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
Advent begins Sunday,
November 29, 2015, and ends Thursday, December 24, 2015
--- This is
a modified version of TCR Online:
My computer is still
not in my possession, hopefully next week and fully operational. Thank you for being patient with me.
I received a request
for comment on the use of anointing oil and decided to republish the TCR Online Editorial that was published
on August 15, 2006.
1. TCR EDITORIAL - THE GUIDELINES FOR ANOINTING WITH OIL AS FOUND IN
JAMES 5:14:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
I believe that most churches
and ministers base the anointing with oil on James 5:14 which says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for
the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord.”
In looking at this issue, I
have tried to do a simple exegesis (critical analysis of what the text meant to
the biblical audience) and a straightforward hermeneutic of the text (How the
text applies to us today).
In the gospels we observe
that Jesus commanded all believers to lay hands on the sick, but Jesus never
commanded us to anoint anyone with oil. There is no record of Jesus ever
anointing anyone with oil and there are no descriptions of the apostles or
other Christians anointing anyone with oil after the day of Pentecost.
Therefore, anointing the sick (or anyone else) with oil is not an unwaiverable religious
requirement like Holy Communion or Baptism.
Anointing with oil is not
condemned or forbidden; so no one can dogmatically or theologically espouse the
position that it would be wrong to anoint or not anoint someone with oil.
However, upon care analysis
of James 5:14, the scripture clearly states that "people can ask for some
of the elders of their church to come to them and pray for them and to anoint
them with oil: "Is any one of you
sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint [aleipho, "to rub, cover over,
besmear"] him with oil in the name
of the Lord." (James 5:14)
Bible scholars are not
certain, in the verse above, whether James was referring to the first-century
practice of rubbing oil on the sick, or whether James was implying some kind of
"sacred" anointing.
Upon closer analysis, It is
important to note that James used the Greek word for the common, everyday type
of "anointing," not the Greek word for a "sacred" anointing
in which the Holy Spirit is involved, and James wrote that a sick person "should,"
and did not say, "must" call for the elders.
In other words, James was
not giving the church a command and telling us that the only way divine healing
will work is if church elders anoint a sick person with oil and pray for the
person.
If we follow James’
statement literally; anointing should not be done without a person’s request
and if we follow that notion literally, it might be presumptuous of pastors to
“spread oil” on everybody during an altar call or even when visiting members and
anointing them without being requested to do so.
The scripture says, “They
should call for the elders of the church, and have them pray over them,
anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” (NRSV).
Presbyteros is the Greek
word used in the James passage for “elder’ so it would seem to me that any
anointing must be done by ordained clergy. I have seen licensed ministers in
the AME Church and in other denominations anointing people with oil freely.
Neither Jesus nor the
apostles, after Pentecost, are recorded as using oil for healing, nor did they
ever command anyone else to use oil for healing or for any other situation in
which prayer is needed.
Therefore, we should be
careful not to take James 5:14 as a dogmatic statement of how healing works.
The best balance seems to be that anointing with oil can be helpful, but it is
not a requirement for healing, or for any other purpose.
Anointing with oil has
gained popularity in the church. I suspect that its popularity may be tied in
with the Pentecostal, neo-Pentecostal and the charismatic movements and people
may see anointing as an innovative approach to liven up traditional worship.
There is no harm in anointing, but I believe that we should remain as faithful
to the biblical passages as possible.
My personal observations
If you are going to use
olive oil in worship or when making pastoral calls, please put the olive oil in
a sacred looking vessel and take it out of the Bertolli or Crisco bottle that you picked up from the supermarket.
Let’s be faithful to the
book of James and not be presumptuous and anoint everybody, especially if the
anointing has not been requested. And it would be appropriate to ask a person
if they would like to be anointed.
If you are going to use oil,
take a moment and bless the oil. What I
am trying to say is, do something to distinguish the bottle of oil on the
supermarket shelf from the oil you are using to anoint persons as part of a
religious rite.
The Rev. Arthur Jensen, a
Presbyterian Army Chaplain announced during altar call, “If anyone would like
to be anointed, please raise your hand when you want to be anointed.” Some parishioners would raise a hand while
kneeling at the altar because they wanted to be anointed and others, who did
not want to be anointed, did not raise their hands.
Your comments are invited.
2. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
--To the Editor:
RE: Preaching in the 19th
Episcopal District and labeling “low” church vs. “high church”
Allow me to great you in
the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the 19th
Episcopal District we have finished with the sessions of annual conferences and
I have to say the AME Church has some great preachers.
The Rev ZM Qokela is one
of the great preachers in the Church; he was preacher of the Sons of Allen
service on Saturday. The Rt. Rev. D.R. Daniels, Jr. was the preacher for the
Ordination Service (God bless the Bishop).
The Rt. Rev PJM Kawimbe
was the preacher for the closing service. He is a blessing to the 19th
Episcopal District with his preaching and a good biblical scholar as evident by
the way he navigates the Old Testament in his sermons.
I want everyone to know
that in the AME Church, we have the “low church” and the “high church.” A 'low
church' would be a church that does not use a lot of liturgy that and the
worship is much more contemporary.
A “high church” uses liturgy
a lot and utilizes a more traditional way of worshiping.
I ask the with that observation
that in some of our churches some feel do their services with a
Contemporary feel while
some have a traditional feel.
Would this way of classifying
churches based on the worship styles being used in the AME church. The use of
the terms “high church” and “low church” seems appropriate.
KA Moloi
-- To the Editor:
RE: Wilberforce University
accreditation announcement
That is wonderful
news. Congratulations to the Third
Episcopal District and their tireless efforts.
Dr. PAM DeVeaux, Episcopal
Supervisor, the 2nd Episcopal District
3. NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
-- Emanuel AME Church lays out plans for Moving
Forward Fund
Emanuel A.M.E. Church lays
out plans for Moving Forward Fund ... by an outside accounting firm; Emanuel
African Methodist Episcopal Church has...
Read more:
-- Black Ministers Call for Resignation of Kean
University President
Ronald Slaughter, the
senior pastor of Saint James AME Church in Newark. The tweets appeared shortly
after about 100 university students...
Read more:
--
The Bishop Sarah Frances Davis Foundation has been
established and your support is greatly appreciated in this endeavor to
continue the work and legacy that was established by Bishop Sarah Francis
Davis.
Read more: http://www.bishopsarahdavisfoundation.org/
Submitted by Carl
Davis, Chairman, Gospel Music Heritage Month Foundation, www.gospelmusicheritage.org
4. AME PRESIDING
ELDER APPOINTED AS GRAND PRIOR OF THE UNITED SUPREME COUNCIL, NORTHERN
JURISDICTION:
The Illustrious Dr. Solomon Wallace, 33° Sovereign Grand
Commander of The United Supreme Council Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation Northern Jurisdiction USA, Inc. has
appointed the Rev. Dr. Wilton E. Blake, I, 33° as the Grand Prior for the
Council.
Dr. Blake is a Sovereign Grand Inspector General (Active)
and is the Presiding Elder of the Cincinnati District of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church. This is the first time that an AME Minister has been appointed
to serve in this Holy position. The Northern Jurisdiction is comprised of
18 States, Canada, Bahamas, Europe and the Far East.
Dr. Blake is a Past Grand Master in the Jurisdiction of
Ohio, is a retired Chief of Chaplain Service for the Dayton and Cincinnati,
Ohio Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.
Dr. Blake is the President of the Interdenominational
Ministers Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, and the second AME Minister to be
elected as President. Dr. Blake is a proven national and international
leader and is proud to be an AME doing the Lord's work.
5.
REMEMBERING AND A RECOMMITMENT:
*The Rev. Janet Habersham
Several years ago, Bishop Vashti McKenzie opened
a sermon with these words “Memory is a marvelous gift from God. And if memory
is a marvelous gift from God, then amnesia must be straight from the pit of
hell.”
Recently, like so many AME’s, I contemplated my
relationship with the denomination and decided that I needed to take some time
to determine if it was time to “exit.”
On June 17, 2015 my contemplation was abruptly
interrupted and replaced instead with a sense of righteous indignation. History is one of my least favorite subjects;
however, I knew the history of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church. I
remembered!
Our lives, our nation, our world has lost sight
of what it means to "love thy neighbor as thyself," let alone
"love the Lord thy God with all that heart and all thy soul and all thy
mind."
As a denomination, we may be more infatuated with
arguments about tradition (for and against) while in a state of “amnesia” about
our roots. At our core, we are a
prophetic voice crying out, in word and witness, against the systems that make
the Word of God abased.
Prophetic voices collide against, not collude,
condone or compete with dominant culture.
