke to them,” Hicks said. “They didn’t want to get up. They didn’t want to leave. And I would think, ‘Why can’t church be like this?’”

Approaches that tie together mental, physical and spiritual health are often the most effective in convincing clergy to take better care of themselves, the Clergy Health Initiative has found.

Hicks is a believer. She’s seen too many pastors run into the ground by ministry.

“We’re not honoring the vessel that God has given us to work with when we do that,” she said. “Honoring our bodies and our time, taking sabbath -- these are as important as caring for others.”

McAllister, too, remains hopeful -- and for very practical reasons. He loves ministry and wants to be in it for the long run.

“If I don’t establish some healthy rhythms, some healthy boundaries, I’m not sure 15 years from now if it will still be the coolest job in the world,” he said.

Read More: http://www.faithandleadership.com/features/articles/self-care-not-self-ish

15. GET SMART. GO VOTE! A VOTERS’ EDUCATION FORUM:

DENTON, TX – (September 1, 2014) The St. James A.M.E. Church partners with the Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Board to present the “Get Smart. Go Vote - Forum” to educate the community about their rights to vote. It will be held Tuesday, September 9, 2014, from 7-8:30 p.m., at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, located at 1300 Wilson in Denton.

The special guest speakers are Senator Royce West of Dallas and Attorney Alejandro Reyes of the Washington, DC-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Attorney Reyes will speak about election protection rights in Texas while Senator Royce offers a message to prepare voters for the November 4, 2014 mid-term elections.

The forum will feature a question and answer panel, which includes: Stephen Bell, Texas Department of Public Safety; Bob Lydia, NAACP; Alfredo Sanchez, Denton LULAC Council; Andre Montgomery, Texas Secretary of State; Terri Burke, ACLU of Texas; Sue Smith, League of Women Voters; Paula Paschal, Denton County Elections; Steven Valles, political director for the Wendy Davis Campaign; and Sandy Swan, Deputy Voter Registrar.

Who should attend? All unregistered voters; those who need photo IDs; 18-24 year-olds; college students; convicted felons; senior citizens; uninformed voters; and anyone interested in the new voting laws.

The forum intends to answer questions about the Texas Voter ID law, documents required for government-issued photo identification, and voting rights. Deputy voter registrars will be onsite to register voters and update names and addresses on registration cards.

According to the Advancement Project, a national and local civil rights organization in Washington, "The ability to get and pay for the underlying documents to secure the state required photo ID to vote poses a disproportionate burden on Latinos and African Americans. They are approximately twice as likely to lack the requisite state ID as white voters and will experience a heavier burden in terms of costs than their white counterparts. Only nine percent of white Texans live below the federal poverty level compared to 22 percent of African Americans and 26 percent of Latinos.

“Our democracy thrives when people are prepared and have the right information to exercise fully their civic duty,” said Pastor Mason Rice, Jr. of St. James A.M.E. Church. “We are committed to moral and social issues including voting rights, and these can be best accomplished through education. We need to vote and to stay informed about leaders who will make laws and policy that affect our faith, our families and our freedom.” He added, “This voters’ education forum is free to the public, and everyone is invited to attend.”

St. James AME Church is celebrating its 140th year of serving the Denton community. In 1985, it was designated as an historical landmark. Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Board is a nonprofit 501c3 organization in Denton that supports and conducts educational activities to increase public awareness at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.

For more information, call 940-220-9054 or 940-387-1223 or send email to texasvoterid@gmail.com

16. NAACP APPLAUDS DEPT. OF JUSTICE DECISION TO INVESTIGATE THE FERGUSON POLICE FORCE:

BALTIMORE, MD – United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice will launch a broad civil rights investigation of the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will conduct the investigation and follow a similar process which it uses to investigate police departments across the country. In light of this development, the NAACP has released the following statements.

From Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO: “We at the NAACP applaud Attorney General Eric Holder for taking this important and necessary step of launching a new investigation into the Ferguson police department. The life of an unarmed 18-year-old teenager was cut short by an armed police officer whose job was to serve and protect. The NAACP Missouri State Conference filed five federal lawsuits over the last 5 years against St. Louis County police officers, claiming excessive force. Local NAACP leaders have been working closely with federal authorities and are heartened by this decision.”

From Mary Ratliff, NAACP Missouri State Conference President:               “The Missouri State Conference strongly supports the decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a civil rights investigation of the Ferguson Police Department. A comprehensive review of policing practices across the greater St. Louis metropolitan area is sorely needed.”   

From Adolphus Pruitt, President of the NAACP St. Louis City Branch/Vice President NAACP MO State Conference:  “I commend the Department of Justice for launching this investigation. We hope that it brings some resolution to the number of complaints the NAACP Missouri State Conference has in front of the Justice Department about various police departments in St. Louis County.”

17. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT

 *The Rev. Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr.

Based on Biblical Text: Isaiah 60:1: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.”

Beloved, it is time for us to bid our farewells to past mistakes; reconcile our differences and our indifferences, and pledge in our hearts to begin afresh. We can approach our future seeking a fresh start, a fresh direction and a fresh anointing.

“A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, A never dying soul to save And fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill; To do my Master’s will.”  It is typical of us to be excited and energized for a short period of time but do we have the courage to really begin a new journey?  New always sounds exciting; new energy, new ideas but can we see the journey before us, do we have the courage to begin and do we know how to get there? When we step out into new territory, there are certain risks involved. And it is the risks that keep most of us from getting past the first day of our commitment to seek a new path.

Will we go to the new places God wants us to visit and new service God wants us to render?  Will we journey to the greater spiritual maturity level God wants us to achieve? Will we boldly move to grasp a higher intellect and make a deeper commitment?  Do we have the courage to seek what will draw us to a more profound, more fulfilling, and a more demanding relationship with God?

It is a fact that it takes courage to change, courage that some times runs counter to our willingness for adventure. We are content with the comfortable and familiar. We tend to be satisfied with descriptions others give us and unwilling to see reality for ourselves. We would rather convince ourselves that we are content within someone else’s boundaries, than do some of our own exploring. We appear much more comfortable with everything in control and in its place.

Our text follows the account of the Wise Men’s visit with the baby Jesus. We can find in these Wise Men an example of the courage we need as we are told of their journey in search of the new King who held promise for the world. The Wise Men show us a better way to live, a way to take risk and live toward something. We see in them the courage we need to seek something more for ourselves.

The Wise Men left all that was familiar and set out confidently in an uncertain direction. They risked their lives on an interpretation, a projection, a foreign prophecy, and gave up about two years of their livelihood because they believed that the fulfillment of this prophecy would change them and the world.

How much time are we willing to put into the changes that will take us to higher heights? Does two years sound like too much time for us to be searching for someone or something? Do we have the courage to commit two years to affect any kind of real change in our life? The fact is change takes courage! Can you imagine the changes that would take place in our relationship with Jesus if we would commit two years to bible study, persistent prayer or to faithful worship?

The Wise Men remind us that Jesus is someone worth seeking. They believed that Jesus had been born into the world to effect change. For two long years they committed themselves to the search because they understood how desperately man needed change. They believed we needed the hope that would rest in a Savior. Their determination drove them onward in their mission and caused them to forfeit individual comforts in the hope of an encounter with Jesus. 

Could that be why it is so difficult to fill our churches to capacity today?  Are we not willing to sacrifice our individual comforts to have an encounter with Jesus?  Are we too afraid that our journey will require something of us like a sacrifice that we are not willing to make? Is it that we lack the courage to trust God at His Word and believe that His plan for our lives will be better than our own no matter how good ours may seem?

Isaiah said: “Arise, shine, for thy Light is come!” He predicted that “Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”  The scripture highlights the word “come.”  We must have the courage to leave the comfort of our familiar surroundings, step out on faith and seek change.  We must come to Jesus.

Change requires movement, and movement requires the courage to change. The Wise Men came to Jesus because they had the courage to seek change. Gentiles all over the world have come to Jesus because they had the courage to change. We can come to Jesus, if we have the courage to make the journey. It is a journey that will change any life and improve any condition. It is a journey that will supply every need and satisfy every starving soul.

*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr. is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, S.C.

18. ST. JAMES A.M.E. CHURCH HOSTS THE BUILDING POWERFUL AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: HIV/AIDS AND TESTING:

-- Get Informed, Get Tested, and Get Treated!