Prophetic voices understand that the Decalogue is
beyond rhetoric, but a blueprint for communal engagement, a way of life and at
its core the fulfillment of the Decalogue is complete in one word: love.
Isn’t it time to energize and equip the saints of
God with vision and plan of how to craft a better world, not just a better
personal life or even a better “church.”
My prayer is that we go into July of 2016 with
full memory of who we are; but more importantly, we exit July 2016 with a
vision and a strategy of who we shall become.
On June 17, 2015, I remembered and decided to stay AME.
6. FROM
SELMA TO THE BAY: WALKING THE TALK
*The Rev. Ayisha Benham
A wonderful Social Justice Education two-day mini conference
was held at Bethel AMEC San Francisco on Saturday, October 17, 2015, featuring
Joanne Bland, the founder of the Voting Rights Museum, Civil Rights Worker, and
she was on the Edmund Pettis Bridge on that Bloody Sunday. Phil Hutchings
former president of the Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was
also a panelist. Additional social justice workshops were held. On Sunday, October 18, 2015, Ms. Bland and
Justin Gomer, UC Berkeley lecturer & scholar on Media and Film narrated
segments of the film “Selma” at the New Parkway Theater in Oakland. The mini conference attracted students,
teachers, and community members of all ethnicities.
Avi Black of the Alameda County Office of Education and
Director on the Board of the California Council for the Social Studies (CCSS),
lived in Birmingham during the civil rights era and was a friend of civil
rights worker Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, spearheaded the collaboration of Wright
Chapel AME Church of San Francisco, Bethel AME Church San Francisco, the Bay
Area Council for the Social Studies (BACSS), the University of Calif. Berkeley
History Social Science Project, Cal State University-East Bay, CCSS, and the
New Parkway Theater (Oakland, CA).
The Rev. Ayisha Benham, pastor of Wright Chapel and
executive board member of BACSS and CCSS stated that the purpose of the
conference was to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
and the March from Selma to Montgomery, which led to the signing of the 1965
Voting Rights Act. Rev. Benham stated “It is important to share our oral
history in order to carry the social justice torch forward to the younger
generation, as well as preserving our AME history relative to the 1960’s voting
rights movement, because the nonviolent civil disobedience training was led by
and held at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama”.
Special thanks to Rev. Phillip Cousin, former pastor of Bethel
SF, Rev. Tyrone Hicks, current pastor of Bethel SF for hosting the mini
conference at Bethel, The Selma to the Bay mini conference will be available
for viewing via web streaming: Buzzing around the Bay with Dr. Annette Shelton.
Bishop T. Larry Kirkland is the Presiding Prelate of the 5th
Episcopal District
*The Rev. Ayisha Benham, pastor of Wright Chapel AME Church
in San Francisco, CA.
7.
THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT
*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins,
Jr.
Based
on Biblical Text: Jeremiah 18: 6 KJV: O House of Israel, cannot I do with you as
this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so
are ye in Mine hand, O House of Israel.
We
learn from this very short passage of scripture in the Book of Jeremiah that
God speaks to His appointed spokesman and secondly that God can sometimes give
orders that seem a bit strange and even irrational.
The
Bible tells us that God once told Noah to build an ark in the middle of a
desert because rain was coming. The orders were a bit strange and even
irrational as Noah had never seen rain and certainly had no reference from
which to understand the amount of rain it would take to flood the earth.
However, Noah obeyed the strange orders from the Lord.
The
Bible records the time when God ordered Abraham to leave the comforts of Ur and
venture out. The orders were a bit strange and even irrational, as God never
told Abraham where he would be going or what he would be doing. Yet the servant
of God, Abraham, obeyed. He left the comforts of his current situation and
headed toward anywhere.
Our
text tells us that God orders his servant Jeremiah to stop what he was doing to
make his way to the Potter’s house on the other side of town. God instructs
Jeremiah, to watch the Potter create useful vessels out of broken pieces of
clay. This was indeed a strange order, however Jeremiah obeyed.
The fact of the matter is God uses a variety
of methods, circumstances, and surroundings to convey His messages to His
preachers, who in turn, deliver the message to the people. The message is
delivered through the observation of a skilled Potter who is reworking the
broken pieces of a clay vessel into a new and useful work of art. God was, and
God still is - in the business of picking up the pieces of our broken lives - even
those shattered beyond recognition.