DENTON, TX (September 1, 2014) - The St. James AME Church in partnership with the Denton County Health Department and Zeta Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma kicks off its Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS and Testing workshop on Saturday, September 20, 2014, from 12-3 p.m., at 1107 E. Oak, in Denton, TX. The workshop theme is Get Informed, Get Tested, and Get Treated. It is designed to increase awareness of HIV and AIDS in the community and coincides with two annual observances, National HIV/AIDS and Aging on September 18 and National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS on September 27.

This local effort collaborates with Marie Brown, Denton County Health Department; Teri Johnson and Debbie DeLeon, Health Services of North Texas; James Berglund and Ashley Innes, AIDS/ARMS; Ed Jones, AIDS Healthcare Foundation-Dallas, and Kelly Richter, Gilead Sciences Pharmaceuticals to raise awareness and equip our community with the knowledge and tools to help fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The workshop will feature presentations on HIV 101 basics; offer HIV testing; disseminate prevention and treatment information; and provide health care and support resources. The presenters will make up the expert panel and answer questions in the workshop. Zeta Beta Chapter men plan to perform skit to highlight the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people.

Judith Dillard, New Bethel Complete In Christ Baptist Church, Ft. Worth, will make a special presentation focusing on the challenges facing people living with HIV/AIDS. She is the Community Outreach and Health Educator under the direction of Pastor Michael Moore. Special invited guests include speakers from Learning Institute of Family Education (LIFE), 97.9 FM The Beat and 100.3 Jack FM radio stations.

Over a million people eligible for the new health care marketplaces are uninsured in Texas. According to the Centers for Disease Control, historically, people living with HIV and AIDS have had a difficult time obtaining private health insurance. As a result, many infected HIV persons may not have health care and know their status. AIDS Arms –Dallas, the largest nonprofit HIV/AIDS service organization in North Texas, will conduct free HIV testing, which renders results within minutes. An Affordable Care Act navigator will be on hand to enroll eligible persons who need health care due to life-changing events and provide information about the November 15, 2014 enrollment. Jefferson Dental Clinics committed to serving Texas families will distribute free dental kits and preventative care materials.

Free gift bags will be given to the first 50 people. Lunch will be served to participants following the workshop.

Of the estimated 40,000 new HIV infections each year, more than 50 percent occur among African Americans. AIDS is the number one cause of death among Black adults, ages 25 to 44, before heart disease, cancer and homicide (BalminGilead.org, 2014). In Denton County, the 2011 Texas Health and Human Services HIV Surveillance reports HIV infection rate was largest among age group 20-24 (41.8%); followed by ages 25-29 (35.2%); and 30-34 (28.5%); and 35 years and older were 26.1%. African Americans had the highest rate of infection at 48.8%, Hispanics 14.3%, and Whites, 9%. Among all groups, African American women had the highest rate of HIV/AIDS diagnoses at a rate 58.8%; followed by Hispanic men (36.1%); African American men (35.1%); and White men (25.1%).

“HIV/AIDS is at epidemic levels nationally and locally, and we must make people aware,” said Pastor Mason Rice.” He explained, “This is a public health issue, and the faith community can work with others to ensure that those we serve have access to screenings, learn ways to prevent the transmission of the disease, and advocate for better care and treatment.” He added, “Our basic goal is a community without AIDS.”

St. James AME Church is in its 140^th year of providing service and leadership to the community. In 1985, it was designated as an historical landmark, and has played an integral part in the religious tradition of Denton.

St. James AME Church Hosts Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS and Testing:

19. GET INFORMED, GET TESTED, AND GET TREATED

If you're between the ages of 25 and 44, you're more likely to die from AIDS than from any other disease. St. James A.M.E. Church teams up with Denton County Health Department and Zeta Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma (UNT) to present the Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS Workshop and HIV Testing workshop on September 20, 2014, from 12-3 p.m., at 1107 E. Oak in Denton. The workshop theme, Get Informed, Get Tested, and Get Treated, is designed to raise awareness to help fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The guest speaker, Judith Dillard, New Bethel CIC Church of Ft. Worth, will discuss issues facing people living with AIDS. Invited guests include: Health Services of North Texas, AIDS Arms - Dallas, and Gilead Sciences Pharmaceuticals, AIDS Healthcare Foundation-Dallas, Jefferson Dental Clinics, Learning Institute of Family Education (LIFE), 97.9 FM The Beat and 100.3 Jack FM radio. FREE HIV testing, speakers, an expert panel, marketplace health care enrollment and dental kits will be available.

Do you know your status? Over one million people in the United States have HIV, but almost one in five doesn't know it. Early diagnosis and treatment saves lives. Get tested in the Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS and HIV testing workshop on September 20, 2014, from 12-3 p.m., at St. James A.M.E. Church, 1107 E. Oak in Denton. FREE HIV testing, an expert panel, health care and dental information provided.

Did you know that more than 50% of the HIV infections are among African American women? Help raise awareness and fight this epidemic in the Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS and HIV testing workshop on September 20, 2014, from 12-3 p.m., at St. James AME Church, 1107 E. Oak in Denton. FREE HIV testing, speakers, an expert panel, and health care and dental information provided.

Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS and HIV Testing workshop will be held September 20, 2014, from 12-3 p.m., located at St. James AME Church, 1107 E. Oak in Denton. Get free HIV testing. Ask questions to the expert panel. Enroll in health care. Pick up free gift bags, health literature and care materials.

Building Powerful and Healthy Relationships: HIV/AIDS Workshop and free HIV testing will be held September 20, 2014, from 12-3 p.m., at St. James AME Church, located at 1107 E. Oak in Denton. Get Informed, Get Tested, and Get Treated.

20. GETTING TO ZERO: A PRE-CLASS CLERGYPERSON PERSPECTIVE

*Dr. Oveta Fuller

The following essay is provided to offer a window into what many clergypersons may think. It was written by a student (remains anonymous by request) in the CM243 class at Payne Theological Seminary course “What Effective Clergy Should Know about HIV/AIDS: A Global Perspective”. The assignment was to be turned in before the first session of the intensive class.  The essay instructions were:  

“Describe why you think HIV has resulted in the current pandemic? Choose a relevant Biblical verse and explain why you think they it is relevant.”

Looking Back.    “As an inquisitive youth, I was very eager to get an understanding of HIV and AIDS when I first heard about how it was like a ‘deadly poison.’  My first hearing of this disease was in high school in my health class, but there was not a whole lot of information other than protecting yourself when having sexual intercourse. Quickly rumors started to spread that this disease was only for “gay men”, and others will not be affected unless they had sex with someone who was gay. At that time, this is what I believed to be true and factual since our teacher had not fully explained the disease in-depth. Over the years, it really never has been clear what the cause of HIV and AIDS were and why it was not curable.  When I went to college in 1993, I decided to get involved and to be proactive with the HIV/AIDS movement for finding a cure. With so many questions and not enough answers, the disease has increased. Even with so many new discoveries, the impact is global. And it is still impacting many lives today.

Why the Current Impact?  In today’s society, HIV/AIDS has impacted many communities all over the world. It is like the silent disease that spreads so quickly due to lack of precaution measures and regular HIV testing and due to the invincibility concept.

Although communities are very well educated about the disease, I feel that most people have an attitude of “it can’t happen to me” They seriously under estimate how easily infection can happen to them. In the communities that I am highly associated with, HIV/AIDS seems to predominately affect African Americana. The impact that I see is very scary. 

In many of our communities, the disease is spreading so quickly. I have seen it firsthand with a friend’s brother, and it almost tore the family apart!  It is a tremendous shock to the families of loved ones. Then it seems as if it becomes the “quiet” disease or “covered up” disease because of the shame the family faces. It should be like any other disease, not something to cover up.

There seem to be overwhelming feelings of what will people think? How did that person contract the disease? How long have they had it? Who have they infected and where do we go from here? All of these are questions the families and communities ponder over. This often leads to a breakdown of separation in the communities and isolation within the families.

Recently, a highly renowned Pastor in Atlanta was charged for willingly and knowingly spreading the HIV/AIDS virus to members within his congregation with whom he was sexual involved with. This really shocked me, and many others! I was confused as to why he would do such an act when he was in a position of leadership. And he was not just in any leadership position, but a righteous and holy leadership. This was definitely a setback. However, it brought more awareness. It allowed me to see, that even though the awareness of HIV/AIDS has increased tremendously over the last five or so years from various resources- media campaigns, government and health care representatives, there are still a great number of people who do not protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases by using contraceptives. Even though information is available, the disease is steadily infecting many across the world because people do not have an understanding.