The
Lord takes our broken lives into His loving, caring and skillful hands and
begins to remold, reshape, remake and remodel us, until He has created a new
vessel in which He can house His Holy spirit. In fact, that is the message of
the entire Bible; God specializes in picking up the pieces of broken lives and
molding them into subjects fit for His Kingdom.
The
Potter, who created the pieces himself, knew just what those pieces of clay
should look like. He knew just what had to be done to reshape them into
service, once again. The fact is that only he knew what a vessel should look
like. Only he had the skill necessary to put the pieces back together again.
Jeremiah
now had a fresh message for the people. The message for the people over 2000
years ago and for us today is that the Lord is the God of a second chance! Our lives may have been tossed to and fro
leaving us broken and marred. We may even be lying in pieces, praying for a
miracle to solve all of our life’s problems. Clearly the Word of the Lord
encourages us, “I’m in the restoration business. Give me the shattered and
broken pieces of your life. I know what you should look like; I know how you
were created to walk, to talk, and to live. I remember how you looked when you
sprang from the seed of Abraham. I remember how you walked by faith through the
parted waters of the Red Sea. I remember how you marched around the walls of
Jericho. I remember how you looked as obedient servants under King David and
King Solomon. And I remember how you looked on the day of your birth, before
you became hardened by the sin of the world. I am your Creator! Trust me to
remold and remake you into a new vessel, fit to serve and to do My Will”.
*The
Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr. is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church
in Charleston, South Carolina
8. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22,
2015 - TURNING THE
WORLD UPSIDE DOWN - ACTS 17:1–4, 10–12, 22–25, 28:
*Brother Bill Dickens
Key Verse: For as I
went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I
found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What
therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. Acts 17:23.
Introduction
November
22, 2015 is the last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King. History records few men or women who
fundamentally changed the world, as we know it.
Some scientists have the distinction of being change agents. Galileo, Newton and Einstein immediately come
to mind. Some world leaders fit the
mold: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther
King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. The
defining quality of a change agent is the replacement of the status quo
paradigm with a new paradigm. The new
paradigm is the tool for change.
Sunday’s
lesson in Acts 17 describes how the message of Jesus changed the world and in
the process turned the world upside down.
Paul, the original globetrotter, takes his message about the salvific
work of Jesus in the cities of Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. Every city Paul visits where he has a
preaching/teaching opportunity he explains how his life has been eternally
changed. Change is not always good. There is no denying however the change
discussed in Acts 17 is good for the mind, body and soul.
Bible
Lesson: “Let’s Take A Road Trip”
Thessalonica
Paul’s
missionary journeys continue to the city of Thessalonica. While visiting the city Paul participates in
temple worship. He uses this as an
opportunity to teach about Jesus from the Jewish Scriptures. Many of the synagogue attendees become
believers based on Paul’s teachings (v 4) including a number of Greeks and
prominent women. Some of the Jews in
Thessalonica were less impressed with Paul’s revolutionary teachings. They organize a mob and plan a riot as a sign
of protest. Their nefarious plot
included bringing Paul and Silas out to the marketplace, where they would
likely be punished by the mobsters (v 5).
The plot fails and Paul and Silas set sail for Berea.
Berea
The
citizens in Berea are far more hospitable than the rabble-rousing Jews in
Thessalonica. Paul continues his
preaching and teaching. One noted
difference is the men of Berea were found to be serious Bible students. They searched the Scriptures on a regular
basis as a “fact-check” to make sure Paul’s teaching was confirmed in the Holy
Writ (v 11). The fact-checking Bereans
concluded that Paul was correct and many Greek men and women were saved and
became followers as well as some of the Jews.
When the Thessalonian Jews heard about the success of Paul’s ministry
they attempted to import their riotous habits to Berea. Some of the apostles stayed in Berea (Silas
and Timothy) but Paul was instructed to travel to Athens (v 15).
Athens
The
city of Athens was home to first century cosmopolitan Greeks. The city was a hub for commercial and
cultural activity. Paul was distressed
to see that Athenians were polytheistic (worshippers of many idols) (v 16). Paul used this as a teaching opportunity and
lectured in the local synagogue why Jesus supersedes yet fulfills the Law of
Moses. He extended this message by
preaching in the marketplace where many Greek citizens were able to gain access
to the new revolutionary ideas. Athenian
Greeks greatly enjoyed discussion and debate.