Why is HIV spreading still?   Although many of our communities are informed and they know what the consequences of exposure to the virus are, it seems there is more concern with gaining pleasure and less concern about reverencing their bodies. I think this has occurred due to several factors including a desire to trust a partner, the economic status, lack of educational opportunities and poverty.

I do not think the black community is taking the disease very seriously. That is one reason, I believe, that the percentage of African Americans with HIV/AIDS is disproportionately high. The impact is high because many people, especially women, trust their partner. Many are not conscious of what are the consequences of their decisions to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse. Further, many in the black community are faced with financial difficulties due to economic decline. This often leads to a lack of medical care and attention including routine physical or tests like for HIV infection. This compounds bad choices that many persons make when there is a decision to use or abuse drugs, use sex to make money (prostituting), and being on the down low or stepping outside of marriage or a faithful relationship. I think these factors contribute to the ongoing increase of HIV/AIDS.

One of the major obstacles to effectively addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS is our inclination to not openly talk about sex, drugs, homosexuality, bi-sexuality or anything that will cause people to feel uncomfortable.  A conversation is unusual or shunned when it about these topics, whether the conversation is in the privacy of the home, school, or church. If these topics are hidden subjects that cannot be discussed and people are afraid to talk about them, the truth is not told and detrimental effects cannot be avoided.

We must move pass the judgmental process where families, schools, and churches avoid such topics. If we are going to make a difference in society, we have to be willing to open up and talk about HIV/AIDS and the activities that allow this virus to spread. Everyone needs to know more about how we can actually stop the transmission of HIV because it not only affects the individual, but it affects us all.

What can be done for change?    Religious leaders are prevented from effectively addressing HIV/AIDS because so many people in the church feels that it is inappropriate to talk about it.  How can this issue (HIV/AIDS) be addressed, when we cannot (are frowned upon) mention the word “sex” in the pulpit. In order for religious leaders to be effective in the church and the community about real issues today, we will have to become comfortable and informed and more transparent.

We cannot depend on other systems to get the message across. We have an effective platform that can reach many lives. If a change is going to come about, the notion of offending the parishioners when more of our churches are made up of people who practice different lifestyles must become obsolete  Religious leaders have to learn and talk about HIV/AIDS and other previously taboo topics if we hope to use what is known to stop their impact.    

This is the scripture that I choose as highly relevant to HIV/AIDS.  Hosea 4:6- “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being my priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Explanation: This scripture is relevant because people are making decisions that can lead to their destruction because of lack of understanding of the seriousness of HIV/AIDS. Many people have access to the awareness and preventative measures of HIV/AIDS, but choose to reject the information and consequently potentially destroy themselves and others. 

*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 4^th 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.

21. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 - A PROMISE ASSURED JEREMIAH 30:1 – 3, 18 - 22

Bill Dickens, Allen AME Church, Tacoma, Washington

Making a promise forms an expectation of confidence.  A promise carries with it the hope of a positive delivery of a particular person, place or thing.  Many times promises are viewed as being unrealistic.  When Joe Willie Namath guaranteed that the New York Jets would defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in the 1968 Super Bowl many saw that promise of victory as being nothing more than wishful thinking.  When a politician promises to bring jobs and economic prosperity to economically disenfranchised voters, many dismiss these promises as nothing more than rhetorical excesses designed to maximize votes.  Normally, adults make promises they intend to keep even though fulfillment can be deferred over time. 

Typically, adults associate with groups that express hope for the future (e.g., church, self-help organizations, and fraternal organizations/sororities).  As a result, we seek safety in communities that affirm and share our core belief structure.  Above all, as adults we desire a hopeful future even if current circumstances are defined by chaotic outcomes.  As a people of hope we see the glass “half-full,” not “half-empty.” 

Hope is the lubricant in the engine that enables us to press ahead and successfully navigate around obstacles and road hazards.

The Adult AME Church School lesson for September 7, 2014 features a young, but influential prophet, Jeremiah, communicating a message of hope and restoration to a people who have known destruction and chaos.  Their misfortune has largely been the result and consequence of ill-advised choices that caused the Jewish nation to endure social and political hardship.  Despite the serial habit of rejecting the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; God remains faithful. 

Parents display the quality of hope and restoration for their children even when a son or daughter makes bad choices.  Many teachers offer opportunities for students to make up exams or assigned work because they see academic promise in the child. 

Our relationship with God is no different.  We are serial sinners, yet Jesus is ready to accept us through His indefatigable patience and redemptive love. 

Indefatigable patience and redemptive love is the message that Jeremiah offers in Chapter 30.  The key question we face is how will you respond to God’s outreach?  His Promise is better than a guarantee. 

The ball is in your court.  God is waiting on your serve.

*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

22. MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 27:

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

I had the pleasure of cooking out on Labor Day on what’s still a relatively new charcoal grill that I bought when it went on sale at the end of last summer.  It’s a far cry from my old, small, rectangular grill. This one is a large, cast iron, barrel shaped contraption with more ability to control the heat; that matters, because I learned by trial and error that cooking over low heat is a good idea.

My first efforts at cooking-out over thirty years ago resulted in meat that was barely distinguishable from - and just as hard and dry as - the charcoal briquettes that I put on the grill, because I opened the vents all the way and cooked at high temperature to get things done quickly, carefully closing the grill to extinguish fires when rapidly dripping grease fell on my very hot charcoal!

My early experience taught me that grilling with low heat assures that food will be evenly cooked and more flavorful.  It takes longer, but the end-result tastes better and usually gets rave reviews. Slowing down and taking my time produced better results.

Slowing-down works not only for cookouts, but in life as well.  We live in a world that encourages us to seek quick results and shortcuts to achieve our goals - to get what we want and to where we want to be as soon as possible. Doing so, however can lead to heated complications in our lives and leave us stressed, disappointed, burnt out and burdened down.

When we take the time, however, to slow down and let God work in God’s time, we’ll discover that God’s timing is better than our timing.  God knows what we need and when we need it, and when we take the time to let God lead us, we’ll find what we need in the way of achievement, prosperity, security and enduring peace of mind in God’s time.

Take the time, in the midst of a fast faced and demanding world, to slow down and follow the advice of the Psalmist who said, “Wait on the Lord and be of good courage.”  You’ll find enduring joy and well- being, and you’ll understand why those who shaped my faith sang a song about God that says, “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s right on time!”

This Meditation is also available as a Blog on the Beaufort District’s Website: www.beaufortdistrict.org

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

23. PRAYER REQUEST:

The 10th Episcopal District Book Steward, Sister Ruthie Foster (affectionately known "Ms. Ruthie" in the 10th Episcopal District) was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident Sunday and is still currently hospitalized in the Trauma Unit at John Peter Smith in Fort Worth, Texas.

We solicit the prayers and well-wishes of all as she begins to recover. She is in a lot of pain and has a long recovery ahead of her, including possible rehabilitation.  Ruthie Foster is a long-time member, Steward at St. James AME Church-Fort Worth where the Rev. Damon Blakeley is the Pastor. Ms. Ruthie has been very instrumental in the Lay Organization throughout the entire Connectional Church. She also has played a pivotal role in the lives of many clergy ensuring that books and other educational asterisks are always relevant and available to empower and encourage. Please continue to pray for her as she begins her road to recovery.

Ms. Ruthie Foster can be contacted at

rnsweets@yahoo.com

Or through her children

Quen Patterson (daughter)

Telephone: (682) 556-6218

The Rev. Dr. Cornelius Hudson (god son)

Telephone: (817) 894-3204

Submitted by the Rev. Dr. Cornelius Hudson, Itinerant Elder

Greater Fort Worth District

Northwest Texas Conference

cornelius.hudson@gmail.com

Office Telephone: (817) 953-3064

24. EPISCOPAL FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT:

-- The Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison-Bryant to receive John H. Murphy Award

The Reverend Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, son of Bishop John R. and the Rev. Dr. Cecelia W. Bryant, is the recipient of the 2014 John H. Murphy Sr. Award

The Afro American Newspaper Media Company is proud to announce that this year's recipient of the John H. Murphy Sr. Award is our very own Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church located at 4217 Primrose Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland.