They were consumers of ideas and spent much of their time in this area
(v 21). Paul reasoned with the Athenian
citizens by noting that they were very religious. In fact one worship artifact contained a
message that read: To an Unknown God (v 23).
Paul uses this inscription as a segue to teach about the reality of
Jesus. Paul explains that Jesus is not
unknown because his resurrection makes him very real. God works in humankind by sending Jesus so
that we may be able to see thru him we “live, move and have our being” (v
28). This latter comment provides
something for the Athenians to think about in their quest for truth.
Bible
Application
The
idea of something being “upside-down” defies logic and natural law. A person walking towards you with his/her feet
in the sky and head perpendicular to the pavement would be interpreted as an
extraterrestrial visitor rather than your neighbor in Peoria, Illinois. When Fred Astaire was “dancing on the ceiling
“in the 1951 movie The Royal Wedding, movie viewers were mesmerized by the
trick photography that gave the appearance Mr. Astaire actually repealed the
law of gravity.
A
fundamental idea or event can have an upside-down effect. Music historians suggest that the Beatles
turned the world upside down through their new form of rock and roll. Economists (like your author) argue that the
publication of Adam Smith’s magnum opus, The Wealth of Nations in 1776 turned
the world upside by showing that the source of wealth is captured in production
activities guided by an invisible hand or market forces and not by government
fiat. It takes something really special
to result in an upside-down effect. The
evidence of human history confirms that such events are truly rare.
A
political or economic revolution can fundamentally change outcomes or alter the
course of history. The French, American
and Bolshevik Revolutions created profound changes in France, America and
Russia. Devout followers of ISIS seek
fundamental change but as we witnessed with the human carnage in Paris, their
means do not justify the ends. The
effect of social revolutions is seen in its ability to change the way things
are done and turning everything around from the old order to the new order. Paul was committed to preach a revolutionary
Gospel, which would cause the existing world to be turned upside down. Jesus was not an unknown God but made alive
thru the preaching of the Gospel. The
evidence of Jesus’s resurrection is indisputable. The German existentialist philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche advanced the thesis that God Is Dead. Nietzsche was a cynical atheist and a liar as
well. God is very much alive now and
forever! A stand for Jesus means a stand
for change and true spiritual liberation.
QED
*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 African Methodist Episcopal Church
9.
MEDITATION BASED ON MATTHEW
15:21-28:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I’m writing this week’s meditation in the wake of a horrific tragedy -
the deaths of over one hundred innocent people at the hand of terrorists in
Paris, France. That tragedy has been met with prayerful courage and
resolve by the people of France and by supportive people of good will around
the world - with the exception of some American politicians.
Those politicians want to bar Syrian refugees seeking a safe haven from
coming to America - unless they’re Christians - and call for America to wage
war against “radical Islam.” I find their words to be shortsighted, mean-spirited
and ironic - especially given the culture and religion of many mass murderers
who engaged in acts of American terrorism.
In places like Charleston, SC; Newtown, Connecticut; Oak Creek,
Wisconsin and Aurora, Colorado, the mass murderers were Americans who were
probably raised to be Christians. By that measure, we should also wage
war on “radical Christianity” and on terrorist groups like the “Christian”
Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
I’m a thoroughly and totally committed Christian who has learned to
respect those who don’t share my faith, but are still people of faith who try
to love our Creator and love others as they love themselves. I’ve learned
- and history has taught us - that those who wish to do evil sometimes cloak
their deeds in the cloth of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and all major world
religions.
We’d do well to remember that when it comes to people of faith, the old
saying is true – “There’s good in the worst of us and there’s bad in the best
of us.”
When we practice the love of Jesus, seek the human worth in all of
those around us and walk in the footsteps of the Savior who reached out to
those beyond His religious culture’s “comfort zone,” we can change lives for
the better, reach new understanding, find common ground and purpose and
celebrate what AME Bishop Frederick C. James once called, “The diversity of our
unity and the unity of our diversity.”
Let the love of Jesus direct the way that you interact with others -
regardless of their faith or lack thereof. You’ll have a broader
perspective, a greater appreciation for how God can reach and bring together
all humankind, and a new understanding of why my ancestors, who were enslaved
by those who called themselves “Christians,” first sang “Walk together,
children, don’t you get weary; there’s a great camp meeting in the promised
land.”
This Meditation is
also available:
As a Blog on the
Beaufort District’s Website: www.beaufortdistrict.org
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
10. EPISCOPAL FAMILY
CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT:
-- Good news from the Bright family
I would like to share some good Bright Family
news.
On the November 3, 2015 in the Philadelphia
General Election, after having served 20 years as judge on the Court of Common
Pleas, First Judicial District, Pennsylvania, I was elected to serve another 10
year term. I was blessed to have been the top vote-getter among the
judges up for retention.
I am thankful for the support of Bishop Gregory
G.M. Ingram, Pastor Mark Tyler and the AME Church Family, which I am sure
helped to propel me to such an awesome outcome.
Also, our family was blessed on October 16,
2015 to celebrate the retirement of Bishop and Mrs. John Bright’s nephew, Rear
Admiral Sinclair M. Harris who retired after 34 years of service in the
Navy, which occurred at The Sail Loft,
Washington Navy Yard.
Judge Gwendolyn Bright
11. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Third Episcopal District regretfully announces the passing
of Ms. Sherry Roberts a member of St. Mark, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania and
sister of the Reverend Dr. Samuel Ware, pastor of St. Paul, Washington,
Pennsylvania.
The funeral service is scheduled as follows:
Viewing: Friday, November 20, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
White Memorial Chapel
72504 Thomas Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Homegoing Celebration: Saturday, November 21, 2015,
11:00 a.m.
St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church
1409 Montier Street
Wilkinsburg, PA 152251
The Reverend Arthur E. Doctor, Pastor
The Reverend Dr. Samuel Ware, Eulogist
Final Arrangements Entrusted to:
White Memorial Chapel
72504 Thomas Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Telephone: (412) 241-7998
Fax: (412) 241-4741
Condolences may be sent to
The family of Sherry Roberts
St. Mark AME Church
1409 Montier Street
Wilkinsburg, PA 152251
Sign Online Guest Book:
12. CLERGY
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Brother Alex
Murphy, husband of the Rev. Claudine Murphy, St. Luke AME Church, St. Louis,
MO.
The services for Brother Alex Murphy are as follows:
Visitation: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015
Time: 4-7:00pm
Place: St. Luke AME Church
9634 Meeks Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63132
Homegoing Celebration:
Date: Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
Visitation Hour: 10:00 am
Funeral Service: 11:00am
Place: St. James AME Church
4301 St. Ferdinand Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113
The Rev. Willie Marshall, pastor
Cards and other expressions of Christian love may be
sent to:
The Rev. Claudine Murphy
c/o Mrs. LaJuan Williams
13606 Mason Meadow Court
St. Louis, Mo. 63131
13. CLERGY
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We
regret to announce the passing of Sister E. Celita Duckett, the sister of Leroy
Duckett and sister in law of Wanda l. Duckett, General Board member of the AME
Church and 2nd Vice President of the First District Lay Organization.
Sister Celita was a member of the Women’s Missionary society and the Lay
Organization. The following information has been provided regarding
funeral arrangements.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Viewing and
Masonic Services
Friday, Nov.20, 2015
Viewing
– 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Service
of Celebration - 11:00 a.m.
All
services will be held at:
Campbell
A.M.E. Church
220
Park Avenue
Woodbury,
NJ 08096
Professional services provided by:
Carl
Miller Funeral Home
831
Carl Miller Blvd
Camden,
NJ. 08104
Expressions of kindness can be sent to:
The
Duckett Family
370
Grove Avenue, #125
West
Deptford, NJ. 08086
Telephone:
(609) 315-3711 (Wanda Duckett)
Telephone:
(856) 848-8171 or 856-848-6315 (Leroy Duckett)
Email:
Wandkett@hotmail.com
Fax: (856)
845-7242
14. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
NOTICE:
It is with deepest sympathy and regret we announce the
passing of Mrs. Carolyn Brown Parker, mother of the Reverend Keith A. Parker,
Sr., pastor of Spring Hill AME Church in Sheldon, South Carolina. Mrs.
Parker, 90 years of age lived in Burton, SC and was the widow of the Reverend
Carl Parker, died Sunday, November 15, 2015 at her residence.
Wake Service for Mrs.
Parker:
Thursday, November 19, 2015
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Jericho AME Church
342 Broad River Blvd.
Beaufort, SC 29903
Celebration of Life
Services:
Friday, November 20, 2015
10:00 a.m.