Every year a select group of business owners, educators and community leaders select a person who they feel have served and represented Baltimore in extraordinary ways, this year the award will be presented to Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant for his tremendous leadership in the community and around the country as an advocate for the Black Church and social justice.

The award program will be held 8:30 a.m., Oct. 7, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, all are welcome to attend.

Breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. and the program will start immediately after breakfast.

Program tickets can be purchased at the AFRO by calling 410.554-8243 or emailing Diane Hocker dhocker@afro.com or by contacting the Public Relations & SE Director at Empowerment Temple AME Church

 

25. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

It is with heartfelt sympathy that we inform you of the passing of Mrs. Wilhelmenia Goins, the mother of the Rev. Sabrena Bartley, pastor, East Pine AME Church in Petal, Mississippi and the mother-in-law of the Rev. Charles Bartley, pastor, Zion Chapel AME Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Visitation:

Monday, September 1, 2014

Eddie Robinson & Son Funeral Home

1196 Mound Street

Grenada, Mississippi

(662) 226-3123

   

Funeral Service:

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

11:00 a.m.

New Life Christian Fellowship Church

741 S. Line Street

Grenada, Mississippi

Telephone: (662) 227-0930

Professional Care entrusted to:

Eddie Robinson & Son Funeral Home

1196 Mound Street

Grenada, Mississippi

\Telephone: (662) 226-3123

 

Expressions and Condolences:

The Reverend Sabrena Bartley: sabrena.bartley@yahoo.com 

The Reverend Charles Bartley: bartleycharles@yahoo.com    

26. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The Third Episcopal District offers our deepest sympathy to the Rev. James Harris, pastor of Allen Chapel in Clarksburg, West Virginia in the passing of his father, Elder Johnie Harris.

Arrangements for Elder Harris are as follows: 

The Wake:

Friday, August 29^th from 7 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Young and Young Funeral Home

711 Sixth Street

Hartsville, SC 29550

Funeral Service:

Saturday, August 30 at 11 a.m.

Catoe's Chapel COGIC

2297 Bethune Road

Bethune, SC 29009

Cards, flowers and messages may be sent to:

Young and Young Funeral Home

711 Sixth Street

Hartsville, SC 29550

27. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The Third Episcopal District offers our deepest sympathy to the Rev. Karen Schaeffer, Ph.D, Director of Christian Education, Third Episcopal District and the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Lebanon, Ohio, in the passing of her mother-in-law, Mrs. Isabel K. Schaeffer.

Mass of Christian Burial:

Friday, September 5, 2014 at 10:30 am

Holy Angels Catholic Church

218 K Street

Dayton, Ohio 45409

Online Condolences may be made to www.tobiasfuneralhome.com

Or mailed:

Mr. Mark and Rev. Karen Schaeffer

1631 Shawhan Rd.

Morrow, Ohio 451523

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St. Vincent DePaul.

28. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The Third Episcopal District offers our deepest sympathy to Mrs. Clara Godhigh and the Rev. Eugene Godhigh in the passing of their brother-in-law, Mr. Guthrie Adams, Jr.  The Rev. Godhigh is pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.  

Arrangements for Mr. Guthrie Adams, Jr. are as follows: 

The Wake:

Saturday, September 6, 2014 - 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Brown Chapel AMEC

2804 Alms Place

Cincinnati, OH  45206

Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.

Brown Chapel AMEC

2804 Alms Place

Cincinnati, OH  45206

The Reverend Elmer Martin is the pastor of Brown Chapel AME Church

Telephone: (513) 281-1189

Fax: (513)281-1195

Messages of condolence may be sent:

Mrs. Clara and the Reverend Eugene Godhigh and Family

c/o Brown Chapel AME Church

Or

Mrs. Clara and the Reverend Eugene Godhigh and Family

6147 Hedge Avenue

Cincinnati, OH  45213

29. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:

Ora L. Easley, Administrator

AMEC Clergy Family Information Center

Email: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net    

Web page: http://www.amecfic.org/  

Telephone: (615) 837-9736 (H)

Telephone: (615) 833-6936 (O)

Cell: (615) 403-7751

Blog: http://ameccfic.blogspot.com/    

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMEC_CFIC   

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220   

30. 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.

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