Bethesda Christian Fellowship
36 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Drive
St Helena Island, SC 29920
Telephone: (843) 838-4410
Burial will follow in Beaufort National Cemetery, 1601
Boundary St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Services Entrusted to:
Marshel's Wright-Donaldson Home for Funerals, Inc.
1814 Greene St.
Beaufort, SC 29902
Telephone: (843) 525-6625
Condolences may be sent
to:
The Rev. Keith Parker
16 Still Shadow Dr.
Beaufort, SC 29906
Telephone: (843) 846-6680
15. CLERGY
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Juanita
Griffin, the mother of the Reverend Leo Griffin, pastor of Wesley AME Church,
Houston, Texas. Mrs. Griffin passed on Sunday, November 1, 2015.
Services for Mrs. Juanita
Griffin:
Family Visitation:
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
5:00- 7:00 p.m.
Battle Memorial Funeral Home
1123 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Panama City, Florida 32401
Funeral: Thursday, November 5, 2015, 11:00 a.m.
Allen Chapel AME Church
1318 Mississippi Avenue
Lynn Haven, FL 32444
Telephone: (850) 265-8682
Services are entrusted to:
Battle Memorial Funeral Home
1123 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Panama City, Florida 32401
Telephone: (850) 763-4951
Fax:
(850) 785-8222
Expressions
of sympathy may be sent to:
The Reverend Leo Griffin and Family
Wesley AME Church
2209 Dowling Street
Houston, Texas 77245
Or emailed to: sgO541@aol.com
16. CLERGY
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
This comes to share that Mrs. Elise Wilson has passed.
Mrs. Wilson is the mother of the Reverend Shalane (Samuel) Jenkins,
pastor of Tyree Temple AME Church in Dumas, Arkansas.
Arrangements have be entrusted to:
Cromwell Funeral Home
600 East Lewis Street
Hamburg, AR 71646
Telephone: (870) 853-5000
A Celebration of her life was held on Saturday, November
7, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church, Fountain Hill, AR, the Reverend
Jesse Washington, pastor.
Condolences may be sent to the family:
Mr. Willie Earl Wilson
P.O. Box 47
Fountain Hill, AR 71642
Telephone: (870) 853.5831 or (870) 940.0639
The Reverend Shalane & Mr. Samuel Jenkins, Jr.
420 West Jefferson
Hamburg, AR 71646
Telephone: (870) 940.0639
17. CLERGY
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
This notice is to inform you of the passing of Brother
Elmer Young, the husband of the Reverend Gloria Young, Local Deacon at New
Bethel A.M.E. Church, Rosston, Arkansas on the Young Circuit, the Rev.
Larry Ross, pastor.
Brother Elmer Young was a life-long member of New Bethel
AME, in Rosston, Arkansas. Brother Young served as Steward, Treasurer and Class
Leader.
He is the father of three sons and one daughter, ten
grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The family hour is Friday, November 13, 2015 from 5-6pm
at Brandon Funeral Home, 2912 Hwy 29N, Hope, AR.
Funeral Services will be Saturday, November 14, 2015 at
11:00 a.m.
at New Bethel AME Church in Rosston, Arkansas
18. CONNECTIONAL
LAY ORGANIZATION BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Third Episcopal District regretfully announces the passing of Miss
Margaret Ann Fields, former President of the Third Episcopal District Lay
Organization and former Connectional Director of Lay Activities. We unite
in prayer with Jeani Gray, William Fields and other family members in the
loss of their loved one.
The Homegoing Celebration is as follows:
Calling Hour: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 12:00 noon
Funeral: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 1:00 pm
St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church
7700 Crosswoods Drive
Columbus, OH 43235
Telephone: (614) 888-0894
Fax: (614) 885-8145
The Reverend Jermaine Covington, pastor
The Reverend Dr. Otis J. Gordon, Jr., Eulogist
Final Arrangements Entrusted to:
Rutherford Corbin Funeral home
515 High Street
Worthington, OH 43085
Phone 614-885-4006
Fax (614) 885-5111
Condolences can be sent to:
William A. Fields
5652 Turnberry
Westerville, Ohio 43082
Phone No.: 614-818-3667
Email Address: Waf-jr@sbcglobal.net
Please keep the family in prayer.
Third Episcopal District Office
288 South Hamilton Road
Columbus, OH 43213
Telephone: (614) 575-2279; Fax: 614-575-2375; email:
19. BEREAVEMENT
NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Telephone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Telephone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
20. 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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